Distributing Zakat-ul-Fitr as cash money

Q 5: Is it permissible to pay the equivalent of Zakat-ul-Fitr (obligatory charity paid before the Festival of Breaking the Fast) in cash to the needy, by giving them the price of the prescribed amount of staple food, i.e., a Sa' (1 Sa' = 3 kg. Approx.)?

A: It is not permissible to pay money instead of food as Zakat-ul-Fitr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded the giving of food as Zakat-ul-Fitr and specified its weight in Sa', which indicates that it is fixed and that payment of its value does not discharge the obligation. The poor can then sell the food after receiving it and make good use of the money.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Chairman: ‘Abdul-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz
Member: ‘Abdullah al-Ghudayaan
Member: Saleh al-Fawzan
Member: 'Abdul-Aziz Al Al-Shaykh
Member: Bakr Abu Zayd

[The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta': Group 1: Vol. : 26 : pg. 261]

Paying Zakat-ul-Fitr; the value and measure of the Sa'

Q 2: What is the real value of the Sa` mentioned in the Prophetic Hadith relevant to Zakat-ul-Fitr (obligatory charity paid before the Festival of Breaking the Fast)?

A: Zakat-ul-Fitr must be paid of the staple food and it is not acceptable to pay the value. The amount of the Sa` is 3 kilograms approximately.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Chairman: ‘Abdul-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz
Member: ‘Abdullah al-Ghudayaan
Member: Saleh al-Fawzan
Member: 'Abdul-Aziz Al Al-Shaykh
Member: Bakr Abu Zayd

[The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta': Group 1: Vol. : 26 : pg. 265]

BEGIN 'EID WITH LOWERING THE GAZE

Some of the companions of Sufyān ath-Thawrī said: "We went out with ath-Thawrī on the day of 'Eīd and he said: 'Verily, the first thing we will begin our day with is lowering the gaze."

‎● [التبصرة لابن الجوزي ص ٦١]

Ḥasān Ibn Abī Sinān went out for the 'Eīd and when he returned his wife said to him:

"How many beautiful women did you see today?"

And when she persisted he replied: "I did not look at anything except my toe from the time I went out until I returned to you!

‎● [التبصرة لابن الجوزي ص ١٠٦، والورع لابن أبي الدنيا ص ٦٣]

#fawaid

آكد الأعمال في آخر رمضان أربعة: زكاة الفطر، والاستغفار، والشُّكر، والتكبير.
‏وأفضل الاستغفار: أستغفر الله وأتوب إليه، وأفضل الشّكر: الحمد لله.
‏وأفضل التكبير: الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد، ويبدأ التَّكبير من غروب شمس ليلة العيد إلى صلاته.

#تغريدات

the actions that should be done at the last of ramadan :

- Zakat al Fitr

- Istighfar : Astagfirullahi wa atubu ilahi..

- Shukr: Alhamdulillāh ...

- Takbir: Allahuakbar ×2, Lailaha illallah wallahu akbar, Allahuakbar wa lillahil hamd..

Takbir should begin from the sunset of the night of eid until the eid prayer !

Ibn 'Abbaas used to say,

"It is the Muslims' duty when they sight the new moon of Shawwal to magnify Allah by making takbir until they have finished their 'eid [i.e. their 'eid prayer]. That is because Allah says:

[وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ]

"... and to magnify Allah by making takbir for Him having guided you" [al-Baqarah ayah 185]❞

ibn Zayd said, "They should make takbir when they are going to the prayer place in the morning. Then when they arrive and sit, they should continue making takbir. Then when the imam comes they should be quiet. Then when the imam makes takbir they should make takbir, but they shouldn't make any takbir besides his takbir after he has arrived. That is how it should be until they finish the prayer, for then they have finished the 'eid [i.e. their 'eid prayer]."

[Tafsir al-Tabari 3/480]

واعبد ربك حتى يأتيك اليقين
‏انتهى رمضان، وحق الله باق…

عيدكم مبارك
تقبل الله صيامكم وقيامكم وصالح أعمالكم.

ختم الله صومكم بعظيم الأجر ..
وأعتقكم ووالديكم من النار، وبلغكم منازل الأبرار
وأكرمكم بالعفو والعافية، ووفقكم إلى ما يحبه ويرضاه،
اللهم لا تجعل هذا العام آخر عهدنا برمضان
وأعده علينا أعواماً عديدة وأزمنة مديدة ونحن وإياكم بصحة وعافية...

‏"من أعلى دَرجات الجهاد؛ جهاد الحُزن، جهادك في التَّقبُل، جهادك في الحمد والشُكر وأنت في شِدّة.
‏أن تُسلّم أمرك لله حتى إن لم تفهم الحكمة أو تستوعب الأحداث، أن تلجأ وأنت متيقّن أن لا ملجأ من الله إلا إليه، أن تستسلم وترضى حتى وإن خالف ذلكَ هَواك.
‏صبرك وشُكرك وتقبلك = جهاد".

Shaykh Sulayman ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله:

From the most beautiful of speech is that which some say:

Whoever makes the days of his life [in this dunya] like the days of Ramadan, Allah will make [the days of] his akhirah like 'Eids for him.

ضو ابط الربا ٢٨٤

قال سعيد بن المسيب
"إن الرجل ليصلي بالليل، فيجعل الله في وجه نوراً يحبه عليه كل مسلم، فيراه من لم يره قط فيقول: إني لأحب هذا الرجل"

قيل للحسن البصري
"ما بال المتهجدين بالليل من أحسن الناس وجوها
فقال:لأنهم خلو بالرحمن فألبسهم من نوره"

لا تنسَ قيام بعض الركعات بالليل بعد رمضان

When introducing the legislation of fasting in Al-Baqarah, Allāh ﷻ says:

[لعلكم تتقون]

“..so that you would attain taqwā” [2:183]

and after detailing the rulings of fasting and pointing to the end of the month, Allāh says:

[ولعلكم تشكرون]

“So that you would be grateful” [2:185]

Al-Biqāʻī pointed out a relationship between these two phrases in his tafsir by writing:

“So that you would be grateful”- i.e. so that you would be in a state where you hope to continue being obedient and continue staying away from sins.

Al -Ḥarāllī said: Allāh placed gratitude at the end just as He placed taqwā at the beginning when He said, “... so that you would have taqwā.” For whoever truly implements taqwā at the beginning will truly be grateful at the end.

[Naẓm al-Durar 1/247].

قال ابن رجب رحمه الله :

"معاودةُ الصيّـام ، بعدَ صيّـام رمضان ،
علامةٌ على قَبولِ صَـومِ رمضـان ،،
فإنَّ الله إذا تقبل عملَ عبـدٍ ،، وفّقهُ لعملٍ صالحٍ بَعدهُ."
- لطائف المعارف[٢٢١]

Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbalī (r.h.) said:

"Resumption of fasting, after the month of Ramaḍhān, is a sign of acceptance of Ramaḍhān.
surely, when Allah (swt) accepts the good deeds of his servants, he enables them to perform good deeds after it."

[Latā'if al-Ma'ārif, 221]

"معرفة الرَّب أنفعُ قوت القلب؛ فبها حياته وقوته وطمأنينته.
وأعظمُ أبواب تلك المعرفة آياتُ وأحاديثُ الصِّفات، لمن نظر فيها وعرف معانيَها وأدرك آثارَها، وهي حقيقةٌ بجمعها في ديوان جامع..."

"Knowing the Lord is the most beneficial strength for the heart; with it, is it's life, it's strength, and it's reassurance.
The greatest doors to that knowledge are the verses and hadiths about the attributes, for those who look into them, know their meanings, and realize their effects, and in reality they have been collected in a comprehensive collection..."

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The heart, in its journey to Allah سبحانه وتعالى is like that of a bird:

love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings.

When the head and two wings are sound, the bird flies gracefully; if the head is severed, the bird dies; if the bird loses one of its wings, it then becomes a target for every hunter or predator.”

(Madārij as-Sālikīn)

"في القرآن جبر لكل انكسارات هذه الحياة ..."

وتظن أنك لا تعاقب بذنبك
You think that you will not be punished for your sin,

وأنت حرمت قيام الليل
And you were prevented from praying at night..

و وردك من القرآن
and from reciting your share from Qur'an

حرمت السنن الرواتب
and prevented from the sunan ar rawatib
وانعقد لسانك عن ذكر الله!
And prevented from mentioning your Lord..

طُبع على قلبك شيئًا فشيئًا وأنت لا تشعر
وتظن أنك لا تعاقب لأنك لست مبتلى في دنياك
It was imprinted on your heart little by little and you did not even feel it you think that you are not being punished because you are not afflicted in this world..

وأي ابتلاء أشد من أن يُحرم الإنسان الوصل مع الله؟
What affliction is more severe than a person being deprived of the communication with Allah?

وإِذَا سُئِلْتَ بِمَا جَهِلْتَ فَلا تَكُنْ
مُتَحَاذِقًا مُتَسَــــرِّعًا بِـجَــوَابِ

When you are asked about something that you are ignorant of,
Don’t posture intelligence and be quick to give an answer..

العِلْـمُ بَـحْرٌ لا نَـفَـادَ لـمَائِـهِ
كَمْ قَالَ لا أَدْرِي أُوْلُو الأَلْبَابِ

Knowledge is an ocean, it’s reserves inexhaustible..
A great many times have people of intellect simply said “I don’t know”..

لا عِلْمَ عَنْدِي لَيْـسَ عَيْبًا قَوْلُـها
العَيْبُ أن يُـفْـتَى بِغَيْرِ صَوَابِ

No shame is there in saying “I have no knowledge of this”..
True disgrace lies in an opinion given in an incorrect manner..