JEDDAH — The Council of Senior Scholars ruled that the early payment of Zakat Al-Fitr is permissible in Islam, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. The ministry stated that the council has approved the early payment of Zakat Al-Fitr to charitable societies so as to ensure that it reaches those who are entitled to it within the Shariah prescribed period of time that is before the Eid Al-Fitr prayer. The ministry has included the option of early payment of "Zakat Al-Fitr" on its national donation online platform titled "Tabarru". In a press release, the ministry stated that the Council of Senior Scholars advised that Zakat Al-Fitr be paid at the time specified by Shariah by the leading charity organizations working in all regions of the Kingdom, by ensuring that donations reach those who are entitled to receive them on time. The ministry's platform enables its users through choosing Zakat Al-Fitr option and specify the calculated amount, with the value of one sa' (four double handfuls of food grains) for each person and then make the payment. Zakat Al-Fitr, which is paid through the platform is the value of rice or dates, is distributed among those who are entitled to it before the Eid Al-Fitr prayer. The addition of this option on the platform comes with the aim of facilitating the payment of zakat and spreading the joy of Eid among all members of society. It is noteworthy that since the launch of the national donation platform in 2020, the total number of donors has exceeded the mark of 330,000 donors, and it is an officially approved interface for alms, zakat, gifts and donations in Saudi Arabia, which provides various payment methods — Mada, Visa, MasterCard and Apple Pay cards — and is an easy solution to deliver the donations to the needy in all regions of the Kingdom.
