The
topic of recipients versus non-recipients of zakah has already been covered. It
does happen, however, that a zakah payer inadvertently gives it to an
ineligible person at the expense of an eligible one. Upon the realization of
such a mistake, would he be considered to have fulfilled his obligation of
zakah or would it still be a debt upon him until he pays it to the right
people? The jurists differ over this point. Abu Hanifah, Muhammad, al-Hasan,
and Abu โUbaidah maintain that in such a case he would not be required to pay
another zakah. Maโan ibn Yazid reports: โMy father set aside a few dinars for
sadaqah and gave them to a man in the mosque. I went and took them and brought
them back to my father. He said: โBy Allah! What have you done?โ I consulted
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, about it. The Prophet observed: โO Yazid, for
you is what you intended and O Maโan, for you is what you have taken.โ โThis is
related by Ahmad and AlBukhari. The meaning of this hadith is that sadaqah is
supererogatory (nafl); however, the word ma (meaning what) in laka rna nawayta
(for you is what you intended) denotes generalization. Abu Hanifah and Muhammad
are supported in their stand by a hadith from Abu Hurairah which reports the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, saying: โA man [from Banu Israโil] said [to
himself]: โTonight I will give away something in sadaqah.โ So he went out with
his sadaqah and [unknowingly] gave it to a thief. The next moming he was told
by the people that he had given sadaqah to a thief. [On hearing this,] he said:
โO Allah! Praised be You. Certainly I will give sadaqah again.โ So, he went out
with his sadaqah and [unknowingly] gave it to an adulteress. The next moming he
was told that he had given sadaqah to an adulteress. The man said: โO Allah!
Praised be You. [I gave my sadaqah] to an adulteress. Certainly I will give
sadaqah again.โ Thus he went out with his sadaqah again and [unknowingly] gave
it to a rich person. The next moming the people said that the night before he
had given his sadaqah to a wealthy person. He said: โO Allah! Praised be You.
[I have given my sadaqah] to an adulteress, a thief, and a rich person.โ [In
his dreams] he saw someone saying to him: โThe sadaqah you gave to the thief
might make him abstain from stealing, and that given to the adulteress might
make her abstain from illegal sex [adultery], and that given to the wealthy
person might make him learn a lesson from it and spend his wealth, which Allah,
the Exalted One, has given him in Allahโs cause.โ โThis is related by Ahmad, AlBukhari, and Muslim. The Prophet, upon
whom be peace, said to a man who asked him for sadaqah: โIf you were eligible
for zakah, I would have given you your due.โ He (the Prophet) gave (zakah) to
two well-built persons saying: โIf you wish, I will give from it [sadaqah].
There is no portion in it for a wealthy person or a healthy individual who is
beaming.โ Ibn Qudamah says: โIf he would have considered the reality of the
rich person, he would not have been contented with what they said [concerning
this matter].โ The opinion of Malik, ash-Shafโi, Abu Yusuf, ath-Thauri, and Ibn
al-Munzhir is that it will not be sufficient for a zakah payer to give it to
the undeserving, especially when his mistake becomes clear. In that case, he
should pay zakah once again to those who deserve it. His case is similar to the
case of unpaid debts (owed) to other people. Ahmad says that there are two
opinions concerning one paying zakah to a person whom he thought was poor and
later leamed was rich. The first contends it would be considered paid, while
the second says that it would not be. When it becomes known that one who
received zakah is a slave, an unbeliever, a Hashimite (a person from the
Prophetโs family), or an ineligible relative of the zakah payer, then one has
not discharged oneโs obligation, the reason being that it is difficult to know
who is rich and who is poor: โThe ignorant man thinks that since they [who do
not ask for] are modest they are free from wantโ [al-Baqarah 273].
It
is permissible for the person giving sadaqah to disclose his sadaqah, whether
it is of an obligatory or supererogatory type (nafilah), so long as he does not
do it ostentatiously. However, it is preferable not to disclose it. Allah, the
Exalted One, says: โIf you publicize your almsgiving, it is alright, but if you
hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for youโ [al-Baqarah 271].
Ahmad, AlBukhari, and Muslim relate from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, said: โSeven people will be shaded by Allah on the day when
there will be no shade except His. These people are: a just ruler, a young man
who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, a man whose heart is attached
to the mosque, two persons who love each other only for Allahโs sake and they meet
and depart in Allahโs cause only, a person who gives sadaqah so secretly that
his left hand does not know what his right hand has given, a person who
remembers Allah in his seclusion and his eyes get filled with tears, and a man
who refuses the call of a chamling woman of noble birth for illicit sex and
says: โI am afraid of Allah, the Exalted One.โ โ
ZAKAT UL-FITR
Zakat ul-fitr is a type of sadaqah which must be paid by every Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave, at the end of the month of fasting (Ramadan). Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate from Ibn โUmar that he said: โThe Prophet, upon whom be peace, enjoined the payment of one saโ of dates or one saโ of barley as zakat ul-fitr on every Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave.โ
THE
PURPOSE OF ZAKAT UL-FITR
Zakat
ul-fitr was made obligatory in the month of Shaโban in the second year of the
hijrah. Its purpose is to purify one who fasts from any indecent act or speech
and to help the poor and needy. This view is based upon the hadith reported by
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and ad-Daraqutni from Ibn โAbbas. The Messenger of Allah,
upon whom be peace, enjoined zakat ul-fitr on the one who fasts to shield oneโs
self from any indecent act or speech and for the purpose of providing food for
the needy. It is accepted as zakah for the person who pays it before the โid
Salah, and it is sadaqah for the one who pays it after the Salah.
WHO MUST PAY ZAKAT UL-FITR
Zakat
ul-fitr is incumbent on every free Muslim who possesses one saโ of dates or
barley which is not needed as a basic food for himself or his family for the
duration of one day and night. Every free Muslim must pay zakat ul-fitr for
himself, his wife, children, and servants.
THE AMOUNT OF ZAKAT UL-FITR
The
required amount of zakat ul-fitr is one saโ of wheat, barley, raisins, dry
cottage cheese (aqit), rice, corn, or similar items considered as basic foods
(qut). Abu Hanifah made it permissible to set aside, as a zakat ul-fitr, an
equivalent value and also said that if the payer pays in wheat, one-half of a
saโ would be sufficient. Abu Saโid al-Khudri reported: โWe used to give on
behalf of every child, old person, freeman, and slave during the lifetime of
the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, one saโ of food, or one saโ of
dried cottage cheese, or one saโ of barley, or one saโ of dates, or one saโ of
raisins as zakat ul-fitr. We continued to do so until Muโawiyyah came to us to
perform pilgrimage (hajj) or a minor pilgrimage (โumrah). He then addressed the
people from the pulpit and said to them: โI see that two mudds of wheat of
Syria equals one saโ of dates.โ The people accepted that.โ However, Abu Saโid
contended: โI would continue to give as I used to give, namely, one saโ as long
as I live.โ This is related by most hadith narrators. At-Tirmizhi remarks:
โSome of the scholars gave one saโ from every charitable item [which is
accepted as a sound practice].โ Ash-Shafโi and Ishaq sustain this view but some
other scholars gave one saโ from every charitable item except wheat, of which
only half a saโ would be sufficient. This is the saying of Sufyan, Ibn
al-Mubarak, and the scholars of Kufah the fast of Ramadan ends. Abu Hanifah,
al-Layth, ash-Shafโi (in his original opinion), and the second report of Malik
say that zakat ul-fitr is due at the start of fajr on the day of โid.
These
two different views acquire relevance if a baby is born after sunset but before
dawn on the day of โid; the question then is whether zakat ul-fitr is
obligatory for the baby or not. In accordance with the first view, it is not
since the birth took place after the prescribed time, while according to the
second view, it is due because the birth took place within the prescribed space
of time.
To
be continued
