A person mistakenly paid Zakat al-Fitr as a debt and is concerned about the implications.
🤖
AI Notice: This translation was generated by AI and is currently awaiting human verification.
1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect him):
It is permissible to pay Zakat al-Fitr during the month of Ramadan, although it is recommended to do so as a loan and then account for it when the time arrives. Therefore, she does not need to intend it as a debt.
From your question, it appears that she is poor and cannot pay it again. If that is the case, she is not obligated to pay Zakat al-Fitr in the first place, as Zakat is only obligatory for the wealthy. If she does not possess the means for her sustenance for the year, she is not required to pay it.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Time of Obligation for Zakat al-Fitr, Article 1181 + Chapter on Conditions for Obligation of Fitr and Some of Its Rulings
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
It is not correct to pay Zakat al-Fitr to the poor before the night of Eid al-Fitr, as a precaution. However, it can be given to them as a loan, and on Eid al-Fitr, it can be counted as Zakat al-Fitr. If the money is still with the poor and has not been spent, they can be informed of this and it can be accounted as a debt. If the money has been spent, then it must be paid again as a precaution. In any case, since this matter is precautionary, the obligated person may refer to others in this matter, considering the most knowledgeable as a precaution.
It appears from your statement that she is unable to pay it again due to her poverty. If her inability to pay it again is due to her being poor, she is not obligated to pay Zakat al-Fitr at all, neither the first time nor the second, as Zakat is only obligatory for the wealthy. Therefore, Zakat al-Fitr is not obligatory for a poor person who does not possess the means for their sustenance for the year, neither in reality nor potentially.
Source: Fiqh al-Wali: Rulings on Zakat al-Fitr, Its Recipients + Tahrir al-Wasilah, Zakat, Zakat of Wealth, Other Rulings of Zakat, 11 + Fiqh al-Wali: Rulings on Zakat al-Fitr + Official Website + Special Inquiry
May you be successful in all good.