Fitrah

✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّه الْفِطْرَةُ إِنْ أُعْطِيَتْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ إِلَى الْعِيدِ فَهِيَ فِطْرَةٌ وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ بَعْدَ مَا تَخْرُجُ إِلَى الْعِيدِ فَهِيَ صَدَقَةٌ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 171

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'If you give the Fitrah before you go out for the Eid prayer, then it is Fitrah. But if you give it after you have gone for the Eid prayer, it is a charity!'

2 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: وَ إِعْطَاءُ الْفِطْرَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ وَ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ صَدَقَةٌ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 170

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: 'Giving Zakat al-Fitrah before the (Eid) prayer is more virtuous, and after the prayer, it is a charity!'

3 عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه عَنْ تَعْجِيلِ الْفِطْرَةِ بِيَوْمٍ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 171

Ishaq ibn Ammar said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about hastening to pay the Fitrah by one day (i.e., one day before Eid al-Fitr).' He said: 'There is no problem!'

4 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ بُكَيْرٍ ابْنَيْ أَعْيَنَ وَ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ وَ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُمَا قَالا عَلَى الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ عَنْ كُلِّ مَنْ يَعُولُ مِنْ حُرٍّ وَ عَبْدٍ وَ صَغِيرٍ وَ كَبِيرٍ يُعْطِي يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ وَ هُوَ فِي سَعَةٍ أَنْ يُعْطِيَهَا مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ إِلَى آخِرِهِ الْحَدِيثَ.

📚Al-Istibsar, Vol. 2, p. 45

Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them) said: 'It is the man's responsibility to give (Zakat al-Fitrah) on behalf of each member of his family, whether free or a slave, and whether young or old, on Eid al-Fitr before the prayer, which is more virtuous, and he has the flexibility to give it from the first day of the month of Ramadan until its end!'

5 عَنِ الْعِيصِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه عَنِ الْفِطْرَةِ مَتَى هِيَ فَقَالَ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ بَقِيَ مِنْهُ شَيْ ءٌ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 4, p. 75

Ayas ibn Qasim said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about Zakat al-Fitrah, 'When is its time?' He said: 'Before the Eid prayer on the day of Eid al-Fitr.' I said: 'What if some of it remains for after the prayer?' He said: 'There is no problem!'

6 سُئِلَ الصَّادِقُ علیه السلام عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَکَّی قَالَ مَنْ أَخْرَجَ الْفِطْرَةَ فَقِیلَ لَهُ وَ ذَکَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّی قَالَ خَرَجَ إِلَی الْجَبَّانَةِ فَصَلَّی

📚Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 510

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about the saying of Allah Almighty: 'He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself.' He said: 'The one who gives out Zakat al-Fitrah!'

It was said: 'And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.' He said: 'He goes out to the open ground and performs the Eid al-Fitr prayer!'

7 عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ وَ غَيْرِهِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْفِطْرَةِ فَقَالَ إِذَا عَزَلْتَهَا فَلَا يَضُرُّكَ مَتَى أَعْطَيْتَهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ أَوْ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 4, p. 77

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about the Fitrah. The Imam said: 'If you set it aside, it does not harm whether you give it before the (Eid) prayer or after the prayer!'

8 عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ حَفْصٍ الْمَرْوَزِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ مَنْ تَضَعُ الْفِطْرَةَ فِيهِ فَاعْزِلْهَا تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 4, p. 87

Sulayman said: 'I heard the Imam say: 'If you do not find someone to give Zakat al-Fitrah to, set it aside at the same hour before the Eid al-Fitr prayer!''

✅It is clear from the above narrations and others that the time for Zakat al-Fitrah is on the day of Eid al-Fitr before the Eid prayer, when a person is obligated to deliver it to those who are deserving. However, it is explicitly stated that if a person sets aside Zakat al-Fitrah on the day of Eid al-Fitr before the Eid prayer but does not pay it before the prayer due to not finding a deserving person or for other reasons, there is no harm. But if he refuses to give or set aside Zakat al-Fitrah before the Eid prayer, it loses its status as Fitrah and becomes a mere charity.

✅However, in narration 4, there is a permission to pay it from the first day of the month of Ramadan, but its main time is on the day of Eid al-Fitr, before the Eid prayer, when it should be paid or at least set aside for the deserving.