Fitra donation and its excellence

What is Sadaqah Fitar:

After Ramadan, Wajib Sadaqah given before offering Salat-ul-Eid is known as Fitr donation. ‘Allamah
Mufti Muhammad Khaleel Khan Barakati ‫ َر ْح َمةُ هللاِ َعلَيْه‬has stated: Fitra is actually the Sadaqah of the Siyam
[fasts] of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak so that the Siyam become purified from useless and bad acts, the poor
and needy may prepare for Eid, and [by means of giving Sadaqah] a person may express thanks for the
blessings he has received from Siyam.

In Sahih Bukhari, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar ‫ َر ِض َی هللاُ َع ْن ُه َما‬has narrated that the Beloved Rasool ُ‫صلَّى هللا‬
َ
َّ‫سلم‬ ٰ
َ ‫ َعلَ ْي ِه َوال ِٖه َو‬declared Sadaqa-tul-Fitr to be Wajib on Muslims.
(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-uz-Zakah, vol. 1, pp. 507, Hadees 1503; summarised)

On whom is Sadaqa-tul-Fitr Wajib?

Fitra donation is Wajib on every free Muslim who is the owner of Nisab and his Nisab is exclusive of
Haajat-e-Asliyyah (i.e. basic necessities of life).
A man who is the owner of Nisab should pay his own Fitra, Sadaqa-tul-Fitr of his small children and if he
has a Majnoon [insane] child, he should pay his Fitra donation as well (even if that child is Baaligh).
However, if his small or insane child is himself the owner of Nisab, he may pay Fitrah from that child’s
wealth.
4 Narrations mentioning the excellence of Sadaqa-tul-Fitr
1. The Beloved and Blessed Rasool ‫صلَّى هللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو ٰال ِٖه َو َسلَّم‬
َ was asked about the following blessed Ayah:

﴾۱۵﴿ ‫صلّٰی‬ ۡ ‫﴾ َو ذَک ََر‬۱۴ۙ﴿ ‫قَ ۡد ا َ ۡفلَ َح َم ۡن ت َزَ ّٰکی‬

َ َ‫اس َم َر ِب ٖہ ف‬
Indeed successful is the one who became pure. And offered Salah, having mentioned the name of his Lord.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 30, Al-A’la, Ayah 14, 15)

So, the Beloved Rasool ‫صلَّى هللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو ٰال ِٖه َو َسلَّم‬
َ responded: This Ayah has been revealed regarding Sadaqa-
tul-Fitr.
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, vol. 4, pp. 90, Hadees 397)

2. The Beloved Rasool ‫صلَّى هللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو ٰال ِٖه َو َسلَّم‬َ has stated: Those who are your wealthy people, (because of
giving Sadaqa-tul-Fitr,) Allah َ َ َ will purify them and those who are your poor people, Allah
َّ
‫ل‬ ‫ج‬ ‫و‬‫ز‬َّ ‫ع‬
‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬will give them even more than it. (Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitab-uz-Zakah, vol. 2, pp. 161, Hadees 1619)

3. Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar ‫ َر ِض َی هللاُ َع ْن ُه َما‬has stated that there are three virtues in giving Sadaqa-tul-Fitr:
The first one is Sawm being accepted, the second is easiness in the agonies of death and the
third is salvation from the torment of grave. (Al-Mabsoot lil-Sarakhsee, Kitab-uz-Zakah, vol. 2, pp. 114)

4. Sayyiduna Abu Khuldah ‫ َرحْ َمةُ هللاِ َعلَيْه‬has stated: I went in the court of Sayyiduna Abul ‘Aaliyah ُ‫َر ْح َمة‬
‫هللاِ َعلَيْه‬. He said, ‘Meet me when you go to Eid-Gah tomorrow.’ When I went, he asked me, ‘Have
you eaten anything?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Have you taken a bath?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He
asked, ‘Have you paid Sadaqa-tul-Fitr?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I have paid Sadaqa-tul-Fitr.’ He said, ‘I
had called you for this very reason.’ Then he recited the following blessed Ayah:
﴾۱۵﴿ ‫صلّٰی‬ ۡ ‫﴾ َو ذَک ََر‬۱۴ۙ﴿ ‫قَ ۡد ا َ ۡفلَ َح َم ۡن ت َزَ ّٰکی‬
َ َ‫اس َم َر ِب ٖہ ف‬
Thereafter, he said, ‘The people of Madinah would not consider any Sadaqah Donation to be superior to
Sadaqa-tul-Fitr and serving water.’ (Tafseer Tabari, vol. 12, pp. 547, Raqm 36992)
From these blessed sayings of the beloved Rasool‫صلَّى هللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو ٰال ِٖه َو َسلَّم‬
َ we come to know the importance of
the Fitra donation we should pay our Fitra with good intention. We should keep this fact in mind that
when we spend in the path of Allah Almighty we receive its blessings in this world as well as in the
hereafter. May Allah Almighty enable us to give our Fitra donation with good intentions an May He
Almighty accepts our humble donations. Aameen.