Zakat al Fitr

Zakat al Fitr, also known as fitrana, is a practice from the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and is obligatory upon every Muslim. “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordained Zakat al Fitr to purify the fasting person from indecent words or actions, and to provide food for the needy. It is accepted as Zakah for the person who gives it before the Eid prayer; but it is a mere Sadaqah for the one who gives it after the prayer.” [Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah[  

Zakat al Fitr is an obligatory charity paid at the end of Ramadan, to help vulnerable people. Each member of a household must pay Zakat ul Fitr, or have this paid on their behalf, including any children or elderly persons, so long as that family has enough food or money to feed themselves.  

The quantity of Zakat al Fitr was described by the Prophet (PBUH) as one saa’ of staple food. 

"The Prophet (PBUH) ordered that a fasting person give out Zakaat al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan – one saa’ of staple food on behalf of yourself and each person you are responsible for." [Bukhari & Muslim]

A Prophetic saa’ ( صاع ) is not a weight measurement.  It was and still is a measurement of volume, similar to the size of a large salad bowl.  It is made up of four mudds, and a mudd ( مد ) is a smaller container, close to the size of a small salad bowl.

To be precise, a Prophetic mudd in modern volume measurements is .75L (or 750mL), which means that a saa’ is three litres.

Paying Zakat al Fitr completes your worship for Ramadan and acts as a means of purification for your fasts.  

Zakat al Fitr is to be given at £6 per person.