Question #1: What is Zakat-ul-Fitr?
Zakat -ul-Fitr is for fasting Muslims to
give food or money on behalf of fasting
people. The food or money is equal to
one day’s meals for one person. The head
of the family pays this amount on behalf
of each person in the family. If he is
responsible for his mother and father,
then he has to pay Zakat ul Fitr for them
too. If a person cannot fast permanently
in the month of Ramadan (for instance,
because of illness) they have to pay Fitra
for each fasting day.
Question #1: What is Zakat-ul-Fitr?
Zakat -ul-Fitr is for fasting Muslims to
give food or money on behalf of fasting
people. The food or money is equal to
one day’s meals for one person. The head
of the family pays this amount on behalf
of each person in the family. If he is
responsible for his mother and father,
then he has to pay Zakat ul Fitr for them
too. If a person cannot fast permanently
in the month of Ramadan (for instance,
because of illness) they have to pay Fitra
for each fasting day.
1. The poor (Fuqara)
This refers to someone who has no
income
2. The needy (Masakin)
This is someone who for instance, may
have a job, a house and a car, but their
income is below the minimum
requirement.
3.
Employees of the Zakah
This category is sub-divided into the
following:
a. the group of people who are social
services workers who go into the
community to evaluate who is Faqeer and
Miskeen.
b. those who collect the Zakah money
c. the accountant of the Zakah money
d. investors who increase the share of the
Zakah
e. the clerical worker or secretary who
puts the files in order
f. those who will deliver Zakah to the
ones who need it
g. the outside auditor.
4. Sympathizers
These are those people who might enter
or who have already entered Islam.
Anyone we feel are good friends or ours
(non-Muslim or new Muslims) we give
them a gift from the Zakah money.
5. To free slaves
Riqab is the term used to describe the
group of people who are slaves. The
Zakah money is used to free the slaves.
Sakr stresses that Islam did not
invent slavery, but it gradually abolished
it.
6. For the Gharimeen
Those who are in debt – Zakah money is
used to pay off debts but these people are
not living in luxury, they are living a
normal life. For example, someone who
has gone
bankrupt because of job loss and is
overloaded with debt.
7. Fee Sabeelillah (for the Cause of
Allah)
This can be anything for the love of
Allah. Sakr gave the following examples:
a. for the employment of a Daiyah,
Imam, or religious teachers to do Dawa
b. building Islamic schools
c. building Muslim clinics and hospitals
d. providing money to young men who
want to marry but cannot afford Mahr
e. to assist poor travelers
f. to establish water springs on streets for
those walking or travelers
(please note, these last three things were
done by Khalifa Umar ibn Abdul
Aziz)
g. to defend Muslims who are under
attack
h. For television, radio or newspaper
project aimed at doing Dawa
i. to help someone publish a book for
Dawa
j. to pay for the studies of a student..
8. Ibn as Sabeel
This refers to a traveler, for instance who
has lost his wallet and has to get back to
his home.
This has to be verified to see if this
person is really telling the truth, since
there has been at least one case of a man
claiming to be a lost traveler in North
America who has stolen thousands from
Muslims claiming to be a traveler of this
type.
Question #3: How much Zakah do we
give?
The amounts are the following:
2.5 percent-on annual savings that are
Zakatable. 5 percent-on agriculture being
taken care of by a farmer who is planting
and irrigating from his own money.
During harvest time, he pays five percent
from the total crop.
10 percent-on a farmer’s product if it is
being irrigated by rain. 20 percent-on
resources like oil or precious metals (i.e.
gold, silver) which you find on a piece of
land that you own. Sakr notes that this is
“your property, no one has the right to
nationalize it”. You would pay 20 percent
on what you produced in one year.
Question #4: Do I pay Zakah on my
house and car
No, as long as you have one house,
whether you have paid it off or not. If
you have a second house for investment
purposes, this is Zakatable. You
would pay 2.5 percent on the total saved
from the house. This excludes what is
spent on maintenance or property taxes
and insurance.
It’s the same thing for a car. If you are
renting a car to someone, this is
considered a business entity, therefore, it
is also Zakatable at 2.5 percent.
Question 5: Are businesses Zakatable?
First of all, the business should be Halal.
There are three opinions amongst the
scholars:
1. If a businessman earns a certain
amount from his business, whatever he
saves after taking care of his family’s
needs and his business expenses, he
pays Zakat of 2.5 percent on what he has
saved.
2. A businessman has to pay Zakah on
the commodities in his store. This would
require evaluating the purchasing power
of the commodity and then
paying 2.5 percent on this amount.
3. Everything is from Allah and
everything goes back to Allah. The more
you give on your commodities, the better,
and it does not have to be 2.5
percent.
Question #6: Should Zakah be paid
only once a year?
The early Muslims actually paid Zakah
everyday instead of paying in a large bulk
once a year.
Some scholars have advised that we plan
in advance for our Zakah because we
might die and our inheritors may not pay
the Zakah we owe.
Another group of scholars say for
businesses, you should pay in advance.
The way you would do this is by
estimating how much business you will
make and
pay 2.5 percent.
If you decide to pay Zakah daily, give a
specific amount to one of the eight
categories, but nobody but you and Allah
should know that you are giving,
since some will feel it demeaning and
insulting.
Question #7: Should Zakah be paid in
Ramadan
Most Muslims prefer to give their Zakah
in Ramadan because there are more
rewards for doing so, but it is not
necessary to pay Zakah in this blessed
month.
