Zakat ul-Fitr became obligatory on all Muslims, whether adults or children, in the second year of Hijrah. A hadeeth by the holy prophet (pbuh) specifies its two-fold purpose: "The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, enjoined Zakat-ul-Fitr on those who fast to shield them from any indecent act or speech, and for the purpose of providing food for the needy. It is accepted as Zakah for the one who pays it before the `Eid prayer, and it is sadaqah for the one who pays it after the prayer." According to a renowned contemporary scholar of Islam, this means "that that there are two purposes: one is related to the individual; for completion of his fast and compensation for any shortcomings in his acts or speech. The other is related to society; for the spreading of love and happiness among its members, particularly the poor and needy, during the day of `Eid. It also purifies one's soul from such shortcomings as the adoration of property, and from miserliness. Furthermore, it purifies one's property from the stain of unlawful earnings."
The amount of Zakat ul-Fitr, according to all schools of thought in Islam, is about 3kg of the main staple food a person consumed during the month of Ramadhan. In the days of the holy prophet, people used to give this amount of food directly to needy members of their community. It was thus ensured that on Eid day, nobody was without basic food and nobody needed to ask for assistance.
Zakat ul-Fitr is obligatory upon anyone who possesses one Sa' (ca 3kg) of the main staple food he or she usually consumes above his or her needs on Eid day. Obviously, this includes almost everyone and thus preserves the dignity of the poor, who give Zakat while at the same time being entitled to receive it from persons more affluent than they are.
In today's world, many people would find it hard to find persons so poor that they are in need of basic food living close to them. On the other hand, there are regions and countries where there are thousands, if not millions of Muslims who are entitled to receive Zakat ul-Fitr. While Zakat ul-Fitr was given in kind in the days of the holy prophet (pbuh), contemporary scholars agree that in our time, it is more useful for the poor and more appropriate to pay its value in money.
Zakat ul-Fitr has to be paid before Eid prayers. According to most scholars, it is permissible to pay it earlier.
If you have not yet paid your Zakat ul-Fitr, please, make a transfer to LFT's account. LFT's partner organizations in places like Tanzania, the Gaza strip, south Lebanon, Iraq and Iran know about many families who are in need of basic food items.
Ijaza:
· The Lady Fatemah Trust has been granted Ijaaza by Ayatollah al-Uzma Seyed Ali Seestani to collect Khums money. Please remember we operate on the basis of ZERO% administration costs, so every penny you give goes directly to those in need.
Comfort Aid and Islamic Humanitarian Service:
· The Trust has recently entered into an agreement with Comfort Aid in the US, info@comfortaid.org similar to IHS in Ottawa, ihs@primus.ca which allows donors to donate to LFT through these organizations gaining tax benefits. Please contact them for further information. We would sincerely like to thank both Comfort Aid and Islamic Humanitarian Service.
Give As You Earn:
To make a regular donation by standing order, please download a mandate from the website or contact us and we will send one to you. You can make a donation by using our secure on-line payment facility at https://secure.webstar.co.uk/lft/hsbc/donate.php The site allows you to donate in three currencies; GBP, USD and EUROS.
Please remember that completing a Gift Aid form substantially boosts your donation by 28% if you are a UK taxpayer.
Thank you, as always for all your generosity and support, without which our work would not be possible.
Yours sincerely,
Amirali G. Karim
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/
Tel: +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20
Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286,
Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20, Fax +44 (0) 7798 76 90 30
Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/
