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 Ramadan Awareness Campaign is an initiative designed to educate both Muslims and Non Muslims about the month of Ramadan, the most significant month in the Islamic calendar. This year, the RAC campaign is targeting health. Through our presentations to school students across NSW, we endeavor to provide information and greater insight into the implications of making healthy food and lifestyle choices, and how these choices can ultimately affect long term health and well-being. Note: This site will be continually updated throughout Ramadan, please come back to check out new content!
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Written by www.islamonline.net
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Wednesday, 10 October 2007 |
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Page 7 of 10
The calculation of Zakat al-Fitr
The amount of Zakat al-Fitr, as we referred earlier, is one Sa` of food. There is consensus on this amount among the scholars with regard to all types of food except wheat and raisins. As for these two types the Shafi`is, Malikis and Hanbalis agree that the prescribed amount is one Sa`, however the Hanafis say it is sufficient to pay half Sa` from wheat and they differed with regard to raisins.[23] After discussing the arguments of these two opinions al-Qaradawi reached the following conclusion: wheat was not a common food amongst them during the time of the Prophet so he did not prescribe one Sa` of it as he did with the other types of food. As for those of the Companions of the Prophet who prescribed half Sa` of wheat instead of one Sa` of barely or dates like Mu`awiyah and other Companions, he views that they did so by analogy, since the value of wheat was more than those of other types of food which were equal. But according to their opinion, he says, the value should be considered and taken as the criterion and this will cause instability and confusion for it changes from place to another and from time to time. He mentioned that in Pakistan the value of wheat is less than that of dates, then how should we pay of it half the amount (i.e. Sa`) that we should pay of dates? He also mentioned that nowadays raisins are more expensive than wheat and dates. The only solution for these problems, he says, is to regard Sa` as the criterion and basis.[24]
Al-Qaradawi explains why the Prophet appointed Sa` as the measure and did not prescribe it in money saying that in his opinion there are two reasons for this: First, money was still rare among the Arabs particularly the Bedouins. They did not have their own currency. So if the Prophet had prescribed it in money, he would have caused hardship to them. Second, the purchasing power of money changes from time to time. For instance, the purchasing power of a certain currency sometimes becomes low and other times high, so paying Zakat al-Fitr in money makes its value unstable. That is why the Prophet prescribed it with a stable measure, that is an amount of food which fulfils the needs of one family. For one Sa` provides a family with food for a whole day.[25]
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Prayer Times
| Fajr | 4:55 A.M.
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| Sunrise | 6:18 A.M.
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| Zuhr | 11:56 A.M.
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| Asr | 3:07 P.M.
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| Maghrib | 5:33 P.M.
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| Isha | 6:56 P.M. |
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