Section I: Defining the Charity of Fitr, Its Ruling, and Wisdom
Firstly: Defining the charity of fitr
The charity of Fitr: [937] Both zakat al-fitr and sadaqat al-fitr are used terms. Zakat is grammatically attached to fitr as it is the reason for its being wajib. It comes under the grammatical usage of attaching a thing to its reason. What is given is referred to as fitrah. It is a derived term, not intrinsically Arabic nor Arabised, rather technically used by jurists. It may come from fitrah which means creation; that is, this is charity over the whole body. is a charity to be given by every Muslim before the Eid of Fitr to be spent on specific people.
Secondly: Ruling of the charity of fitr
The charity of Fitr is wajib, and this is by agreement of the four schools of jurisprudence, [938] Hanafis use the term wajib, whereas the rest use fard, since the terms mean slightly different things for them. and it is the position of the Zahiris, and the majority of scholars.
Thirdly: Wisdom of its legislation
There are many great wisdoms for the Fitr charity. Among these are:
1. It is purification for the fasting from folly and obscenity.
2. Food for the poor so that they need not beg on Eid, and join everyone in their merriment.
3. It is a purificatory charity for the body, that Allah has sustained it for a full year. This is why it is wajib for the young who did not even fast, as well as the insane.
4. It is a form of thanks and gratitude to Allah, just as slaughter is a form of gratitude for the pilgrims at the end of their Hajj. This is why it is linguistically added to Fitr, semantically adding a thing to its reason.
5. Gaining great reward by giving it to those who deserve it in its appropriate time.
6. Through it, holistic happiness is realised for the Muslims, and it ensures there is no fasting on that day.
feqhia
