The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 1698- If a person is poor but possesses three Kilos of wheat and the like, it is recommended that he should pay zakāt of fiṭrah. If he has family members and wishes to pay their zakāt of fiṭrah as well, he can give those three Kilos to one of his family members with the intention of zakāt of fiṭrah, then give it to another family member and so on until the last person; it is better though, that the last person should give what he receives to a person who is not one of them. In case one of them is a minor his legal guardian can take zakāt of fiṭrah on his behalf and then give it to another person.

Issue No. 1699- If one’s child is born after the sunset of the eve of Eid al-Fitr, or somebody becomes one of those whose maintenance is obligatory on him after sunset, it is recommended that he should pay his fiṭrah, however, it is not obligatory.

Issue No. 1702- If it is obligatory on a person to pay the fiṭrah of another person, his obligation will not end if the latter himself pays his own fiṭrah, unless it is with the consent and permission of him (the former).

Issue No. 1703- If the husband of a woman does not bear her expenses and somebody else is paying for her expenses, it is obligatory on that person to pay her fiṭrah. In case a woman [who is not poor] earns money and spends her income for her expenses, she should pay her fiṭrah herself, provided that she is not poor.

Issue No. 1704- A sayyid cannot receive zakāt of fiṭrah from a non-sayyid.

Issue No. 1705- The fiṭrah of a child who is breastfed by its mother or a wet nurse is due on the one who bears the expenses of the mother or the wet nurse. However, if the mother or the nurse meets her expenses from the property of the child itself, payment of fiṭrah for the child is not obligatory on any person.

Issue No. 1706- The person who meets the expenses of his family members by haram money, must pay their fiṭrah out of halal property.

Issue No. 1707- If a person employs someone and agrees to meet his expenses (i.e., a servant), he should pay his fiṭrah. However, this does not apply to the labourers whose expenses are met by their employer as a part of their wages; thus, it will not be obligatory on him (employer) to pay their fiṭrah. Similarly, in guest houses and the like, where it is common for the staffers to have their meals there, and in fact, the food that they eat is considered to be part of their wages, it is obligatory on them to pay their fiṭrah themselves and the employer would be under no obligation.

Issue No. 1708- The expenses of soldiers in the barracks or in the battlefields are the government’s obligation, however, it is not obligatory on the government to pay their fiṭrah, and if they bear the conditions, they should pay their own fiṭrah.

Issue No. 1709- If a person dies after sunset of the eve of Eid al-Fitr his fiṭrah as well as that of the ones whose maintenance is obligatory on him, should be paid out of his property. In case however, he dies before sunset, the payment of his fiṭrah is not obligatory; and in case the conditions of the obligatory payment of fiṭrah apply to the members of his family, they themselves should pay their own fiṭrah.

Issue No. 1710- As an obligatory precaution, zakāt of fiṭrah should be paid to the poor and the destitute, provided that they are twelve Shi‘a Muslims. One can also give fiṭrah to needy Shi‘a children, either by spending fiṭrah on them or by making it their property through their legal guardian.

Issue No. 1711- It is not necessary for the poor person receiving fiṭrah to be just. However, the obligatory precaution is that fiṭrah must not be given to one who drinks wine or a person who commits major sins openly. Also, fiṭrah should not be given to a person who spends it on sinful acts.