Sadaqa Tul Fitr in the Light of Authentic Hadith

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.

All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Dear Brothers and Sisters …

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

1. Importance of Sadaqa Tul Fitr.

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَزِيدَ الْخَوْلاَنِيُّ، – وَكَانَ شَيْخَ صِدْقٍ وَكَانَ ابْنُ وَهْبٍ يَرْوِي عَنْهُ – حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، – قَالَ مَحْمُودٌ الصَّدَفِيُّ – عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ طُهْرَةً لِلصَّائِمِ مِنَ اللَّغْوِ وَالرَّفَثِ وَطُعْمَةً لِلْمَسَاكِينِ مَنْ أَدَّاهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ فَهِيَ زَكَاةٌ مَقْبُولَةٌ وَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ فَهِيَ صَدَقَةٌ مِنَ الصَّدَقَاتِ ‏.‏

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prescribed the sadaqah (alms) relating to the breaking of the fast as a purification of the fasting from empty and obscene talk and as food for the poor. If anyone pays it before the prayer (of ‘Id), it will be accepted as zakat. If anyone pays it after the prayer, that will be a sadaqah like other sadaqahs (alms). Sunan Abi Dawud 1609:

https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1609

2. Who is Sadaq Fitr compulsory upon?

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَالْحُرِّ وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى وَالصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَمَرَ بِهَا أَنْ تُؤَدَّى قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاس إِلَى الصَّلَاة

Ibn ‘Umar said God’s messenger prescribed as the zakat payable by slave and freeman, male and female, young and old among the Muslims on breaking the fast of Ramadan a sa’* of dried dates or a sa’ of barley, and gave command that this should be paid before the people went out to prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim.) Mishkat al-Masabih 1815:

https://sunnah.com/mishkat:1815

AND IT MUST BE PAID BEFORE EID PRAYER

3. When to give the Fitr. Sahih al-Bukhari 1511

Narrated Nafi`: Ibn `Umar said, “The Prophet (ﷺ) made incumbent on every male or female, free man or slave, the payment of one Sa’ of dates or barley as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (or said Sadaqa-Ramadan).” The people then substituted half Sa’ of wheat for that. Ibn `Umar used to give dates (as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr). Once there was scarcity of dates in Medina and Ibn `Umar gave barley. ‘And Ibn `Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul- Fitr for every young and old person. He even used to give on behalf of my children. Ibn `Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr to those who had been officially appointed for its collection. People used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (even) a day or two before the EId. Sahih al-Bukhari 1511:

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:1511

“Giving sadaqa Fitr on the start of Ramadan is not correct. Also please do not give to any masjid”

4. One Sai of Grain, Barley, dried dates, cheese or raisins.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: كُنَّا نُخْرِجُ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ صَاعًا مِنْ طَعَامٍ أَو صَاعا من شعير أَو صَاعا من تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مَنْ أَقِطٍ أَوْ صَاعًا من زبيب

Abu Sa’id al-Khudrl said, “We used to bring forth as the zakat on breaking the fast of Ramadan a sa’ of grain, or of barley, or of dried dates, or of cheese, or of raisins.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Mishkat al-Masabih 1816: https://sunnah.com/mishkat:1816

What is “ Sa’” Explanation

* The Hijazi sa’ is described as a measure equivalent to four mudds, the mudd being the amount a man with average size hands can hold with both hands extended.

One Sa’ is the type of measurement, which equal to 4 Mud, 1 Sai is equal to 234 tola. 1 tola is equal to 11.664 Gram

So One Sa’ is 2730 Grams. Calculation of Sa’ will be dependent on the country you live in. e.g UK, USA. For UK Pure Flour price today date is around 1.25 per Kg so it will be around £3.75 Per Person on the Wheat Fitr if we round to 3 KG.

So for Dates there are so many dates in the market average start £5.00 Per Kg and for 3 KG it will be £15.00 Per Person.

5. One Mudd explanation from a Hadith

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي، سَعِيدٍ قَالَ كَانَ بَيْنَ خَالِدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ شَىْءٌ فَسَبَّهُ خَالِدٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏  “‏ لاَ تَسُبُّوا أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِي فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَوْ أَنْفَقَ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا مَا أَدْرَكَ مُدَّ أَحَدِهِمْ وَلاَ نَصِيفَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Abu Sa’id reported there was some altercation between Khalid b. Walid and Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Auf and Khalid reviled him. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: None should revile my Companions. for if one amongst you were to spend as much gold as Uhud, it would not amount to as much as one mudd of one of them or half of it.

Sahih Muslim 2541a: Chapter 54: The Prohibition Of Reviling The Companions (RA), Book 44: The Book of the Merits of the Companions. https://sunnah.com/muslim:2541a

“The above-mentioned hadith also differentiate between Sahaba before Hudaybia and after. The Sahaba who went through the hardship very early stages and the one who accept Islam after the Rule of Islam”.

About Wrong Calculation of half Sa’ by using Da’if Hadees

6. Hadith is completely fabricated Grade: Da’if

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا سَهْلُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ حُمَيْدٌ أَخْبَرَنَا عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ خَطَبَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي آخِرِ رَمَضَانَ عَلَى مِنْبَرِ الْبَصْرَةِ فَقَالَ أَخْرِجُوا صَدَقَةَ صَوْمِكُمْ فَكَأَنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَعْلَمُوا فَقَالَ مَنْ هَا هُنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ قُومُوا إِلَى إِخْوَانِكُمْ فَعَلِّمُوهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَذِهِ الصَّدَقَةَ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ شَعِيرٍ أَوْ نِصْفَ صَاعٍ مِنْ قَمْحٍ عَلَى كُلِّ حُرٍّ أَوْ مَمْلُوكٍ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى صَغِيرٍ أَوْ كَبِيرٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلِيٌّ – رضى الله عنه – رَأَى رُخْصَ السِّعْرِ قَالَ قَدْ أَوْسَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَوْ جَعَلْتُمُوهُ صَاعًا مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ حُمَيْدٌ وَكَانَ الْحَسَنُ يَرَى صَدَقَةَ رَمَضَانَ عَلَى مَنْ صَامَ ‏

Al-Hasan said: Ibn Abbas preached towards the end of Ramadan on the pulpit (in the mosque) of al-Basrah. He said: Bring forth the sadaqah relating to your fast. The people, as it were, could not understand. Which of the people of Medina are present here? Stand for your brethren, and teach them, for they do not know. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prescribed this sadaqah as one sa’ of dried dates or barley, or half a sa’ of wheat payable by every freeman or slave, male or female, young or old. When Ali came (to Basrah), he found that price had come down. He said: Allah has given prosperity to you, so give one sa’ of everything (as sadaqah). The narrator Humayd said: Al-Hasan maintained that the sadaqah at the end of Ramadan was due on a person who fasted. Sunan Abi Dawud 1622: Grade: Da’if (Al-Albani).

https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1622

7. Basically from one Sa’ to Half sa’ is changed in the time of Hazrat Muawiya (RA).

Abd Sa’id al-Khudri reported: We, on behalf of every young or old, free man or slave (amongst us), used to take out during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as the Zakat of Fitr one sa’ of grain, or one sa’ of cheese or one sa’ of raisins. And we continued taking out these till Mu’awiya b. Abu Sufyan came to us for pilgrimage or ‘Umra, and addressed the people on the pulpit and said to them: I see that two mudds of zakat out of the wheat (red) of Syria is equal to one sa’ of dates. So, the people accepted it. But Abu Sa’id said: I would continue to take out as I used to take out (before, i e. one sa’) as long as I live.

Sahih Muslim 985b: Chapter 4: Zakat Al-Fitr is due from the muslims in the form of dates and barley, Book 12: The Book of Zakat. https://sunnah.com/muslim:985b

Note: At that time reason to change to half sa’ due to expensive cost of Syrian wheat.

8. Sadaqa Tul Fitr paying in shape of Currency

Now question is are we allowed to pay Fitr in shape of currency, so for this I also give you the 3 Reference from book of Hadith from 2 Tabi’n (RT) and From Sahabi Hazrat Umer RA.

1. Musanaf Ibne Sheeba : 10368:

Umer bin abdul Aziz Tabi first mujadid in islam (101 Hijri):  ordered to collect half dhiram as sadaqa tul Fitr.

1. Musanaf Ibne Sheeba : 10317:

Hasan Basri Tabi (110 Hijri) said that if Fitr paid by currency there should not be any problem.

• Musanaf Ibne Sheeba: 10334

When Zakat paid to Hazrat Umer RA in shape of Currency 200 Dirham.

Note: So similarly, like Zakat on gold should paid from gold not from currency, same animal to animals and Agriculture to agri. So formula should be same for every thing.

Dear Brothers & Sisters: Allah only accepts charity which is from Halaal (lawful) means. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, ‘Allah accepts charity with His Right Hand and then increases it in reward for the person giving it, just like one of you raises his colt, until the reward for it becomes the size of a mountain’.  

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BY Imam Mahboob Rasool