40—VANGUARD,
FRIDAY, JULY 25,, 2014
What you need to do on Eid-l-Fitr day BY HARUN RAZAQ
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Ho w tto o pa at and Zak atul-Fitr How payy Zak Zakat Zakatul-Fitr S
OME Muslims confuse their annual Zakah with Zakatul-Fitr while some who understand the difference still observe the two in the month of Ramadan merely to attract more reward in the month of Ramadan. Zakat is simply the calculation of your dues on your assets and the fourth pillar of Islam, while ZakatulFitr’s scope and implication transcend what we must do in the case of the former. However, we should remember that Zakat becomes due, one year after a person’s wealth reaches the value of Nisab (minimum
required to give as zakat-ulfitr. A Muslim traveller is also enjoined to pay his zakat where he spends the last two days of Ramadan. If a person dies before Maghrib on the last day of Ramadan, ZakatulFitr would not be obligatory upon him even if he had fasted all the other days of the month, but if a child is born after Maghrib on the last day of Ramadan, it would be obligatory to pay Zakatul-Fitr on his or her behalf. Some scholars even noted that zakat should be paid on the foetus of a baby in the womb. A man must pay on a wife whose divorce is not yet
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If a person dies before Maghrib on the last day of Ramadan, Zakatul-Fitr would not be obligatory upon him even if he had fasted all the other days of the month
amount paid) and according to most scholars, a Muslim’s wealth has to remain above that Nisab level throughout the course of the year. This means he must be free from all indebtedness and liabilities. Again, it is done annually at a predetermined period. If one chooses to pay it in every Muharram or every Zhul-Qada, so be it. So, it is impossible for the whole Ummah to have reached the obligation of paying Zakah, at the beginning or end of Ramadan. We should be clear in our minds that this type of Zakah is not tied to the month of Ramadan. But paying it in Ramadan is more rewarding. An individual can bring forward his Zakah due date, in order to take advantage of the multiple blessings of Ramadan. In fact, to make it easy on the recipients whose needs have to be met, one might chose Ramadan for the extra Sadaqah he gives out. Zakatul-Fitr however is done with staple food consumable in a particular area. In this part of the world, grains such as rice, garri, beans etc are given as Zakat or its money equivalent. Every free Muslim must pay Zakatul-Fitr for himself, his wife, children, and all his dependants. It is only obligatory for those who have more than what is
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concluded. If you have more than one bowl of staple food in your house, then it is obligatory upon you to give others who don’t have. In essence, the rationale behind it is to make those who don’t have happy during the festive period. It also purifies the fasting Muslim from any shortcoming during the fast. And since every Muslim needs this, it is therefore obligatory on him whether rich or poor. The Prophet (s.a.w) said: “Make them (i.e. the poor and destitute) rich on the day of `Eid-ul-Fitri. Put succinctly,
for anyone who has more than a bowl of staple food or excess of what he can take for a day at home is qualified to give fitrah to the poor and needy to make a happy celebration for all. “The Zakah are only for the Fuqaraa (poor), and the Masaakeen (the needy) and those employed to collect (the funds); and for to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah’s Cause, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is AllKnower, All-Wise.” Q9:60. You may also start from a day before the ‘Eid but before the prayer. Prayer of the day Allahuma ar-zuquni fihi fadhala lailatul Qadri, wa swayirr umuri fihi minal usuri ilaal-yussuri. Allahumo inaka afuuwu, tuibul-afwa faa afuwa nii. O Allah, on this day, bestow on me the blessings of Laylatul Qadr, change my affairs from being difficult to being easy. O Allah! You are forgiving, and you love forgiveness. So forgive me. O Allah, on this day, make my fasts worthy of acceptance, make it to be what pleases You. Our Lord, cover me with your mercy, grant me in it success and protection, for the sake of our leader, Muhammad, and his family and all his companions. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Amen.
NASF AT member ong Mo we NASFA memberss thr throng Mow for Lailatul-Quadr
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EMBERS Nasrullahi-il-Fatih society of Nigeria, NASFAT, Lagos and Ogun States, will converge at the Mowe Nasfat Village, along Ibadan express-waylater today for this year’s Lailatul-Quadr otherwise known as The Night of Power. The annual event is one of the rituals in the last ten days of Ramadan. According to information reaching Vanguard, the event is an all-night worship and supplication to Allah and members have been
ID-L-FITR is Muslim festival of fast breaking. It occurs at the end of Ramadan fasting (on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of Islamic/Hijrah calendar). And it is obligatory Sunnah according to most scholars. Tiere are certain Islamic injunctions that are expected of a Muslim on the day of eid-l-fitr. These commands are very meritorious as it helps the Muslim to increase the weight of his/her deeds and bring him/her closer to Allah. These commands include: stop fasting immediately new moon of Shawwal is cited and has been endorsed by the Muslim leader in your country (e.g. in Nigeria by Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaj Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III the Sultan of Sokoto); pay your zakatul-fitr before the eid prayer; prepare for the eid prayer with your family as early as possible; perform Ghusl (eid bath) before going out for the prayer; wear a new (or best) of your clothes, men only should apply perfume to ‘ed; use Miswak (toothbrush); eat before the salah; because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Anas ibn Maalik, who said that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) used not to go out on the morning of eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates of which he would eat an odd number. Al-Bukhari, 953. It is mustahabb to eat before going out to emphasize the fact that it is forbidden to fast on that day and to demonstrate that the fast has ended. Ibn Hajar (r.a) suggested that the reason for that was so as to ward off the possibility of adding to the fast, and to hasten to obey the command of Allah. (Al-Fath, 2/446) Whoever does not have any dates may break his fast with anything that is permissible. Proceed to praying ground on time with your family; pronounce the takbirat (Q2:185) “Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, laailaha illa-lahu Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, Walillahi-l-hamd” as you move to eid; the prayer is valid for men, women, children, travelers, residents etc; go to the eid by one route and then return home through another route; do the salat while the sun is approximately 2 Rumah (i.e. six meter) above the horizon; avoid nawafil at the eid ground just wait for the congregational one; listens to the Khuthbah after the salat; congratulate one another on the days of ‘Eid by saying “Taqabbal mina wa minka” (may Allah accept it from us and you) or eid Mubaraq”; avoid sinful engagements; be happy and kind to others such as the less privilege by giving them food, halal drinks etc; full of thanks to Allah for His favours on you.
directed to seize the opportunity by consolidating on the acts of worship through increased devotion within the period in order to gain maximum reward. Prominent Islamic scholar will deliver lecture. The event which starts after breaking of fast today will run through the night and ends at dawn after sahur. Eminent Muslim personalities including governors of some States in the South-West will attend the occasion.
Mudeer Daru-Ddawat-Wal-Irshad Arabic Center, Sheikh Mustapha Zuglool (left) welcoming guests to the concluding part of 1435 Ramadan Quran Tafsir and Special Prayer held at the school recently.
A cross section of Muslims during the Tafsir and Special Prayer organised by Daru-Ddawat-Wal-Irshad Arabic Center, Isolo, Lagos, recently.