Is the zakaat al-fitr that his father paid on his behalf in cash acceptable?

Question: 109734

My father pays zakaat al-fitr on behalf of me and my siblings every year in cash, based on the fatwas of some of the scholars. I have tried repeatedly on many occasions to convince him that this view is not the most correct one, because according to the the majority of scholars, zakaat al-fitr must be paid in the form of the things mentioned in the hadeeths, but he is not convinced. Should I pay zakaat al-fitr on behalf of myself as it is stated in the hadeeth?

Please note that I am still a student at University and my wealth is what I have saved from the money that my father gives me for my needs.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Paying zakaat al-fitr in cash is not acceptable according to
the majority of scholars, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) enjoined that it be given in the form of the local staple food,
and it is not known that he or any of his Companions gave it in the form of
money.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/113):

It is not acceptable to pay the cash value of zakaat al-fitr
in our view. This was also the view of Maalik, Ahmad and Ibn al-Mundhir.

Abu Haneefah said: It is permissible. This was narrated by
Ibn al-Mundhir from al-Hasan al-Basri, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez and
al-Thawri.

He said: And Ishaaq and Abu Thawr said that it is not
acceptable except in case of necessity. End quote.

See: al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 23/343-344.

See also the answer to question no.
22888.

If a person follows the view of the Hanafis, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd
al-‘Azeez and al-Hasan al-Basri, that it is permissible to give the value of
zakaat al-fitr in cash, based on the evidence that he regards as more
correct, or following the scholars who said that, it is acceptable in sha
Allah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was
asked:

If a person pays zakaat al-fitr in cash, following the
opinion of the scholars of his country, then comes to learn the more correct
view, what should he do with regard to his charity??

He replied:

He does not have to do anything. If a person does something
on the basis of a fatwa from a scholar or following the scholars of his
country, he does not have to do anything. An example of that is if a woman
does not pay zakaah on her jewellery and remains for several years not
knowing that zakaah is due on jewellery, or on the basis that her scholars
have advised her that no zakaah is due on it, then she learns the ruling;
she has to pay zakaah after she learns the ruling, but before that she does
not have to. End quote.

Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh,
no. 191, question no. 19

Thus it is clear that if your father pays zakaat al-fitr on
your behalf in cash — based on his following the scholars whose opinion
that is — it is acceptable and valid, and you do not have to do it again in
the form of food so long as your father is responsible for spending on you
and you are not yet spending on yourself independently.

And Allah knows best.

Source:

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