Staff Reporter Islamabad
This year’s minimum Sadqa-e-Fitr or Fitrana, an obligatory charitable donation all Muslims are required to pay during Ramazan, has been set at Rs140 per person, said former Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman on Tuesday.
Under the Islamic Shariah, the rate for Fitrana per person can be based on one of the prices of flour, dates, raisin, cheese, or barley.
The minimum amount that should be given in charity is Rs140 with respect to wheat, in accordance with barley it is Rs320, with respect to price of dates and raisins it is Rs960 and 1,920 respectively.
The Fidya amount needed to be paid for the 30 days with respect to wheat price is Rs8,400; with respect to barley Rs19,200; with respect to dates Rs57,600; and with respect to raisins Rs115,200.
Sadaqa-tul-Fitr, also known as Zakatul-Fitr, is a small amount of food to be given in charity before Eid-ul-Fitr prayers. It is not advisable to pay after Eid prayer.
However, if a person has failed to pay Fitrana at proper time, then he/she should pay it as soon as possible.
This amount is separate from the annual payment of Zakat, which is one of the pillars of Islam.
Unlike Zakat, which is calculated annually as a percentage of extra wealth, the Sadaqat-ul-Fitr is to be paid equally by every Muslim man, woman and child.
According to the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him each person should give away in charity an amount equivalent to one ‘sa’a (an ancient measure of volume, approximately between 2.6 Kg to 3 Kg of grain’).
A sa’a is a unit of measurement equal to 4 handfuls of an average man. As such, the exact weight differs based on the foodstuff in question.
Each individual Muslim, who has financial power is to give away this amount — man or woman, adult or child, sick or healthy, old or young.
