💬 Can Zakat ul Fitr (Fitrana) be paid in cash or is it really necessary to pay it in the form of (staple) food?

❎ Majority of the Scholars are of the view that the Fitrana is not valid when paid in cash.

✌🏻There are 2 reasons for this:

1️⃣First Reason:
Prophet of Allah ﷺ never paid his Fitrana in cash, nor commanded anyone to pay it in the form of cash.

⁉️ The Companions of the Prophet never questioned this and followed his example (of not paying Fitrana in cash) even after his death.

📖 لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِي رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٞ۞
There is indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of Allah
✨[Al-Ahzab 33:21]

🌟 We need to make sure to follow our Prophet’s ﷺ example to succeed in both the worlds.

✅ So, whatever was the custom at the time of our Prophet ﷺ , should be followed, nothing more should be added to it.

❌ When Fitrana was made obligatory, though most of the Muslims were needy and cash would have helped them, yet Fitrana was never paid in cash nor was it recommended to pay it in cash.

➡️ Purpose of Zakat ul Fitr:
💰For the benefit of the person who fasted, Zakat al-Fitr can be considered as “Kaffarah” (compensation) for the mistakes done while fasting.

💦 Zakat ul Fitr has been made obligatory to purify the person who fasted (in Ramadan) from his sins and mistakes.

💫 For example: If someone commits a mistake or misses a ritual during Hajj or Umrah, then a fidya or dum needs to be paid to make the Hajj or Umrah valid and acceptable.

👉🏻 If a mistake is made during prayer or something is forgotten, then Sajdah Sehv (سجدہ سہو) is made to make the prayer valid and acceptable.

🤲🏻 Similarly, for any mistakes made while fasting, Zakat al-Fitr has been made obligatory, to make our fasts valid and acceptable.

🍚 For the benefit of Miskeen (the needy):
It is food for the needy.When the Prophet of Allah ﷺ has declared Zakat ul Fitr as food for Masakeen (the needy), we cannot defy it by giving cash as Fitrana.

2️⃣ Second reason:
The amount of Zakat ul Fitr that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ has prescribed, was never in cash. It had always been the weight of food.

📚 Narrated Ibn Umar:
“Allah's Messenger ﷺ has made Sadaqat-al-Fitr obligatory, (and it was), either one Sa' of barley or one Sa' of dates (and its payment was obligatory) on young and old people, and on free men as well as on slaves.”
✨[Sahih Bukhari 1512]

‼️These are the two reasons due to which the majority of the Scholars agree that Zakat al-Fitr should be paid in food, and never in cash.

📌 An Important Rule:
The Scholars are of the view that Zakat al-Fitr should be paid in whatever staple food your own locality or area has.

🫓 During the times of our Prophet ﷺ wheat was not common, so the ahadeeth do not mention wheat. You need to pay the Zakat ul Fitr in the staple food of your own area.

🍘For example, if wheat is the staple food in the area, then Fitrana would be in the form of wheat.

🍙 If rice is the staple food in the area, then Fitrana would be in the form of rice. Similar is the case for barley.

⚖️ Our Prophet ﷺ fixed the rate for Fitrana as one Sa’ (approximately 3 kg) of the staple food of that area.

🚫 Imam Abu Hanifah once stated that cash “could be” paid as Fitrana.

💸 Unfortunately, we changed the “could be” into “must be” and now the majority of Muslims believe that it has to be paid in cash.

☑️ Imam Abu Hanifah said that Fitrana paid in cash would be valid but it is much better to pay it as food as per Sunnah.

🔎 Except for Imam Abu Hanifah, the majority of the Scholars do not consider paying Fitrana in cash as valid.

⏳ However, if you are unable to find staple food, or there is only a little time left (to pay your Fitrana), then it is acceptable for you to pay your Fitrana in cash. This should only be done as the last resort.

🍛 If you give some food as Fitrana to someone, and he asks for it to be changed to cash, then he should not be given it at all.

🧇 If there are no or very few poor and needy in your locality, you can send money to a trustworthy relative or friend to buy and distribute food on your behalf in his locality to the poor and needy.

🛣️ Fitrana can be sent to another area if there are more deserving people there.