A poor person should pay the saa’ of food as zakat al-fitr on behalf of himself if it is surplus to his needs and the needs of those whom he is supporting on the day and night of ‘Eid.

The Messenger of Allah enjoined Zakat al-Fitr upon the Muslims at a rate of one sa` of dates or one sa` of barley, and he commanded that it should be given before the people went out the ‘Eid prayers.

Zakat al-fitr should be paid after sunset on the last day of Ramadan and it is permissible to pay it one or two days before that.

Zakat al-fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim who is self-supporting, if he has one sa` or more than he needs of food for himself and his family on the day and night of ‘Eid. It is acceptable to give a sa` of the local staple food such as rice etc.

Zakah on wealth is one of the five pillars of Islam. Whoever denies it is a disbeliever and whoever withholds it is a rebellious evildoer. Zakat Al-Fitr is not one of the pillars of Islam, and the one who denies it is not a disbeliever.

It is permissible to give Zakat Al-Fitr on behalf of one person to one person, and it is also permissible to distribute it among a number of people.

If a person dies before the sun sets on the night before `Eid, he does not have to pay Zakat Al-Fitr, because he died before it became obligatory.