Ajloun, March 16 (Petra) — As the final days of the holy month of Ramadan begin and Muslims prepare to welcome Eid al-Fitr, discussion has renewed about the religious rulings related to Zakat al-Fitr as an obligatory financial act of worship established to achieve religious and social objectives and to strengthen solidarity and compassion among members of society.

Professor of jurisprudence and Islamic studies Qutaiba Ridwan Al-Momani told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that there are several religious rulings related to Zakat al-Fitr. He explained that the wisdom behind the legislation of Zakat al-Fitr is that it serves as purification for the fasting person from idle talk and indecent speech, provides food for the poor, and expresses gratitude for God’s blessings upon those observing the fast.

He said Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory for a Muslim on behalf of himself and for everyone whose expenses he is responsible for, if he possesses wealth exceeding his needs and those of his dependents on the night and day of Eid. He added that the time for giving Zakat al-Fitr is divided into periods of permissibility, obligation, recommendation, dislike and prohibition.

Al-Momani explained that the period of permissibility begins from the first day of Ramadan until sunset on the day of Eid al-Fitr. The time of obligation occurs when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan and the night of Eid begins. The recommended time is on the day of Eid, before leaving for the prayer, while it is disliked to delay giving it until after the Eid prayer. The prohibited time is delaying it beyond the day of Eid without a valid excuse.

He added that the time for fulfilling it ends at sunset on the day of Eid, and anyone who delays it without excuse is considered sinful and must make it up immediately because of the delay. If it is delayed beyond its due time without excuse, the fast remains valid.

Regarding the amount of Zakat al-Fitr, he said the charity of breaking the fast is one *sa‘* of the staple food of the country. A *sa‘* equals four *mudd*, and a *mudd* is the amount that fills the two hands of a man of average size. Accordingly, it is equivalent to about 2.5 kilograms of the staple food of the country.

He added that the staple food in the kingdom is wheat because bread is the main item on people’s tables, while it is also permissible to give it in the form of rice because many people consider it preferable to wheat and it is also regarded as a staple.

On the permissibility of giving money instead of food in Zakat al-Fitr, Al-Momani said this issue is one on which jurists have differed. The majority of jurists agree that Zakat al-Fitr should be one *sa‘* of the staple food of the country, equivalent to about 2.5 kilograms. Whoever pays the charity from the staple food of the country, such as wheat or rice, has fulfilled Zakat al-Fitr in a manner unanimously considered valid and not disputed by jurists.

He said the Hanafi school of jurisprudence and a number of scholars permit paying the value of Zakat al-Fitr in cash instead of wheat because paying its value is more beneficial to the poor in modern times. He added that this is a recognized juristic opinion supported by legal evidence and adopted by the Jordanian Council of Iftaa, Research and Islamic Studies.

For this reason, wheat prices are used each year to estimate the value of Zakat al-Fitr by the Jordanian General Iftaa Department, which set it this year at about 180 piasters (JD1.8).

//Petra// AF
16/03/2026 21:56:45