Question:
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatuAllah,
I have a few things I am not sure if it’s right or not . One of the local masjids I attend takes the Zakat-al fitr money and buys rice and dates with it and distributes it to the poor, instead of giving the poor the money to do so, they said it is how our beloved nabi (SAW) did so, is this correct? I believe the imam is Salafi. I follow the Hanafi madhab.
My mother in law takes Zakat from friends and family, and distributes it to people in Amman Jordan, but instead of giving the woman money, she buys groceries with it and distributes it to them that way. She fears in giving them the Zakat money, that some of their husbands would take the money and use it on themselves instead of the families. Is she correct in making this decision? I believe she assumes the husbands will take the money, so she is playing it safe, I told her she can not do that, she can not assume and make that decision on how Zakat can be spent? Am I wrong for telling her that?
This past Ramadan I attended taraweeh prayers at a masjid closer to my home because they fulfill the twenty rakats Taraweeh salat. But the Imam rushes through the salat, but takes a break to basically give a twenty minute talk, which seems like a khutbah. Are they going against the sunnah by having lengthy talks and rushing through the prayers?
I am born from a family that are muslims, but i was not taught the shahadah, salats, zakat, etc. I learned basically on my own when I was incarcerated at 24 years old ( some fault lies on my upbringing, but some fault lies on me because I probably didnt want to learn because friends and family didnt practice islam). During my incarceration I studied and learned islam and kept up with my prayers, fasts, paid zakat every year since i became zakat eligible, and even performed hajj and umrah (alhamdoellah) . Do I have to make up my fasts and prayers from the time of puberty (let’s say 15) till I am 24 years old? I learned Hanafi fiqh, so if I have to make up prayers, can I forgo the sunnah salats till I do so? And can I fast Monday and Thursdays till I make up
for missed fasts? My wife came across something when she was searching, and it basically said I didn’t miss prayers and fasts out of laziness or other reasons, I was transgression, and i should make sincere Taubah
that i would not miss fasts and prayers out of transgression again, and inshaAllah that takes care of my transgressions. Am I allowed to follow that ruling?
Jaz Kahiran, I look forward to hearing back from you.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullāhi Wa-Barakātuh.
- It is correct to discharge sadaqatul-fitr with dates. The prime objective of sadaqatul-fitr, on the other hand, is to help the poor in the most efficient way possible. By discharging sadaqatul-fitr with cash, the recipient will be free to spend it in avenues that require urgent attention.[1]
- Zakāt may be discharged in cash and kind.[2] Therefore, if one purchases items equivalent to the amount of zakāt due and hands over those items to a suitable recipient, zakāt will be discharged and one will be absolved of his/her responsibility.[3]
- It is Sunnah to complete every posture of salāh with composure while having due consideration for the muqtadis.
- It is necessary to make qadhā of all missed fardh and wājib salāhs. If you believe that you will eventually complete all of your qadhā salāhs, you should not skip the sunnah salāhs. Continue them along with your qadhā salāhs. Form a practical schedule to complete your qadhā salāhs in a manner that will not interrupt your other sunan.[4]
- You may fast Mondays and Thursdays to complete your qadhā fasts.
- Making qadhā is a sign of sincere tawbah. Without it, one’s tawbah is deficient and incomplete.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.
Arib Raza
Student Darul Iftaa
New York, U.S.A
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Muhammad Zakariyya Desai.