May extra food be added voluntarily to zakāt al-fiṭr?
2026-10-14
T199 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Complete source question and answer
Complete original question and answer, 25/70. The source's report of disagreement about the prescribed amount is retained without silently changing its wording.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل رحمه الله عمن عليه زكاة الفطر، ويعلم أنها صاع ويزيد عليه، ويقول: هو نافلة، هل يكره؟
الجواب
الحمد لله، نعم يجوز بلا كراهية عند أكثر العلماء، كالشافعي وأحمد وغيرهما. وإنما تنقل كراهيته عن مالك.
وأما النقص عن الواجب فلا يجوز باتفاق العلماء، لكن هل الواجب صاع أو نصف صاع أو أكثر؟ فيه قولان. والله أعلم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about someone who owes zakāt al-fiṭr, knows that it is one ṣāʿ, and adds to it, saying that the extra is voluntary. Is this disliked?
Answer
Praise be to Allah. Yes, it is permissible without being disliked according to most scholars, including al-Shāfiʿī, Aḥmad and others. Disapproval is only reported from Mālik.
Giving less than the obligation is not permissible by scholarly agreement. As for whether the obligation is a ṣāʿ, half a ṣāʿ, or more, there are two views. Allah knows best.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 25/70
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic checked against the cited source and adjacent question boundaries. Diacritics and display marks omitted; honorific glyphs expanded. Titles and scope notes are editorial.