Clarifying the Rulings of Sadaqat’ul Fitr: Time of Giving

Posted on 5 September 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

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By the Noble Shaykh Saleh ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan
Translated by AbuAbdulMalik 

The Time of Giving Sadaqat’ul Fitr

The time for giving Sadaqat’ul Fitr begins from the setting of the sun on the night of Eid (i.e., when the new moon is sighted on the night before), and it continues until the Eid Salaah (on the next day), and it is permissible to distribute it one or two days before Eid. The evidence for this is the hadeeth collected in Sahah al-Bukharee on the authority of Ibn Umar (radhi-yAllâhu ‘anhu) that the Companions used to give Sadaqat’ul Fitr one or two days before the Feast (meaning the Eid Prayer). The delaying of giving Sadaqat’ul Fitr until before the Salaah on the morning of Eid is better, and if one does not fulfill this obligation before the Eid Salaah without a valid excuse, then he has sinned. It then becomes an obligation upon him to fulfill giving Sadaqat’ul Fitr throughout the rest of the day. And if he does not fulfill the obligation of Sadaqat’ul Fitr on the day of Eid, then he must make up for it after the day of Eid. This is based on the hadeeth collected by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah on the authority of ibn Abbaas that the Messenger of Allah (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“If anyone pays it (Sadaqat’ul Fitr) before the feast prayer, it will be accepted as zakaah, and if anyone pays it after the prayer, it will be considered a charity like other charities.”

Therefore this clearly means that Sadaqat’ul Fitr must be given in its correct time in order to receive its reward.

The times for giving Sadaqat’ul Fitr can be separated into four: 

1. Permissible: this means one or two days before Eid;
2. The best time: this is between the setting of the sun on the night of Eid until before the Salaah;
3. A time that will suffice, but with a sin: this is the time after the Salaah until the end of the day;
4. The expiation time: this time is after the day of Eid.

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