In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful…
The Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) ordered that a fasting person give out Zakaat al-Fitr at the end of Ramadhan – one saa’ of staple food on behalf of yourself and each person you are responsible for. [1]
What is a Saa’?
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.
The Chain of Transmission for this Prophetic Measurement
This mudd was measured up to Sh. Yahyaa ibn ‘Uthmaan al-Mudarris’ mudd (may Allaah preserve him), which was measured up to the mudd of his shaykh al-‘Allaamah Aboo Sa’eed Muhammad ‘Abdullaah al-Laknawee (d.1400), which was measured up to his shaykh’s mudd… and so on, all the way back to the mudd of Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) that was in use in al-Andalus and elsewhere, all the way back to (at least) the fourth century.
Al-‘Allaamah al-Laknawee (may Allaah have Mercy on him) – a former teacher at the Haram in Makkah and at Daar al-Hadeeth, an Indian scholar grounded in Towheed and firm against the people of desires – said about this mudd:
This is the mudd that the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) was speaking about when he prayed, “O Allaah! Put blessings in our saa’ and our mudd!” This was collected by the two shaykhs (al-Bukhaaree and Muslim). Further, he (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) used to make wudhoo’ using this mudd, and he used to take a bath using a saa’. [2]
In one narration of the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) said when praying for Allaah to bless the mudd and the saa’:(what means), “blessings upon blessings.”
So whoever wants to give their zakat al-fitr using this measurement – as it was prescribed – is free to do so. May Allaah bless the Muslims and accept their fasting and their zakaat.
How to Calculate Your Zakat Al-Fitr
A way of keeping it simple, using the modern equivalent of a saa’ (3L), is to measure out .75L (750ml) of the food you intend to use in a large measuring cup, then use that same amount (whether you convert it to weight or not) a total of four times for each person’s zakaat.
This works for any food type, and it eliminates the need for lengthy calculations and conversions that differ from one food type or another, especially since some kinds of rice -for example- are heavier than others. Its true! Even within one food type there are different kinds that have different densities and weights.
So if you want to give out rice, for example, measure 750ml of the kind you have in a measuring cup. If you want to give the zakaat in a sealed unopened container, then weigh the 750ml you measured, and then multiply by four. That’s the weight of one person’s zakaat al-fitr using that exact kind of food. Then multiply that by the number of people you are giving zakaat on behalf of.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Step 1: Determine the number of people you are giving zakaat al-fitr on behalf of.
A man has a wife and four children, and his parents have asked him to give out zakaat al-fitr for them too. So he needs to give out 8 units, or saa’s, of food.
Step 2: Determine how much one saa’ (3 litres) of the selected food item is.
The man in our example decides to use barley. He can either:
(a) Measure out three litres of barley in a large measuring pitcher, if he doesn’t mind opening the container, and it will not be seen as unacceptable to the poor person.
(b) Measure out 750 ml of barley in a measuring cup. Weigh this amount. Multiply its weight by 4. This is one saa’ of that barley. Let’s say in this example 750ml of the selected barley weighed 400 grams. So 400g x 4 = 1.6kg. The weight of one saa’ of that specific kind of barley would be 1.6 kilograms.
Step 3: Multiply the measurement from step 2 by the number of people you are giving on behalf of (from step 1).
This is done one of two ways:
(a) 3 litres x 8 = 24 litres of barley as in this example (based on the original volume)
(b) 1.6kg x 8 = 12.8 kilograms in this example (converted to weight)
I hope this walkthrough is helpful.
IMPORTANT: Is a Mudd Simply a “Double-Handful”?
The mudd is not simply a double-handful. A mudd is an actual physical container (like a small bowl or pot, or a large cup), a standardized unit of measurement, one that was widely in use in the time of the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) in the marketplaces and in their houses.
It is based on a double-handful – don’t get confused – but the Companions used to buy and sell using the containers (the mudd and the saa’), not their own individual double-handfuls, and they used to give their zakaat al-fitr with these containers (the saa’ and the mudd). The Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) used to have Zayd ibn Thaabit measure out mudds and saa’s of food using the standardized mudd and saa’ of al-Madeenah.
So Allaah did not legislate that big-handed people have to give more zakat al-fitr, and people with small hands give less. Rather there is a standardized measurement to be used, according to how it has been legislated.
Thus, it is known that it is inaccurate to define the mudd referred to in the texts as simply anyone’s “double-handful”, rather the mudd referred to was an actual container, which our scholars throughout history have busied themselves recording its size, shape, volume, and description.
CLARIFICATION: “The Scholars have Specified the Saa’ as 2.172 Kilograms” [?]
In a translation of a fatwaa from the Permanent Committee of Scholars in Saudi Arabia, headed by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have Mercy on him), there seems to be a specification of 2.172 kilograms as one saa’.
Actually, this is something that has been added to the text of their fatwaa by the translator(s) (between parenthesis). The Arabic original has NO MENTION of this specification, not in the text of the fatwaa, nor in a footnote. [3] It was simply added by the translator(s).
This does not mean that such a measurement must be inaccurate, as a saa’ (3L) of some kinds of food might actually weigh precisely 2.172 kg. However, it should be known that this specification did not occur from the scholars in the fatwaa translated and referenced.
And Allaah knows best.
ANOTHER CLARIFICATION: “The Mudd is NOT a cup, bowl, or utensil” [?]
In an informative and generally accurate article, our brother, Aboo Sufyaan Beecher in Kuwait (may Allaah give him success), posted the following words just recently:
I asked our Shaykh, Dr. Aboo Muhammad Fawaaz al-‘Awadhee, this evening about the miqdaar [size] of a mudd & saa’ due to the confusion (mine & some others) in regards to different sayings of Ahlul-‘Ilm and things posted on the internet. He mentioned the mudd an-Nabawee (Prophetic mudd) is a measurement based on volume that fits in the two cupped-together hands of an average sized man. This was the saa’ of the people of al-Madeenah. He said a mudd is a measurement, not a cup, bowl or utensil.
Source: The Salafiyyah Kuwait Blog
We can address this common misunderstanding with the following textual and rational proofs:
Firstly, Imaam al-Bukhaaree gathered hadeeths about the size of the mudd container in the chapter of his Saheeh called “Chapter: the Saa’ of al-Madeenah and the Prophet’s Mudd (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace), and How They Were Passed on by the People of Madeenah, Generation After Generation.” (Fat-hul-Baaree: 11/598)
His first hadeeth (#6712) in that chapter mentions that the government-endorsed Saa’ container had become noticeably smaller than the standard Saa’ in the time of the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace), so this was corrected during the Caliphate of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdil-‘Azeez.
The second hadeeth of the chapter (#6713) describes how Ibn ‘Umar used to use the original Saa’ measurement of the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) before it had been changed.
Quite simply, how could you have a standardized government-endorsed measurement without a physical container to represent it?!
Moreover, Asmaa’ bint Abee Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: They used to give their zakaat al-Fitr in the time of the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) using the mudd container that the people used in their houses to measure their foods with, or the Saa’ container that the people used in their houses to measure their food with. She said: All of the people of Madeenah did likewise, without exception!
This hadeeth was collected by al-Haakim in his al-Mustadrak (#1499, 1/570 of the Daar al-Haramayn printing). Al-Haakim called the hadeeth saheeh (authentic) according to the conditions of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Neither ath-Thahabee nor al-Waadi’ee objected to this authentication.
Ibn Khuzaymah also collected the hadeeth in his Saheeh (#2401), and said in his chaper title quite profoundly: “The Chapter Mentioning the Evidence Used to Prove that the Zakat of Ramadhaan was Only Prescribed Using the Saa’ of the Prophet (may Allaah Raise his Rank and Grant him Peace), Not the Saa’ that was Later Invented, Since the Saa’ in the Time of the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) in al-Madeenah was his Saa’.”
This shows quite clearly that a mudd is not simply anyone’s double-handful, or the average double-handful, rather it is a standardized measurement, which was obviously a known and widely used container, since the Companions of al-Madeenah all had such Mudd and Saa’ containers in their houses for daily use!
If that is not clear enough as proof to dispel the error that a “mudd is not a cup, bowl, or utensil,” review the famous event that took place between the two scholars – Aboo Yoosuf and Maalik ibn Anas. They differed over the size of the Saa’, so Imaam Maalik requested all the people of Madeenah to bring out their Saa’ containers so they could be measured. As a result, Aboo Yoosuf realized that the Saa’ of al-Madeenah was the correct Prophetic Saa’ and abandoned his previous estimation of it.
To dispel any remaining doubts, let us look at the chain for the Mudd container shown in the pictures above:
- This mudd container of 750 ml was considered equal in measurement to the mudd of my shaykh, al-‘Allaamah Yahyaa ibn ‘Uthmaan al-Mudarris.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, al-‘Allaamah Aboo Sa’eed Muhammad ‘Abdullaah al-Laknawee.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Al-Haafith Mahmood al-Baharfaalee.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, al-Qaadhee Muhammad Ayyoob.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh’s shaykh, Muhammad Is-haaq Aboo Sulaymaan.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Muhammad Rafee’ud-Deen.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Muhammad Hyaat al-Hanbalee.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Abul-Hasan ibn Muhammad Saadiq.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of Abul-Hasan ibn Abee Sa’eed ibn Abee Yoosuf ibn ‘Abdil-Haqq.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd endorsed officially by Aboo Ya’qoob.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of al-Husayn ibn Yahyaa al-Yashkuree.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of Ibraaheem ibn ‘Abdir-Rahmaan an-Najaashee.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of Aboo ‘Alee Mansoor ibn Yoosuf al-Qawwaas.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Aboo Ja’far Ahmad ibn ‘Alee ibn ‘Arboon.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Aboo Ja’far Ahmad ibn Akhtal.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Khaalid ibn Ismaa’eel.
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykh, Aboo Bakr Ahmad ibn Hanbal (not the famous imaam).
- His mudd was measured as equal to the mudd of his shaykhs, Aboo Is-haaq Ibraaheem ibn ash-Shintheer and Aboo Ja’far ibn Maymoon.
- Their mudds were measured as equal to the mudd of the noble Companion, Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him).
And this chain of narration (ijaazah) for the Prophetic mudd was only mentioned to clear up the confusion that some people may have regarding the mudd not being an actual container. With this, I hope there is no place remaining for further confusion about what a mudd and saa’ actually are!
And Allaah knows best.
Written by: Moosaa Richardson
ST Archives – Originally published September 2009, since updated and edited.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Collected by Al-Bukhaaree & Muslim.
[2] An-Najm al-Baadee, Shaykh Yahyaa al-Mudarris’ biography (p.63)
[3] Fataawaa al-Lajnat ad-Daa’imah (9/364)
As salaamu alaika maashallah jazakallahu khair ahk musa for the clarity on this issue. It would be nice if every salafi community could get this measuring utensil, so this valuable piece of legislation can be accurate. May allah increase you in good.
Wa ‘alaykumus-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. Just about every household has a measuring cup. If you have a 500ml measuring cup for example, then six full measuring cups equals 3L or one saa’. Its that easy. Even though it would make it easier, there is no need to have a container that is the exact size of a mudd (.75L), and Allaah knows best.
Our brother Sajid Chauhan (may Allaah bless him) said on the Salafitalk forum (12/13/2009)*:
Sheikh Abdul Azeez bin Abdur-Razzaaq Al-Ghudayaan – a judge in al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, mentioned:
A resolution issued by the Commission of Senior Scholars in the 56th session under No. 207 dated 9.11.1422 AH. states that the saa’ used at the Prophet’s time is equal to three litres and thirty millilitres.
Arabic Source: Click here – page no. 6
This is extremely close to what Shaykh Yahya Mudarris al-Hindi thumma Makki has mentioned.
Sheikh Abdul Azeez al-Ghudayaan comments regarding such trivial differences as follows, “According to the juristic rules, any trivial difference is neglected for this estimation is not certain with regard to the Prophet’s saa’; it is a discretionary estimation and may be closer to the right estimation, and Allah knows best. Had it been obligatory to know the specific amount of the saa’ and had it been forbidden to use a discretionary amount, our predecessors would have given specific amounts of these measuring units and such amounts would have reached us through unanimous narrations.”
*Slightly edited.
Sajid Chauhan (may Allaah preserve him) also posted on 9/7/2010 the following:
Shaykh Muhammad Ali Farkus hafidhahullaah has calculated the weight-equivalent for 1 Saa’ of various foodstuffs. The table from his website is given below:
The measures of Zakat Al-Fitr (in grams):
Semolina – 2000
Raisin – 1640
Flour – 1400
Couscous – 1800
Lentil – 2100
Couscous with big grains – 2000
Bean – 2060
Date – 1800
Crushed pea – 2240
Chickpea – 2000
Wheat – 2040
Rice – 2300
As-Salaamu alaykum,
Is it permissible to give part of a Saa’ as one food type, and the other part as another food type? For example, 1/2 a Saa’ as rice, 1/4 Saa’ lentils, 1/4 Saa’ dates?
Jazakallahu khayran.
While I appreciate the measurements, I’d like to remind you that even within those types of food, there are different kinds that have varying densities and weights. Just as small-grain couscous and large-grain couscous have clearly different weights (as shown in the list above), similar or even greater differences occur between different types of rice, beans, dates, and other things on that list.
In another fatwa by permanent committee headed by Sh. Ibn Baz & including Shaykhs al-Fawzaan & aal-ash-Shaykh from those who are still alive, they have mentioned
مقدار الصاع النبوي ثلاثة كيلوات تقريبًا، فيلزم إخراج هذا المقدار عن كل شخص في صدقة الفطر ،
The value of the Prophetic Sa` is 3 kilograms approximately, so everyone should give this amount, i.e., 3 kilograms, as the obligatory charity paid before `Eid-ul-Fitr
Permanent Committee Fatwas Group 2, Vol 8 pg. 267
http://alifta.org.sa/Fatawa/FatawaDetails.aspx?View=Page&PageID=13360&PageNo=1&BookID=3
WAllaahu ‘aalam
Jazaak Allaahu khayran, Saajid. 3kg seems to be more than all the known weights for 3L of the heaviest types of food in all the studies I’ve seen, so it is a kind of over-compensation to be safe and make sure you have given out your zakaat al-fitr sufficiently, especially when you are unable to measure out the amounts yourself. it is very dangerous to define the saa’ in weight like 2.2 kg or so with what could be less than an actual saa’ in some types of food, as this could lead to people failing to give out a sufficient amount of zakaat al-fitr.
salam alaekum….,
this zakatul fitr are giving to our imams for the reasons that most of them have no salary for been an imam and they did not have any source of income, they will take out of it and sell the rest after ramadan, what is theislamic perspective about it?
wa alaykumus-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. So long as they are poor, it does not matter what their occupation is. Furthermore, we do not follow up on what anyone does with our zakaat or charity after we give it. It becomes their property and they are free to use it, store it, give it away, trade it, sell it, pawn it, loan it, etc.
Assalaamu Alaikum Akhee
Jazzakallaah Khayr for the clarification, really appreciated. Just one concern, would it not be closer to the sunnah to measure the rice only with the mudd (the container we have made with the volume of 750ml) for each person in the family, rather than multiply it and weigh it ( converting it to kg and multiplying)? As I understand this is what the People of Madeenah did, and for this is what the Messenger of Allaah sallaahu alaihiwasallam made dua. Please correct me if I am wrong.
i will like to the confersion of following food items in nigeria money such as RICE, BEANS, GARRI, MAIZE, MILLET, SOYABEANS etc for the sake of saka tul fitr.
Just measure out the food in a container of 3 litres. That’s the amount you give on behalf of each person you are responsible for. It has been legislated to be given out as food, not as money, so measure it and give it out as food. May Allaah give you success.
Assalaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh!
I am so confused about the amount I am to give for Zakat al-Fitr. Is my understanding correct: 4 mudd = 1 saa’, correct? So if I find out how much 1 mudd is I will multiply that amount by 4 to get 1 saa’?
This is what I came up with:
~1 mudd = .75L = 3 cups
I would multiply the above by 4 to get 12 cups in all.
So for a house of two would have to give 24 cups of food in total?
Baarakallaahu feekum!
wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh…
IF your 3 “cups” are 750 mL combined, then yes, three cups would be equal to a mudd. Thus, 4 mudds (3 cups x 4 = 12 cups) is a saa’ or one person’s zakaat al-fitr.
According to google, 3 liters is approximately 12.6803 US cups.
Google search – convert 3 liters to cups
As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu,
May Allah reward you for this beneficial posting.
I was wondering if you could clarify something which was confusing me in the article above. In the section with heading “The Chain of Transmission for this Prophetic Measurement,” the first paragraph, last sentence, “…all the way back to (at least) the fourth century.” Is this the fourth century in the hijri calendar? If it is, it seems to conflict with the detailed chain of transmission later on in the article. If I am misunderstanding, please correct me.
Jazakallahu khayran.
Wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Yes, the reference is to (about) the fourth century in the Hijri calendar, otherwise we would say “the fourth century according to the non-Muslims’ (or Christians’) calendar. This is a time when the mudd of Zayd ibn Thaabit was still widely in use as an official standardized measurement.
Assalamu alaikum to all
I am really confused about zakaat al Fitr because I hear for this zakaat for first time. It’s my third Ramadan, cause I am a revert muslim Alhamdulillah.
For example, according to the above calculations if I want to offer rice and we are 3 persons, it is 7200 kg about. Am I right?
I would like to give food to a neighbor in need and together with rice I want to give for example milk and sugar but I cannot open them to measure. What shall I do in that case?
From the central mosque here in Sweden they said we can give 75 kronor each person, about 9 euros. It’s because they have measured different and more heavy kind of foods?
If the food that I will choose and measure is not so expensive, because we are poor people but it’s still 3 kg for each person is it ok?
JazakAllah khairoun and sorry for my bad english :) May Allah (swt) accept the fasting and prayers of all muslim and forgive us and save us from Jahannam. AMEEN
wa ‘alayk as-salaam wa rahmatullaah. We offer you a late welcome to Islaam, and may Allaah keep your feet firm!
Zakaat al-Fitr is one large 3-litre container of a staple food like wheat, barley, rice, etc. given to the poor, from each Muslim male or female, old or young, traveler or resident.
You asked about 7200 kg of rice, which would likely be zakaat al-fitr on behalf of 3,000 people. Actually, three people would give out 7.2 kg (7,200 g) of rice, if the 3 litres of rice weighed 2.4 kg each. Rice is of different types of thickness, length, and density, so not all rice would be 2.4 kg. If you can’t measure the rice yourself, I would advise that you be safe and just give out 3 kg of rice per person.
Furthermore, there is no money needed to be paid for Zakaat al-Fitr if you are giving the food out yourself. The money you would pay would be to appoint someone to give out the food on your behalf.
You might appreciate this article which reminds us all about the importance of giving it out ourselves when we are able.
And the price of the food does not matter. In fact, you could choose some very expensive organic wild rice and end up spending close to 100 Euros on your zakaat al-fitr, or you could spend a couple euros on flour, which would likely be just as beneficial to the poor who would receive it. What is best is to give it out from the kind of normal food you have and use in your own house. And Allaah knows best.
Using 3L container is not prevalent in Pakistan.we used the figure of 2.172kg for the flour.i read in replies sajid chouhan’s figure that flour is 1400g which will be 1.4kg.we have bought 10kg flour as we are four members.is our zakaatul fitr acc to Prophetic Measurement?
Flour, like most staple foods, has different types, which have different densities and consistencies. Last night, I actually measured my family’s zakaat al-fitr in Saudi white flour, and I used the mudd container described above. One saa’ (four mudds) weighed 1.76 kg. I gave out 20 kg of flour for myself and ten others. (1.76 kg x 11 = 19.36 kg)
I don’t know exactly what kind of flour you used (wheat, corn, rice, etc.), but I’m almost sure that 10 kg would suffice for 4 people for any type of flour, and Allaah knows best.
We used wheat flour.
by the grace of Allah, I have recieved sanad & ejazah from 6-shakh and I have made a humble research over the last seven years on the nabawi mud, with well authenticated results by the grace &help of Allah. written by the nabawi mud servent by naration &authentication.
Assalamualykum Wa Rahmathulillahi Wa Barakathuhu .
May Allah(Azza Wa Jal) reward you for this article akhee and make our emaan firm . I have a doubt akhee. What is the condition regarding Zakathul-Mal (Zakat to be given on Gold , Silver , Land etc) , and on what all should we give Zakat(on the yearly basis) Is there any book or Is there any Lecture explaining its issue clearly ?
As-salaamu ‘alaykum
Brother Moosa,
First of all, may Allaah reward you for your efforts and for the benefit that you are bringing to the Muslims with this website. My question is slightly off topic. I wanted to know who is entitled to receive our Zakaak al Fitr ? Are there any conditions in that regard?
Wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. Zakaat al-Fitr is discharged as food to the poor. A poor person is someone who can just barely maintain himself financially and has no savings, or anyone worse off than that.
As salaamu alaykum ahk Moosa what’s the ruling on zakatul Fitr given in money or written checks and the likes?? barkaAllahu feek
According to what is most correct, the position of the majority of the scholars, this is invalid. Zakaat al-Fitr must reach the hands of the poor as food, as it was legislated. And Allaah knows best.
Assalamo alaikum
Can We give money in zakat ul fitr ?
Assalamu alaykum
As said above, the most correct opinion is that you cannot give money DIRECTLY to the poor person. However what often happens now and what many Masjids do is that they collect money, buy the flour etc and then distribute it. So for example my masjid says £3 per head which means you pay £3 and they buy the required amount of flour and give it to the poor. It is why Masjids have deadlines often for the Zakat al fitr because it takes some time to organise it and buy the flour etc.
Assalamu alaykum
Can we say assalamu alaykum in response to assalamu alaykum or must we say wa alaykum assalam?
Another fatwa of Permanent Committee headed by Allaamah Ibn Baaz (group 1 vol. 9 and pg 222)
س3: عن صاع الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ما مقداره بالحفنات؟
ج3: إن الذي تحرر لنا في مقدار الصاع النبوي أنه قدر أربع حفنات بيدي الرجل المعتدل في الخلقة، وهذا هو الذي ذكره بعض أهل العلم، كصاحب النهاية والقاموس، وأما الآصع الموجودة في الأسواق أو في المساجد كما ذكره السائل فيختلف بعضها عن بعض، وعليه فإن العمدة في التقدير ما ذكره العلماء بالتقدير بحفنة يدي الرجل المعتدل خلقة والله أعلم.
Q 3: What was the amount of a Sa` in handfuls as was used by the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?
A: What has been verified for us regarding the Prophetic Sa` is that it is four handfuls of a moderate-sized man. This is what was mentioned by some Muslim scholars such as Ibn Al-Athir in his book Al-Nihayah and Al-Fayruzabady in his book Al-Qamus. As for the Sa`s which we find in markets or Masjids, as mentioned by the questioner, they differ regarding their quantity. Thus, the estimation of a Sa` should rely on what was mentioned by scholars as explained earlier and Allah knows best.
http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaDetails.aspx?languagename=en&View=Page&PageID=3171&PageNo=1&BookID=7
As-salaamu ‘alaykum
Brother Moosa, I need your advice about an issue related to Zakaat ul Fitr. Very often people from my village would bring their Zakaat ul Fitr to my family probably because they consider us to be amongst the poorest families in the village. While this is true, we are still not ” poor ” with the Shari’a definition of poverty. Meaning, if we are careful with our spendings, we can maintain ourselves, we also have a house, a car, computers and the likes… Based on this, I said to my father that it is Haraam for us to receive the Zaakat ul Fitr. But after that I got afraid that I might make Haraam something about which I have no sufficient knowledge especially because he opposed me on this. So what is your advice? Should I keep telling him not to take it?
Wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. Having a house, car, and computers does not mean that you are not poor. The masaakeen mentioned in Soorah al-Kahf had jobs, and they owned a boat. Computers are necessary today in order to find employment and other basic needs. What seems to be correct is someone who can barely maintain things, while being frugal and careful in spending, so long as he has no considerable savings after that, then he is miskeen. Faqeer is a description of someone who cannot even meet their basic needs. This is not agreed upon as a distinction between the two terms, however I believe it to be the most accurate of the scholars’ opinions, and Allaah knows best.
Assalaamalikum Brother. I have question about Zakatul Maal on 401 K. If I take out from 401K fund we will be hit by penalty. What should I do, do I need to pay Zakat on 401K plan every year or when I get the money and pay that time.JazakAllaah Khair for the answer. May Allaah reward you. Ameen
kindly inform me correct measurement of mudd &saa
kindly read the article
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. Jazaakumullahu khairan for all this beneficial knowledge.
If I am able to give more than the saa’ to a needy sister, can I do it right? And it counts as a sadaqah?
Another question, if a sister ithat needs the money (for different reasons, no for buying food) receives zakaatul maal, can she give from that zakah to a sister who needs money for buy food?
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
1) What you give beyond the required saa’ (3L) of food per person is counted as a general charity.
2) Yes, anyone who receives zakaat al-Maal may give some of that in charity. It becomes her wealth when she receives it, so she can save it, spend it, or give some of it in charity, whatever is in line with her financial priorities. To be clear: she should not request zakaat unless she is genuinely in need. And Allaah knows best.
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. Jazaakumullahu khairan for your answer.
It wouñd be so good to translate this article to spanish. There are a lot of missconceptions about all the pillars of Islam, about all our acts of worships Allahu musta’an. If you have changed your mind and we can translate your articles, please let us know. Jazaaka Allahu khairan brother for all your work.
Assalaam Alaikum Akhy Moosa, I dont normally eat rice but i want to give my zakath in rice. Is this allowed?
Wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. So long as rice is a staple food in your locality, it is permissible.
Assalaamu’alaikum, if you were sending the Zakaat ul-fitr in the form of money to be distributed as food due to a genuine reason do you have to send the cost of the Saa’ in your country or the country you intend to send the money to?
Baarakallaahu feek
Wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. In such a case, you must send enough money to purchase and deliver (and cover all costs connected to) the food in the area where it will be purchased and delivered.
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
I am living in India. I want to calculate zakaatul fitr for 4 people. We are eating wheat (Rs. 30 per kg) and rice (Rs. 50 per kg). We have a Baitul Maal in our masjid. We pay the amount and they buy the items (wheat and rice) one day before eid and distribute to the needy people.
I have two main queries;
1. Can we take the average of the two items and calculate because we eat them equally at our home.
2. We are calculating 2.5kg per person
Kindly reply ASAP.
Jazaak Allahu Khayr.
والسلام
وعليك السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته
Measure out 3L of each one (rice and wheat), and record the weight of each. That’s a saa’. They are most likely different.
As-salaamualaikum noble brother Moosa
There is an article I was reading that claims that this chain and actually all the chain of the mudd of the prophet
(saw)has majaahil in it. Can you please read it and verify for us, please. The article claims that Ahmed Ibn Hanbal mentioned in this chain is majhool etc..[link removed]
Any additional information would be highly appreciated.
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. Raihan, that forum is a huge waste of time, so be warned of it and stay away. Take your knowledge from known and recognized scholars. That forum has many people with little to no knowledge quoting what they do not understand, under the name of Ahlul-Hadeeth. Its where you go when you want to be confused about hadeeth and other Islamic sciences. My mudd was measured up to the mudd of my shaykh, Shaykh Yahyaa ibn ‘Uthmaan al-Mudarris, and his to his shaykh’s etc. He said to me: This is the Prophetic mudd used by Zayd ibn Thaabit. After all of the modern research has been conducted, the measurement that has reached my hands of 750 ml is, in fact, right in the range of what most or all of the modern comparative research concludes. All the huff and puff of kids and pretenders to knowledge on chat sites means nothing. And Allaah knows best.
Also, Raihan please review this article about sending salaat and salaam upon our Messenger (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace): https://www.bakkah.net/en/saw-saws-pbuh.htm May Allaah grant you success.
as-salaamualaikum wa rohmatullaah
dear br Moosa
Is there a study of the men of the chain of narration of this isnad? [message truncated]
wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. I don’t know of one.
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
If someone is confused about how much he needs to give of food, can he just give more than the amount required? For example: can he just buy several bags of rice, flour, bread, etc. instead of having to measure out exactly how much he needs to give out?
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته
If he is confused, then let him just give out 3kg of food, like 6.5 lbs of staple food. That’s over compensating the amount, and the scholars give that measurement for the masses, so things are easy on them. But just to pretend one cannot understand any measurements at all, for people who measure out their ingredients for the food they cook regularly, would be blameworthy negligence. And Allaah knows best.
Assalaamu alaikum,
Living in a top 5 metro in the US, how would you advise giving Zaktul fitr for someone who attends a large masjid and doesn’t know any of any poor people?… [message truncated by admin]
JazakAllahu Khairan.
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. The “problem” is actually part of the solution! Please read this: https://www.bakkah.net/en/15-reasons-to-give-your-own-zakaat-al-fitr-yourself-part-1.htm
…I live in Dallas, which is well-known for their plethora of huge fancy ornamental (ikhwani) Masjids, attended and funded by incredibly wealthy congregations. Attending those Masjids puts one in a bubble to the point that leads one to say they don’t know any poor people. (There are no salafi masjids in Dallas that hold regular congregational prayers).
A little under the last 2 hours of Ramadan before the sunset, Allāh Azza wa Jal guided me to a masjid i had no idea existed before. It was situated in an apartment unit within in a low-income apartment complex, in a low-income part of town, that was mostly populated by a huge amount of incredibly poor Rohingya refugee families. SubhanAllah Going to their masjid and seeing their living conditions, delivering the food personally, exposed me to many of the points of the article you posted in your reply.
The easy thing to do was to say I don’t know any poor people who will take food, pay $10 to a third party service and say I’m Fearing Allah as much as I am able. But I sought the help of Allah Azza wa Jal in fulfilling this obligation, and it took some effort and striving and a bit of running around, but it was a much more spiritually gratifying experience than paying $10 through my phone and saying I feared Allah as much as I was able.
JazakAllahu khairan for your instruction. May Allah Azza wa Jal bless you in this life and the next.
Thank you for sharing that, jazaak Allahu khayran!
I have family of 6 so will one 25lb bag of white flour , one 5lb bag of Jasmine Rice & 1lb bag of brown rice be enough?
Assalamu aleikum ustadh may Allah preserve you
Ustadh i wanted to know if zakaatul maal can be paid to someone who want to get married and is struggling finniancially
Barakallahu feekum
Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. Whoever is poor and cannot pay his basic bills is faqeer, and whoever just barely pays the bills but has no savings is miskeen. Both are legitimate recipients of Zakaat al-Maal, as mentioned in the Verse [9:60]. Whether or not Muslims in these categories intend to get married or not is irrelevant as it relates to whether they can receive Zakaat or not. Future plans are not considered, rather the current situation is considered. And Allah knows best.