What is the difference between zakaat and fitrah?
Published as The Difference Between Zakaat and Fitrah
Question
What is the difference between zakaat and fitrah? Who has to give fitra?
Answer
Zakaat is an obligation related to wealth. Fitra is related to an individual, and both are compulsory.
Fitra will be discharged by a person who has the Nisaab amount of wealth even though it is not for a year. The following appears in Maraaqil Falaah:
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
تجب على حر مسلم مكلف مالك لنصاب أو قيمته و إن لم يحل عليه الحول عند طلوع فجر يوم الفطر ولم يكن للتجارة فارغ عن الدين ... فيخرجها عن نفسه و أولاده الصغار الفقراء و إن كانوا أغنياء يخرجها من مالهم و لا تجب على الجد في ظاهر الرواية و اختير أن الجد كالأب عند فقده أو فقره و عن مماليكه للخدمة و مدبره و أم ولده و لو كفارا لا عن مكاتبه و لا عن ولده الكبير و زوجته و قن مشترك و آبق إلا بعد عوده و كذا المغصوب و المأسور (مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح ص723)
وأما سبب فرضيتها فالمال لأنها وجبت شكرا لنعمة المال ولذا تضاف إلى المال فيقال زكاة المال والإضافة في مثل هذا يراد بها السببية كما يقال صلاة الظهر وصوم الشهر وحج البيت ونحو ذلك ( بدائع الصنائع 2/4, دار الكتاب العربي)
Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.
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Source: Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen — https://muftionline.co.za/node/456
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/muftionline-456
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