Fitrana (Zakat al-Fitr) for Palestine
Due from every member of the household before Eid prayer — and it must reach the poor in time.
Fitrana, also called Zakat al-Fitr, is a small obligatory charity due at the end of Ramadan from every member of a Muslim household, including children. Its purpose is plain: that nobody is left out of Eid for want of food.
The condition that matters is timing. Fitrana must reach those in need before Eid prayer, which means giving it early enough for a distribution to happen — not on the morning itself.
Given here, your Fitrana funds food reaching families in Gaza in the days before Eid. The guidance below is general and not a religious ruling; consult a qualified scholar for your own circumstances.
Who pays it, and for whom
Fitrana is due from every Muslim who has food beyond their immediate need at the end of Ramadan. The head of a household customarily pays on behalf of everyone in it.
- Due for each person in the household, adults and children alike
- Customarily paid on behalf of dependants by whoever supports them
- Commonly given for a child born before the end of Ramadan
- Unlike Zakat on wealth, there is no nisab threshold and no lunar-year condition
How much per person
Fitrana is defined as a measure of staple food — traditionally around 2.5 to 3 kilograms of a local staple such as wheat, barley, dates or rice — per person. In practice it is given as the cash equivalent so that food can be bought where it is needed.
The cash figure therefore tracks local food prices rather than being a fixed global amount. We suggest a per-person amount based on what staples currently cost in Gaza; your local mosque or scholar may set a different figure for your area, and either basis is defensible.
The deadline, and why we ask you to give early
Fitrana must reach recipients before Eid prayer. Giving it to an organisation on the morning of Eid does not satisfy that, because the food will not have reached anyone by the time the prayer begins.
In Gaza the practical lead time is longer than most places — procurement, movement and distribution all take days and none of them are reliable. We ask for Fitrana at least a week before Eid so it can genuinely arrive in time. Given later, we will still use it for food, but we will not claim it met the Fitrana condition on your behalf.
How it is handled
Fitrana is treated as Zakat: tracked separately from general donations, and directed only to recipients within the eligible categories, verified by field staff who meet the households. Our administrative costs are not taken from it.
It is spent on food, in keeping with what Fitrana is for — not on infrastructure or programme overheads.