Islam Its Belief and Practices - Radical Truth

72 ISLAM ITS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES THE PRESCRIBED DUTIES 73
the master being rich, the delivery of the
zakat to him is illegal. On the similar ground
it is illegal to bestow zakat upon the infant
child of a rich person. On the contrary an
adult child of a rich man; who is poor may
receive zaka.t. The same rule applies to the
wife of a rich person. She, if she be poor,
is not accounted rich in the property of the
husband and hence may receive the zakat.
(7) Banu-Hiishim. By the tribe of Hashim are to
",
be understood the descendants of 'AIr,
'Abbas, Ja'far, 'Aqil and HariIh . b. Matlib . ,
all these deriving their descent from Hashim,
the great-grand father of Mu1,lammad.
Sadaqalu' I-Pilar, The Alms of Breaking The Pasl.
~adaqatu'l-Fitaris the alms bestowed upon the poor on
'Idu'l-Fitar, the feast of the breakingofthefast of Ramagan.
It is incumbent (wO-jib) upon all free Muslims. The obligation
is founded on a precept of Mu1,lammad, who, in
course of a discourse upon the 'Idu'l-Fitar said: "Let every
person, whether infant or adult bestow upon the poor
half a-~a' of wheat, or one ~a' of millet or of barley".
It is incumbent upon a man to pay ~adaqatu'l-Fitar on
behalf of his infants and slaves (male and female). The
provision of the children is a debt upon the father, wherefore
the accomplishment of the ~adaqamust also rest upon
him, this being considered as a part of their prpvision.
Similarly a man must pay the ~adaqa on behalf of his male
and female slaves, he being their guardian, and their
subsistence depending upon him. On the other hand it
is not incumbent upon men to give ~adaqa on behalf of
his male and female slaves designed for sale as merchandise.
Imam Shafi'r, however, holds the view that
~adaqatu'l-Fitaris obligatory upon such slaves and that
the proprietor is to pay it for them. A Muslim must pay
~adaqatu'l-Fitarfor his infidel slaves, for Mu1,lammad said:
"Render ~adaqatul-Fitaron behalf of every slave, be that
slave a Christian, a Jew or a Pagan." Imam Shafi'r, however,
holds a different view also in this matter. He maintains
that the obligation to this ~adaqa rests upon a slave
himself, and not upon the owner; and an infidel slave is
under no obligation of paying Zakat and ~adaqa.
The ~adaqa is not incumbent upon a man on behalf of
his wife, neither it is incumbent on behalf of his adult children.
But yet if a man were to disburse the ~adaqa on
behalf of his wife and adult children, without their desire,
it is lawful, on a principle of benevolence, their consent
being by custom understood.
The measure of a ~adaqatu'l-Fitar. on behalf of one
person, in wheat, or flour, or bran or in dried fruits, is
half a Sa', or about two seers in Indian weight; and in
dates or barley it is one Sa' or about four seers. The
value of these articles may be given in ~adaqa.
The obligation to the performance of ~adaqatu'l-Fitar
commences with the dawn of the morning of the 'Idu'l­
Fitar. It is generally distributed before the prayers of the
festival are said.
Voluntary Alms, Sadaqa.
The duty of voluntary almsgiving is frequently enjoined
in the Qur'an, e. g., 2; 274,275. Mu1,lammad has
enjoined the duty of almsgiving in tradition:-
"The best of alms are those given by a man of small
means, who gives of that which he has earned by labour,
and gives as much as he is able." "Begin by giving alms
to your own relatives." "Your smiling in your brother's
face is alms; assisting the blind is alms. "God says, Be
thou liberal, thou child of Adam, that I may be liberal to
thee."