SADAQAH-E-FITR (FITR CHARITY)"VIRTUES AND ITS ORDER"

SADAQAH-E-FITR (FITR CHARITY)"VIRTUES AND ITS ORDER"

Religion Islam admonished, to comprehend each and every needy and destitute person of the society in the cheerful events and made Sadaqah as Wajib (compulsory) on every man and woman, elderly and young so that the poor and needy can too get the share of happiness of Id.

Virtues of Sadaqah-E-Fitr:

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam) commanded to give Sadaqah-E-Fitr from towards the rich and the poor and further said:

Translation: "And the rest amongst you is the one who is wealthy and rich, then Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) purifies them, and the one who is a destitute, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) grants them more than what they donated."
(Musnud Imam Ahmed, Hadith No: 22553)

Allama Alal Muttaqi Al-Hindi Al-Hanafi (His blessed soul Parted in 974 Hijri) (May Allah SWT shower His mercy upon Him) said this Hadith in the Kanz-Ul-Ummal through the reference of Khateeb and Ibn Asakar:

Translation: The Roza (Fast) of a believer (Mo'min) hangs between the skies and the earth until one doesn't gives away the Sadaqah-E-Fitr.
(Kanz-Ul-Ummal, Hadith No: 24130)

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam) on the occasion of Id-Ul-Fitr commanded to give Sadaqah-E-Fitr from towards the every man and woman, elderly and young and also admonished to give the Fitr charity before the Id prayer. As given in the Hadith of Sunan Dar Qutni:

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Hasan Basri (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) that, Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) addressed the people at the end of Ramadan and said: "Oh the people of Basra! You give away the Zakat of your fasting (Roza)," the narrator says that on this the people started looking at each others face and at that he said: "Who amongst you are from Madina? Get up and teach your brothers since they don't know that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam) appointed the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan i.e. half Sa'a of Wheat or one Sa'a of common barley or one Sa'a of Dates on every free and slave, man and woman. Hadhrat Hasan Basri (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) also narrated that Hadhrat Ali (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) said: "When Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) gives you extent, prosperity and capability then give away the wheat or so."

Compulsoriness of Sadaqah-E-Fitr:

Sadaqah-e-Fitr is Wajib (Compulsory). Only three conditions are there to be fulfilled for making it compulsory.

(1) Being Free
(2) Being a Muslim
(3) And being the owner of such wealth which is more than required need and also being safe from debt.

Sadaqah-e-Fitr is compulsory on those persons, whose wealth reaches the quantity of recommendation. It should be more than required need and also free from debt. The recommended quantity of Sadaqh-e-Fitr and Zakat is the same, but unlike Zakat charity, it is not conditional for the Sadaqh-e-Fitr charity amount to be increasing in nature or the period of one year of it to pass by. (Fatawa A'alamgiri, Vol. No: 1, Pg. No: 191)

Soon with the dawn of the Id-Ul-Fitr, Sadaqah-e-Fitr becomes Compulsory. The dispensing period of it is through out the life. It can be given at any time during the whole lifetime. It will be compulsory to be given off until it isn't disposed irrespective of the period passed by; it won't get dropped off from oneself. As given in Fatawa A'alamgiri, Vol. No: 1, Pg. No: 192.

It is given in Durre Mukhtar, Vol. No: 2, Pg. No: 78
and on the same page of Radd Ul Muhtar that:

Translation: It is Mustahab (recommendable) to give away the Sadaqah-e-Fitr by one before going to the Idgah (Performing place of Id prayer) because the Holy Prophet said: "Today you set free the destitute from begging."

Note: It is permissible for a person who gives away the Sadaqah-e-Fitr few days before Id Ul Fitr.

It is given in the Hadith of Sunan Dare Qutni that:

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam) commanded us to give away the Sadaqah-e-Fitr before people advance towards Idgah and Hadhrat Abdullah used to give away the Sadaqah-e-Fitr one or two days before Id.
(Sunan Dare Qutni, Hadith No: 66)

Quantity of Sadaqah-e-Fitr:

If the Sadaqah-e-Fitr is given in the form of wheat then the recommended quantity is half Sa'a and if it is the common barley or dates or large raisins then the quantity should be given is one Sa'a.
It is given in Fatawa A'alamgiri, Vol. No: 1, Pg. No: 191:

In Durre Mukhtar the quantity of Sa'a amount is determined through one Dirham. According to the research work made by Maulana Abdul Hai (May Allah SWT shower His mercy upon him) and Mulla Mubeen (May Allah SWT shower His mercy upon him), great student of Hadhrat Shaikh Ul Islam A'arif Billah Imam Muhammad Anwaarullah Farooqui (May Allah SWT shower His mercy upon him) Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Ruknuddin (May Allah SWT shower His mercy upon him) first Mufti of Jami Nizamia elucidated in his Fatwa that one dirham is equivalent to two Ma'sha and one and half (1½) Rati' and according to this calculation half Sa'a is equivalent to five hundred and twenty Dirham's whose measure is 94 Tole 9 Ma'sha and 4 Rati'. (Fatawa A'alamgiri, Vol. No: 62)

It is given in Durre Mukhtar, Vol. No: 2, Pg. No: 83/84:
In the prevalent grams, the weight of it is equal to 1Kg 106 grams. Where as when wheat is given as Sadaqah-e-Fitr it's precautionary to give 1¼ Kg. Instead of giving wheat, barley and dates its better to give the cost of it so that the needy and deserving can fulfill their required needs on the occasion of Id from the help of it. (Fatawa A'alamgiri, Vol. No: 1, Pg. No: 192)

Near the north Indian scholars, one Dirham is equivalent to 3 Ma'sha 105 Rati' and in view of this, half Sa'a is equal to 136 Tole 4 Ma'sha which in grams near the north Indian scholars is 1 Kg 590 grams and according to some it is 1 Kg 575 grams.