bismillaah wassalaatu wassalaamu alaa rasoolillaah wa ba'd:

Unfortunately year after year many people risk not having their zakaat ul fitr accepted by Allaah azza wa jall because they do not preform this important ibaadah at the end of Ramadaan according to the lesgislated sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam. For any action to be accepted by Allaah azza wa jall it must satisfy two conditions, the first being that it is done sincerely for Allaah the Almighty alone, and the second that it is done in accordance to the sunnah of nabee Muhammaad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Unfortunately due to the ignorance or reluctance, wa iyaadhubillaah, of many of the masaajid to follow the way of the righteous predecessors, they give announcements to the people to give a fixed amount of money on a certain day or even at the time of the Eed salaah. But as we see, there is a shar'ee method of what, when, to whom, and how the zakaat ul fitr should be given:

Question: Is it permissible to discharge Zakaatul-Fitr in money? - with mention of the evidences
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Answer: Zakaatul-Fitr is not permissible except (to be paid) from FOOD. And it is not allowed to discharge its value in money. This is because the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) made it obligatory (to be discharged) from a saa' of dates or a saa' of barley. Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudree [radhi-yallaahu 'anhu] said: "We used to discharge it (Zakaatul-Fitr) in the time of the Prophet [sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam] as a saa' of FOOD...)".( Bukhaaree 2:582) Therefore, it is not lawful for anyone to discharge Zakaatul-Fitr from money (dirhams) or clothing or household furnishings. Instead, that which is obligatory is to discharge it in what Allaah has made obligatory on the tongue of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam). There is no consideration (weight) for the Istihsaan [viewing of something to be good, without basis from the legal sources of Qur'aan and Sunnah] of those of the people who viewed the giving of money as a good thing. The Law (Sharee'ah) does not follow (i.e. it is not secondary to) the opinions of people. No, it (the Law) is from the One Who is Wise, Knowing -Allaah (subhaanahu wa-ta'aala) - The Mighty, The Glorious, The Most Knowing, The Most Wise. So, if that which has been made obligatory by the tongue of Muhammad is a saa' of food, then it is not permissible to bypass (skip over) that, no matter what our intellects make us to view as being good. Instead, it is a must that the human being question and suspect his intellect and views if it conflicts with, or contradicts, the law of Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen


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The particular group of people to whom the Zakaat ul Fitr is to be distributed to

The Scholars have differed concerning the issue of distributing the Zakaat ul Fitr, such that there are two sayings:
The first saying: That it is to be distributed amongst the eight types of individuals that have been mentioned by Allaah in Soorah At-Tawbah in His saying:
((Indeed the Sadaqaat (obligatory Zakaat) are for the poor and the destitute and those employed to collect (the funds); and for those whose hearts have inclined (towards Islaam), and to free the captives; and for those in debt, and in the Path of Allaah (the Mujahideen), and for the wayfarer: an obligation imposed by Allaah, and Allaah is All-Knower All-Wise.)) Soorah At-Tawbah: 60
This is a saying which is well-known from amongst the Shaafi’ee’s.
The second saying: Is that it is not to be distributed except amongst the poor and the destitute as occurs in the Hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas which preceded in which there was the statement: ((a sustenance for the destitute))*.
Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: ((It was from his guidance (Sallalaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that he would specify those that were destitute for this particular Sadaqah, so he would not distribute it amongst the eight types of people – handful by handful. Nor did he command for that to be done that way, nor did any one of the companions do that, nor did those that came after them. Rather it is one of two sayings with us that it is impermissible to give it except to the destitute in particular.))
So this is the saying which is to be taken, except if you see dire need amongst someone from the other categories or an acceptable advantage by way of the Sharee’ah (to give it such), in which case it is to be given from this Sadaqah after it has been given to the poor and the destitute – in an ample portion. This is because it is a means of sustenance for them as has been established through that narration.
Here arises an issue which should be taken into consideration which is:
That it is permissible for one individual person to distribute his Zakaat to either one destitute person or to a number of them. Just as it is (allowed) for a group of people to give their fitrah to a single poor person so long as they are not committing an injustice in the right of the others who are present.
The second issue which is also recommended to pay attention to is that: It is impermissible to give it to those that it is impermissible to give the Zakaat to in accordance to that which we mentioned concerning the Zakaat of the types of wealth. And Allaah Knows best.
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*The full text of the Hadeeth:
((Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) ordered the giving of Zakaat ul Fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and obscenity, and as a sustenance for the poor. So whosoever gives it before the prayer (of ‘Eid) then it is an accepted Zakaat, and whosoever gives it after the prayer, then it is a Sadaqah (charity) from the Sadaqaat.))
Reported by Aboo Dawood in the book of Zakaat chapter: Zakaat ul Fitr; number 1609 and Ibn Maajah in the book of Zakaat chapter: Sadaqatul Fitr; number 1827and Ad-Daaraqutnee in the book of Zakaat ul Fitr number 1.
Shaykh Zayd al-Madkhalee
Al-Afnaan an-nadiyyah sharh mandhoomah as-subul as-sawiyyah le-Fiqh As-Sunan al-marwiyyah vol 3 pages 97-98
Translated by Aboo Haatim Muhammad Farooq