Sadaqah Tul Fitr

My Respected Brothers and Sisters,

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

All Praise is due to Alláh, 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 Alláh, 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 Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Brothers and Sisters now we are approaching the end of this month and we blessed nights and days are left. Allah has decreed this month the best of all months. The days of this month are the best among the days and the nights are the best among the nights and the hours during Ramadan are the best among the hours.

Due to this, as well as the suffering from the pain of hunger, thirst and weakness of the body due to fasting, ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, ‘No one knows the reward of fasting except Allah’. (Al-Bayhaqi

Now brothers and sisters, Just few days left of the holy month, Do repent to Allah for your sins and supplicate with raised hands at the times of prayer as these are the best times, during which Allah Almighty looks at His servants with mercy. Allah Answers if they supplicate, responds if they call, grants if He is asked, and accepts if they entreat.

Lets make genuine efforts for the sake of laylatul Qadr. Now just 27^th and 29^th left but it is still there. The exact date of Laylatul Qadr is unknown, according to hadith it occurs on an odd night in the last ten days of Ramadan (e.g. the 21^st , 23^rd , 25^th , 27^th  or 29^th night). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Seek it in the last ten days, on the odd nights,” (Hadith, Bukhari and Muslim). There is some hadith regarding sign of Laylatul qadar on 21^st, 23^rd and 27^th night.

Please make sure about your Zakat, Sadaqa, Lillah, Fidya, Fitrana and kaffara has been paid. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was asked which was the best type of charity, he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam replied, “The charity of Ramadhaan (or given during Ramadhaan).” (Tirmithi

I always stress upon taking any kind of charity out of your pocket is the first step and the completion is your responsibility to disburse directly to the poor peoples.

Sadaqa Tul Fitr in the Light of Authentic Hadith .

1. Importance of Sadaqa Tul Fitr (Sunan Abi Dawud 1609)

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: Chapter 536: Zakat For The Closing Of Fast At The End Of Ramadan, Book 9: Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat) https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1609

2. Who is Sadaq Fitr compulsory upon? (Mishkat al-Masabih 1815)

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: Chapter 3a: Sadaqa when Ramadan ends – Section 1, Book 6: Zakat

https://sunnah.com/mishkat:1815

AND IT MUST BE PAID BEFORE EID PRAYER

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

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ فَرَضَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَدَقَةَ الْفِطْرِ ـ أَوْ قَالَ رَمَضَانَ ـ عَلَى الذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى، وَالْحُرِّ وَالْمَمْلُوكِ، صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ، فَعَدَلَ النَّاسُ بِهِ نِصْفَ صَاعٍ مِنْ بُرٍّ‏.‏ فَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يُعْطِي التَّمْرَ، فَأَعْوَزَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ مِنَ التَّمْرِ فَأَعْطَى شَعِيرًا، فَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يُعْطِي عَنِ الصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ، حَتَّى إِنْ كَانَ يُعْطِي عَنْ بَنِيَّ، وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يُعْطِيهَا الَّذِينَ يَقْبَلُونَهَا، وَكَانُوا يُعْطُونَ قَبْلَ الْفِطْرِ بِيَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ‏.‏

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 `Id.

Sahih al-Bukhari 1511: Chapter 77: Sadaqat-ul-Fitr on a slave as well as on a free Muslim, Book 24: Obligatory Charity Tax (Zakat). 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 (Mishkat al-Masabih 1816.)

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: Chapter 3a: Sadaqa when Ramadan ends – Section 1, Book 6: Zakat.

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. (Sahih Muslim 2541a)

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.

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

6. Hadith is completely fabricated hadith Grade: Da’if: Sunan Abi Dawud 1622:

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: Chapter 539: The View That Half A Sa’ Of Wheat Is To Be Given As Sadaqah, Book 9: Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat). Grade: Da’if (Al-Albani) https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1622

7. Basically from one Sa’ to Half sa’ is changed in the time of Muaiwya (RA) (Sahih Muslim 985b)

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ بْنِ قَعْنَبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ قَيْسٍ – عَنْ عِيَاضِ، بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ كُنَّا نُخْرِجُ إِذْ كَانَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ عَنْ كُلِّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ حُرٍّ أَوْ مَمْلُوكٍ صَاعًا مِنْ طَعَامٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ أَقِطٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ زَبِيبٍ فَلَمْ نَزَلْ نُخْرِجُهُ حَتَّى قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ حَاجًّا أَوْ مُعْتَمِرًا فَكَلَّمَ النَّاسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَكَانَ فِيمَا كَلَّمَ بِهِ النَّاسَ أَنْ قَالَ إِنِّي أُرَى أَنَّ مُدَّيْنِ مِنْ سَمْرَاءِ الشَّامِ تَعْدِلُ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَأَخَذَ النَّاسُ بِذَلِكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ فَأَمَّا أَنَا فَلاَ أَزَالُ أُخْرِجُهُ كَمَا كُنْتُ أُخْرِجُهُ أَبَدًا مَا عِشْتُ ‏.‏

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

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 2 Reference from book of Hadith from 2 Tabi’n (RT).

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.

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’.

I pray that you and I will be amongst those whom Allah rewards, without limits. I also pray Allah swt to understand the Deen and Masail in the light of Authentic Hadith.

May Allah multiply the rewards of our fasts, grant us forgiveness for our sins and freedom from the Fire, and allow us to drink from the Prophet’s (saw) fountain, Ameen.

BY IMAM MCCIRLAM : MAHBOOB RASOOL