Zakat al-Fitr

Zakat al-Fitr is a specific, obligatory charity given by every Muslim shortly before the Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of Ramadan. It is distinct from zakat on wealth — the annual charity calculated on savings and qualifying assets — in both its purpose and its amount. Traditionally given as a fixed measure of a staple food (such as dates, barley, or wheat, or its equivalent value in money, depending on scholarly opinion and local custom), Zakat al-Fitr is owed on behalf of every member of a household, including children, and is the responsibility of the head of the household to fulfill for dependents who cannot pay it themselves. Its stated purpose, described in hadith, is twofold: to purify the fasting person from any indecent speech or minor shortcomings during Ramadan, and to ensure that those in need are able to celebrate Eid without want. Because of this second purpose, Zakat al-Fitr must be distributed before the Eid prayer takes place, not simply at some point during Ramadan, so that recipients have what they need in time for the celebration itself.