Prayer TimesAllah the Almighty says in the Qur'an:
“He who purifies himself (by giving charity), remembers the name of his Lord, and prays, will certainly succeed.” (Surah Al-A'la, 14-15).
According to a hadith narrated by Kasir ibn Abdullah from his father and grandfather, when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about this verse, he replied: “This verse was revealed regarding zakat al-fitr.”
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made zakat al-fitr obligatory to purify those who fast from idle talk and indecent acts, and to provide food for the poor.
“Whoever gives it (zakat al-fitr) before the Eid prayer, it is accepted as zakat; but if he gives it after the prayer, it is considered ordinary charity.” (Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah).
According to the Hanafi school, zakat al-fitr is calculated based on two kilograms of wheat (or its products such as flour or groats), or raisins, or four kilograms of dates or barley. However, it is preferable to give the monetary equivalent of these food items as zakat al-fitr (Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 1/210-211).
Nowadays, products like flour and groats are more commonly used than wheat itself. Therefore, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan has issued a fatwa to calculate zakat al-fitr based on flour. In 2021, the amount was set at 420 tenge, calculated according to the average price of two kilograms of flour. The price was determined based on information from the regional and city representatives of the Administration.
Those who are not well-off, meaning their surplus wealth does not reach the nisab threshold, are not obliged to pay zakat al-fitr, but may do so voluntarily for reward. However, it is best to give zakat to someone less well-off than oneself. Zakat al-fitr is not given on behalf of the deceased or unborn children.
Prepared by Hasan AMANKUL
“Munara” newspaper, No. 7, 2021
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.