Zakat al-Fitr: What It Is, How Much to Pay and When

Zakat al-Fitr is an obligatory charity given at the end of Ramadan, before the Eid al-Fitr prayer. It is paid for every member of a Muslim household, adults and children alike, and its amount is one sa' of staple food per person, or the cash value of that food where scholars allow it.

It is also written Zakat ul-Fitr or Zakatul Fitr, and called Sadaqat al-Fitr, fitrah, fitra or, in South Asia, fitrana. Some people simply call it the Eid zakat. These are all names for the same payment. This guide explains the rule, the amount, the timing and where scholars differ. It is general information, not a ruling; follow your own scholar or mosque for your situation.

What is Zakat al-Fitr?

The basis is a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (1503). Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet Muhammad enjoined the payment of one sa' of dates or one sa' of barley as Zakat al-Fitr on every Muslim, male or female, young or old, and ordered that it be paid before people went out to the Eid prayer.

A second hadith, in Sunan Abi Dawud (1609), gives the purpose: it purifies the fasting person from idle and indecent talk, and it is food for the poor. So it has two jobs. It completes the fast of the person who gives it, and it makes sure people in need have food on the day of Eid.

That is what fitrana in Islam means: a small, fixed, per-person gift of food tied to the end of Ramadan. It is separate from the yearly Zakat on wealth. We set the two side by side in Zakat al-Fitr vs Zakat.

Who has to pay it?

The hadith places it on every Muslim, young or old. In practice the head of the household pays for everyone they support. Sahih al-Bukhari (1511) records that Ibn Umar used to give it for every young and old person in his care.

Schools of thought differ on the minimum means required. In broad terms, most scholars say it is due from anyone who has more food than they and their dependents need for the day and night of Eid, while the Hanafi school ties it to owning wealth above the Zakat threshold. If you are unsure which applies to you, ask your scholar.

How much is Zakat al-Fitr?

The amount is one sa' of staple food per person. A sa' is a measure of volume used in Madinah at the time of the Prophet, described by scholars as four double handfuls. The companions gave dates, barley, raisins or dried cheese (Sahih al-Bukhari 1506), and scholars extend this to the staple food of wherever you live, such as rice or wheat flour.

Because a sa' is a volume, its weight depends on the food and on which scholarly conversion is used. Published estimates differ, so it is safest to follow the figure your local mosque announces.

• The Fiqh Council of North America's 2026 guidance gives a sa' of rice as about 5.4 pounds and a sa' of wheat flour as about 4 pounds.
• The UAE Council for Fatwa set it at 2.5 kilograms of rice per person for 2026.
• Islam Question & Answer, a widely read fatwa site, gives approximately 3 kilograms.
• The Hanafi school allows half a sa' if the food given is wheat, and a full sa' for dates or barley. Sahih al-Bukhari (1511) records that people came to substitute half a sa' of wheat.

Zakat al-Fitr 2026: example amounts

There is no single worldwide figure. Each country's religious bodies set a cash value each Ramadan based on local food prices. Two examples from Ramadan 2026, which ended with Eid al-Fitr on March 20 or 21 depending on the country:

• United States: the Fiqh Council of North America recommended $10 per person for 2026. It calculated that a blended average of staple foods came to around $6, and encouraged $10 out of caution because prices vary so much between foods.
• United Arab Emirates: the UAE Council for Fatwa set 2.5 kg of rice or 25 dirhams in cash per person for 2026, as reported by Gulf News in February 2026.

What about Zakat al-Fitr in 2027?

Figures for the next Ramadan had not been announced when this article was published in October 2026. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around February 8, 2027, with Eid al-Fitr expected around March 9, subject to moon sighting. Check with your mosque or national fiqh council nearer the time, and multiply the per-person figure by the number of people in your household.

Food or cash?

This is the main point of difference between schools.

The majority position, held by the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, is that Zakat al-Fitr should be given as food, as it was in the time of the Prophet. Islam Question & Answer states this view plainly and does not accept cash.

The Hanafi school permits paying the cash value. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta explains the reasoning: the purpose is to meet the needs of the poor, and money can do that as well as grain, sometimes better. The UAE Council for Fatwa and the Fiqh Council of North America both publish cash figures.

Many charities bridge the two by taking the money and using it to buy and distribute food, so that what reaches the recipient is food. If this matters to you, ask the organization how your payment is delivered.

When is Zakat al-Fitr due?

It must be given before the Eid al-Fitr prayer. The Prophet ordered people to pay it before going to the prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 1509). The hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud adds that if it is paid before the prayer it is accepted as Zakat, and if it is paid after, it counts as ordinary charity.

It can be paid early. Sahih al-Bukhari (1511) records that people used to give it a day or two before Eid. Many scholars, and the Hanafi school in particular, allow it earlier in Ramadan, which matters when the money has to travel before it becomes food in someone's hands.

If you missed the deadline, most scholars say you should still pay it as soon as you can. Ask your scholar about your case.

Who receives it, and how to donate Zakat al-Fitr to Gaza

Zakat al-Fitr goes to people who are poor and in need, so that they have enough to eat on Eid. Many scholars prefer that it is given locally where there is need. Sending it to a place of greater need is widely practiced, and scholars differ on the details.

If you want to donate Zakat al-Fitr for families in Gaza, timing is the thing to plan for. It has to become food and reach people before Eid prayer, so give well ahead and not on the last night. Our Fitrana appeal explains how we handle it and how early to give. For Zakat on wealth, see our Zakat page and Can you give Zakat to Palestine?. Outside Ramadan, Sadaqah can be given at any time.