Al-Fitrah Charity Due to Fasting

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whomever you include in you dependents, free people or slaves it then is obligatory upon you to pay al-Fitrah for them.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Paying al- Fitrah before Salat (prayer) is better and after Salat (prayer) it is charity.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “About the case of a man who buys food for a few dirham of which he takes one-half and leaves the other half. Thereafter he comes back when prices have risen or have fallen down, Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If on the day of purchase he prices them and determines the amount then such price is what it is, but if he has taken a certain amount and has left the rest without pricing he must pay the price of the day that he takes whatever it is.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Najran and Ali ibn al-Hakam from Safwan al- Jammal who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is obligatory upon small, grown up people, free and slaves. The amount of al-Fitrah for every human being is one Sa‘ (three kilograms). It can be paid from wheat or dates or raisins.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil who has said the following: “About the case of a man who buys food, every kur (a certain amount) for a certain price, then prices rise or fall when he has measured only a certain part, and the owner of food refuses to deliver to him the rest, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If on the day of purchase he has priced the food and that the food is his, then the remaining food is also his; but if he had only bought without any condition then only what he has paid for is his.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn ‘Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from all Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Paying al-Fitrah in the form of dates is better than other items because its benefit is immediate. As soon as it reaches the hands of the recipient he eats thereof.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Zakat had come but people had no taxable assets. It was only al- Fitrah.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated the following: “Muhammad ibn al-Hassan once wrote to abu Muhammad (a.s.), asking, ‘A man has hired another man to work and build a structure for another person and he gives the worker food, cotton and other things; then the prices of food and cotton rise or fall and change from the day he gave him, if he can count on him with the price of the day of delivery or the price of the day of finalizing the account. He (the Imam) signed the answer, ‘He must pay according to the prices of the day he set mutual conditions (prices, work and so on) if Allah so wills.’ He (the Imam) (a.s.), about the question of goods that one receives and pays food for it without determining prices which then change, signed the answer, ‘Prices are that of the day he has given the food.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar from Ibrahim ibn Maymun who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you pay before going out for Salat (prayer) on ‘Id day it is al-Fitrah, but if you pay after you go out for ‘Id it then is charity.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d al-Ash’ariy who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the amount of wheat, barley, dates or raisins for each person as al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one Sa’ of the Sa‘ of the Prophet (sw).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about paying al-Fitrah one day earlier. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’ I then asked, ‘Is it permissible to collect al-Fitrah and then turn it into waraq (cash) and give it to one Muslim person?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Muhammad ibn ‘Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful to pay al-Fitrah for one’s dependents who are not present, and one can instruct his dependents to pay for him in case one is not present.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

8. A number of our people have narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn Bilal who has said the following: “I once wrote to the man (the Imam) (a.s.), asking about the amount of al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) wrote the answer, ‘It is six Artal of dates by al-Madiniy Artal which is nine Artal by al- Baghdadiy ones.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ja’far ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hamadhaniy, who accompanied us to Hajj, has said the following: “I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), through my father asking, ‘May I be sacrificed for you, our people have differences about al-Sa’. Some of them say that al-Fitra is by al-Sa‘ al-Madaniy and others say it is by al-Sa‘ al-‘Iraqiy. He (the Imam) wrote back to me: ‘Al-Sa‘ is six Artal by al-Madaniy, and nine Artal by al-‘Iraqiy.’ He (the Imam) informed me that it weighs one thousand one hundred seventy Waznah (a certain unit of measurement).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Dawud ibn al-Nu’man and Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has an amount which is only sufficient for him if he can give it to an outsider destitute or himself and (his) family use it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can give to one of his dependents who then gives to another and so on, one person gives to other one and it will be one al-Fitrah for all of them.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

11. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who receives al-Fitrah: if he is required to pay al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he is required to pay al-Fitrah from what he receives as al- Fitrah.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

12. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a new born on the night of al-Fitr; if there is al-Fitrah obligatory. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, al-Fitrah is not obligatory because the month is passed.’ I then asked, about a Jew who becomes a Muslim on the night of al-Fitr. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, al-Fitrah is not obligatory on him.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

13. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Qasim ibn al-Fudayl al-Basriy who has said the following: “I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), and asked if the executor of the will is required to pay al-Fitrah for the orphans if they have any assets. He (the Imam) wrote, ‘There is no al-Fitrah on orphans.’ I asked if a slave whose master dies who is in another location, and there is a certain amount of assets of his master in his hand; when the time for paying al-Fitrah comes: if he can pay for himself from the assets of his master, which has become assets of the orphans. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he pays al-Fitrah for himself.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

14. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from those whom he has mentioned who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, are people of remote villages required to pay al-Fitrah? He (the Imam) said, ‘al-Fitrah is on every one who consumes food, thus it is obligatory to pay from what one consumes.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

15. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who lives in a remote village and is not able to pay al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ’He is required to pay by four Artal of milk.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

16. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has a guest from his brothers and the day of al-Fitrah comes; if he must pay al-Fitrah for him. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, al-Fitrah is obligatory for everyone whom you count of your dependents, male, female, children, grown up, free or slaves.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

17. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from certain persons of our people from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful to pay al-Fitrah for two, three, or four people to one man.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

18. Ahmad ibn Muhammad from has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from al-Qasim ibn Yazid from Malik al- Juhaniy who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about Zakat of al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Pay it to the Muslims. If you do not find one, pay to a Mustaz‘af (mentally and physically weak) or pay to your relatives, if you like.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

19. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about al-Fitrah; if I can pay it to poor neighboring people who are not of the people of my Wilayah (people who believe in the Divine Authority of ’A’immah). He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, neighbors are more deserving because of the popularity (of fatwa about the privileges of neighbors).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

21. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from Mu’attib who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Go and pay al-Fitrah for our dependents and pay for the slaves for all of them and do not leave anyone. If you left out a soul from them I will be afraid for the loss.’ I asked, ‘What kind of loss is it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is death.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

22. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Bunan ibn Muhammad from his brother Ibrahim ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isma‘il who has said the following: “I once sent a certain amount of dirham that belonged to me and someone else to abu al-Hassan, al- Rida’ (a.s.), and wrote to inform him that it is of al-Fitrah of the family. He (the Imam) wrote with his hand writing, ‘I received and accepted.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

23. Abu al-‘Abbas al-Kufiy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from abu Ali ibn Rashid who has said the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) about al-Fitrah, ‘To whom does it belong?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It belongs to the Imam.’ I then asked, ‘Can I tell my people about it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, if you like to cleanse certain ones among them.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘It is not harmful to change the price of al-Fitrah in to wariq (cash).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

24. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja’far from Ayyub ibn Nuh who has said the following: “I once wrote to abu al-Hassan, the third (a.s.), that a (certain) people have asked me about al-Fitrah. They ask if they can bring its price to you. In the year before, this man had delivered to you. He had asked me to ask you but I had forgotten about it. This year I have sent you for every one of my dependents one dirham as price of nine Artal for one dirham. Grant us your decision, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. He (the Imam) wrote to me, ‘Questions about al- Fitrah have become so many and I dislike whatever leads to popularity (unnecessary propagation). Cut down its mention, accept from those who have given, and abstain from those who have not paid.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

20. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is permissible to pay Zakat al-Fitrah to a slave who has contracted his freedom, slave of one’s wife, his own Christian, Zoroastrian slave and those who have closed the door on themselves.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.