What Is Sadaqah Al-Fitr And When Is It Paid?

What is sadaqah al-fitr and when is it paid?

Sadaqah al-fitr is a charity which is wajib upon those who are considered as rich in religious terms and who reach to the last days of Ramadan as an act of gratitude of being created as human, fasting in Ramadan, and reaching Eid al-Fitr (Nawawi, al-Majmu’, VI, 103-105). Its ruling as wajib was determined by the sunnah of the Prophet (saw) (Bukhari Zakat, 70-78; Muslim, Zakat, 12-16; Abu Dawud, Zakat, 18; Ibn Majah, Zakat, 21).

A person is obliged to give fitrah for himself and his little children. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that every Muslim, free or slave, young or old, man or woman, needs to give fitrah (Abu Dawud, Zakat, 20).

The time of obligation for sadaqah al-fitr starts on the fist day of Eid al-Fitr, but it may also be given before the eid. The latter is even more virtuous. Giving it before the eid prayer is accepted as mustahab. Besides, it may be given on the day of the eid or later. However it is makruh to give it after the eid.

According to the Shafi’i school, postponing the fitrah until the sunset of the first day of eid without a valid excuse is haram. It is also permissible to give fitrah on early days of Ramadan (Nawawi, al-Majmu’, VI, 128)

The goal of fitrah is to cover the expense of one-day-foodstuff of a poor according to the life standard of the society s/he lives in and thus, helping him/her to share the joy of the eid.

While determining the amount of sadaqah al-fitr, it is more appropriate to take as basis the amount to cover a person’s one-day-foodstuff expenses (two meals). One cannot give sadaqah al-fitr to those who are considered as rich in religion, to ascendants (mother, father, grandparents) and descendants (children and grandchildren), and spouse. Fitrah may be given to one poor person wholly or more than one poor separately (Marghinani, al-Hidayah, II, 224). But the amount to be given to each person should not be lesser than one fitrah.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA