Miscellaneous Rulings Pertaining to ZakÁt al-FiÔrah
2041.ZakÁt al-fiÔrah should be given with the intention of attaining proximity to Allah—as elaborated in the section on wuÃÙ—and with sincerity. While he is paying it, he should intend giving the fiÔrah.
2042.If the fiÔrah is paid prior to the month of Ramadan, it will not be valid. However, it may be paid once the month of Ramadan enters. The precaution however is that he should not give it in the month of Ramadan. He may give it to a poor person prior to the month of Ramadan as a loan, and once the fiÔrah becomes obligatory, he may count his loan towards the fiÔrah.
2043.The wheat or commodity that one gives as fiÔrah, should not be mixed with sand or any other commodity. If it is mixed with it, then there is no problem (in giving it) if the pure commodity (in the mixture) is one ÒÁÞ—approximately three kilograms—and there is no added effort or cost involved in separating it. The same will apply if the amount of the added substance is so insignificant, that it would be considered to be pure in the common understanding of the people.
2044.If the fiÔrah is given from a defective commodity, it will not suffice based on obligatory precaution.
2045.A person who is paying fiÔrah for a number of people does not have to give all the fiÔrahs from one commodity. For example, if he gives the fiÔrah of some from wheat and others from barley, it will suffice.
2046.A person who intends to pray the ‘Ðd prayers should pay the fiÔrah prior to offering the prayer based on obligatory precaution. However, if he does not intend to pray the ‘Ðd prayers, he may delay paying the fiÔrah until the time of zuhr.
2047.If a person puts aside a part of his property with the intention of using it for fiÔrah, but fails to give it to a deserving person prior to zuhr on the day of ‘Ðd, he should make the intention of giving fiÔrah whenever he eventually gives it.
2048.If a person does not pay the fiÔrah at the time when it is obligatory on him, nor does he put it aside, obligatory precaution dictates that he should give it with the intention of fulfilling that which the Holy Legislator has required of him.
2049. If a person has put aside some property as fiÔrah, he may not utilize it for his personal use and put aside something else as fiÔrah.
2050.If a person possesses some property, the value of which is greater than the fiÔrah, then should he fail to give his fiÔrah, it will be problematic for him to intend that a part of that property be counted as fiÔrah, in a manner that the property would be inclusive of fiÔrah and his personal property. However, there is no problem if he chooses to give all of it to a poor person.
2051.If the property that one sets aside as fiÔrahceases to exist, and he had delayed giving his fiÔrah despite having access to poor persons, he will have to pay for its replacement. However, if he had no access to a poor person, and was not guilty of negligence in safeguarding it, he will not be responsible for the loss.
2052.If a deserving person is present in one’s area, the obligatory precaution is that one should not send the fiÔrah elsewhere. If he does so, and it perishes on the way, he will have to pay for its replacement.
