Pivotal Quote
“If you cannot find any, then yes, you may appoint someone else. You may either give them the food and they can deliver it to a poor and needy person or you can give another person money and that other person can buy the food and give it to the poor and needy. You do not give cash to the poor and needy for Zakāh al-Fiṭr…'”
سؤال وجواب – عربي – ١:٤٠ دقائق
Question and Answer – English [1:55]
Question:
Shaykh, may Allāh bless you. With regards to Zakāh al-Fiṭr, it is difficult for me to find a poor Muslim in my city and to meet up with them, so am I allowed to appoint someone else to give my zakāh in another country or another area?
Answer:
It is an obligation to give Zakāh al-Fiṭr in the same place where Zakāh al-Fiṭr becomes obligatory upon the Muslim. And when does it become obligatory? When the sun sets on the last day of Ramaḍān, whether it is 29 or 30 days, wherever you happen to be, whatever city you are in, then that city is the place where you are supposed to give Zakāh al-Fiṭr; where the sun sets on the last day of Ramaḍān. So Zakāh al-Fiṭr is not like other types of Zakāh. Zakāh al-Māl for example, which can be transferred to another country. Wherever ʿEid catches you, then that is where you pay your Zakāh al-Fiṭr.
It is obligatory to give Zakāh al-Fiṭr to the poor and needy. If you cannot find any, then yes, you may appoint someone else. You may either give them the food and they can deliver it to a poor and needy person or you can give another person money and that other person can buy the food and give it to the poor and needy. You do not give cash to the poor and needy for Zakāh al-Fiṭr; you give food. And they must give it in the same area where Zakāh al-Fiṭr becomes obligatory.