Jakarta (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) — The obligation to pay zakat begins in the second year of the Hijri calendar just before the obligation of Ramadan fasting.
Both the Quran and Hadith extensively detail the obligation to pay zakat. One such instance is Allah’s decree:
وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱرۡكَعُواْ مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ
“Establish prayer, give zakat, and bow with those who bow [in worship].” (Quran, Al-Baqarah [2]: 43)
Paying Zakat is the third pillar of Islam, after professing faith and performing prayers. As guided by the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad:
بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ : شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ ، وَ إِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ ، وَ إِيْتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ ، وَ حَجِّ الْبَيْتِ ، وَ صَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ .رواه البخاري و مسلم
“Islam is built upon five [pillars]: testifying that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakat, making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.” (Hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Legal Rulings on Paying Zakat al-Fitr
In accordance with the Quranic and Hadith evidence mentioned above, paying zakat is obligatory according to the consensus of scholars for those who meet the criteria: being Muslim, free (not a slave), and possessing staple food on Eid al-Fitr (for both day and night). This applies to men, women, children, adults, free individuals, and slaves.
Timing of Paying Zakat al-Fitr
The timing of zakat al-fitr expenditure is divided into five categories, each with its distribution and explanation:
1. Obligatory: finding a portion during the month of Ramadan and a portion during the month of Shawwal. Thus, those who pass away before sunset on the first night of Shawwal are not liable for zakat because they did not find a portion during Shawwal. Similarly, infants born after the sunset of the first night of Shawwal are not liable for zakat because they did not find a portion during Ramadan.
2. Preferred: from dawn on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until before the Eid prayer. It is even more preferable to pay after the dawn prayer.
3. Permissible: counted from the beginning of the month of Ramadan.
4. Disliked: paying zakat after the Eid prayer until sunset. Unless for a valid reason, such as waiting for a relative or a deserving poor person to be available for zakat distribution.
5. Prohibited: paying zakat a day after Eid al-Fitr without a valid excuse. If there is a valid excuse, such as not having enough wealth to pay zakat or difficulty in finding eligible recipients, then it is allowed, but it is considered qada (make-up) and not sinful.
Measurement of Zakat al-Fitr
Each individual is obligated to give a staple food item (commonly rice in Indonesia, but can also be other grains like wheat or barley) equivalent to one sa’ (approximately 2.7 to 3.0 kilograms).
Intention for Zakat al-Fitr
An intention is obligatory when giving zakat al-fitr. The intention must be made internally, but it is recommended to articulate it aloud to affirm it.
1. Intention for Self:
ﻧَﻮَﻳْﺖُ أَﻥْ أُﺧْﺮِﺝَ ﺯَﻛَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻔِﻄْﺮِ ﻋَﻦْ ﻧَﻔْسيْ ﻓَﺮْﺿًﺎ ِﻟﻠﻪِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ
“I intend to give zakat al-fitr for myself, obligatory for the sake of Allah.”
2. Intention for Spouse:
ﻧَﻮَﻳْﺖُ ﺃَﻥْ ﺃُﺧْﺮِﺝَ ﺯَﻛَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻔِﻄْﺮِﻋَﻦْ ﺯَﻭْﺟَﺘِﻲْ ﻓَﺮْﺿًﺎ ِﻟﻠﻪِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ
“I intend to give zakat al-fitr for my spouse, obligatory for the sake of Allah.”
3. Intention for Son:
ﻧَﻮَﻳْﺖُ ﺃَﻥْ ﺃُﺧْﺮِﺝَ ﺯَﻛَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻔِﻄْﺮِ ﻋَﻦْ ﻭَﻟَﺪِﻱْ […] ﻓَﺮْﺿًﺎ ِﻟﻠﻪِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ
“I intend to give zakat al-fitr for my son [mention name], obligatory for the sake of Allah.”
4. Intention for Daughter:
ﻧَﻮَﻳْﺖُ ﺃَﻥْ ﺃُﺧْﺮِﺝَ ﺯَﻛَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻔِﻄْﺮِﻋَﻦْ ﺑِﻨْﺘِﻲْ […] ﻓَﺮْﺿًﺎ ِﻟﻠﻪِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ
“I intend to give zakat al-fitr for my daughter [mention name], obligatory for the sake of Allah.”
5. Intention for Self and Family:
ﻧَﻮَﻳْﺖُ ﺃَﻥْ ﺃُﺧْﺮِﺝَ ﺯَﻛَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻔِﻄْﺮِﻋَنِّيْ ﻭَﻋَﻦْ ﺟَﻤِﻴْﻊِ ﻣَﺎ تَلْزَﻣُنِيْ ﻧَﻔَﻘَﺎﺗُﻬُﻢْ ﺷَﺮْﻋًﺎ ﻓَﺮْﺿًﺎ ِﻟﻠﻪِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ
“I intend to give zakat al-fitr for myself and all those dependent on me, obligatory for the sake of Allah.”
6. Intention for Representation:
ﻧَﻮَﻳْﺖُ ﺃَﻥْ ﺃُﺧْﺮِﺝَ ﺯَﻛَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻔِﻄْﺮِ ﻋَﻦْ […] ﻓَﺮْﺿًﺎ ِﻟﻠﻪِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ
“I intend to give zakat al-fitr for [specific person’s name], obligatory for the sake of Allah.”
Recipients of Zakat al-Fitr
Zakat al-fitr is distributed among eight designated categories of recipients (mustahiq) in Islam: the poor, the needy, zakat collectors, recent converts to Islam, slaves, debtors, those fighting in the cause of Allah, and travelers stranded without resources.
Supplication Upon Receiving Zakat
Recipients are encouraged to pray for the giver’s reward from Allah and blessings upon their wealth. An example of such a prayer is as follows:
“May Allah reward you for what you have given, and may He bless the wealth you have stored and make it a source of purification for you.” (Habib Hasan Ahmad Muhammad al-Kaf, Taqrîrâtus Sadîdah, 2003: 418-420)
Wallahu a’lam.
