Zakat and charity 4 min read
Zakat al-Fitr is a small charity that Muslims give at the end of Ramadan. It is paid as one sa' of staple food for each person, before the Eid prayer. Its purpose is to purify the fast and to feed people in need.
Zakat al-Fitr is also called sadaqat al-Fitr or fitrah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made it a duty on every Muslim, free or enslaved, male or female, young or old.
It is different from the yearly zakat on wealth. It is not a percentage of your savings. It is a fixed amount for each person.
Ibn Abbas said that the Prophet ﷺ made it a purification for the person who fasted, from idle talk and obscene speech. It is also food for the poor.
Because of this, Muslims can enter Eid without anyone in the community being hungry.
It is also a way to thank Allah for the blessing of finishing Ramadan.
Every Muslim who has food beyond their basic needs on the day of Eid should pay it. The Hanafi school ties it to owning the nisab, while the other schools only require that you have more than you and your family need for that day and night. The head of a household usually pays for the children and for others they must support.
Details can depend on the situation, such as a newborn child or a guest. Scholars differ on whether the duty starts at sunset on the last night of Ramadan (the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali view) or at dawn on the day of Eid (the Hanafi view). A qualified local scholar can guide you.
A person who cannot afford it should not worry. Allah does not burden anyone beyond their ability, as Quran 2:286 teaches.
The Prophet ﷺ set the amount as one sa' of staple food. A sa' is an old measure of volume, not of weight. The foods named in the hadith include dates, barley, raisins and dried cheese. Today many people give the main food of their area, such as rice or wheat.
Because a sa' is a measure, its weight is different for each food. Local religious authorities publish an amount each year, so follow the amount given by your local authority or scholar. The Hanafi school counts half a sa' of wheat as enough, because the early Muslims used this measure.
Scholars differ on the form of payment. The Hanafi school says that you may give the money value instead of food. The Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say that food should be given. Many charities collect money and buy food for families, which makes giving easy.
The best time is on the morning of Eid, before the Eid prayer. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that it be paid before people go out to pray.
The Companions gave it one or two days before Eid. So it is commonly allowed to pay a few days early, but scholars differ on how early. The Maliki and Hanbali schools say one or two days, while the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools allow it earlier, even from the start of Ramadan. If you pay after the prayer, it is counted as normal charity, as the hadith says, and you have missed the reward of paying on time. Delaying it beyond the day of Eid without a reason is a sin, and it remains a debt that you must pay. If you forgot, pay as soon as you remember.
It is given to the poor and the needy. If you use a charity, be sure that it can reach people in time for Eid.
Use these steps to make it easy.
General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Updated 7 October 2026
The Hanafi school allows giving the money value. The Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say that food should be given. Follow the view of your school or your local scholar.
Pay as soon as you remember, and ask Allah for forgiveness. If you paid after the prayer on the day of Eid, it still counts, but without the reward of paying on time. If the day of Eid has passed, you still owe it. A scholar can explain more.
