๐ In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
๐️ Some notes on paying the Zakat Al-Fitr:
° Its ruling: Fardh / obligatory.
° Who should pay the Zakat Al-Fitr: All Muslims, whether young or old, male or female, who fasted and who did not fast. The parents should also pay on behalf of the fetus (or fetuses) in the pregnant mother's womb.
° Why Zakat Al-Fitr should be paid: To compensate for any shortcoming, improper behavior and inappropriate acts that one has committed during Ramadan. To obey Allah the Almighty and His noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, instead of questioning Allah's legislations. So the wealthier Muslims benefit from the many rewards of doing charity for Allah's sake while the poor are not neglected and they have sufficient sustenance in the days after Ramadan.
° When to pay the Zakat Al-Fitr: Preferably in the earlier part of the morning before the Eid prayer (could be after praying Tahajjud) or the night before Eid Al-Fitr. You may pay the Zakat Al-Fitr one day or two days before the Eid prayers if it is more convenient.
° Who should receive the Zakat Al-Fitr: The poor and needy who are financially struggling (not one's own family members).
° How much should the Zakat Al-Fitr be: Exactly one saa' or two and a half kilograms (or three kilograms) of rice, wheat, barley, dates, flour etc. It must not be less than one saa'. It is okay if the Zakat Al-Fitr weighs more than three kilograms.
° Can the Zakat Al-Fitr be paid in the form of cash so the poor can use it in the manner which they believe is more useful for them? No. That would be going against what Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam commanded. Zakat Al-Fitr must be paid before praying the Eid prayers in the form of food, not money.
Allah the Almighty knows best.
๐ Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: The Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam obligated Zakat Al-Fitr as a purification of the fasting person from vain talk and misbehavior (during Ramadan), as food for the poor. Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer, it is accepted as Zakah. Whoever pays it after the Eid prayer, it is part of (Sadaqah) voluntary charity.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1609
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Ibn Qudamah
๐ Ibn Umar RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: The Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam made it an obligation (fardh/waajib) to pay charity (Zakah) at the end of Ramadan, a portion of dates or barely, upon the slave and the freeman, the male and the female, the young and the old among the Muslims. The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam ordered it to be given before people go out for the Eid prayer.
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 1503, Sahih Muslim 986
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/the-rulings-of-zakat-al-fitr/