On obligatory charities in Ramadan

As the holy month of Ramadan starts on Sunday in Bangladesh, there will be a surge in charity as  part of the observance of the month by the Muslims. Besides the various forms of voluntary charities to support underprivileged people, Muslims prepare to do two obligatory charities as instructed in Islam. One is Sadaqt al-Fitr or Zakat al-Fitr, popularly known as Fitra, which is to be paid at the end of Ramadan and before the Eid prayer in the morning on the first day of the month of Sawal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Another one is Zakat al-mal, widely known as Zakat and obligatory to those who have possessed a certain amount of assets, termed Nisab.

Though Fitra is strictly linked with the month of Ramadan, there is no obligation to pay Zakat during Ramadan  only. Nevertheless, there is a long tradition in the Muslim world to pay Zakat in the holy month with the expectation of attaining heavenly mercy. Before shedding light on the topic, let's have a quick look at the Fitra, which is obligatory for all Muslims. Most Islamic scholars are of the view that every Muslim, irrespective of his or her economic condition, has to pay the Fitra.  That's why there are five types of Fitra with minimum and maximum quantity determined by the experts following the guidelines available in Hadith, which is a compilation of sayings, instructions, approvals and practice of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is also preferable to pay Fitra in the form of food instead of cash, though there is no rigidity in this regard. Muslims need to pay their Fitra, which is set by the authorities of their respective countries. In Bangladesh, the Islamic Foundation annually announces the Fitra, approved by Islamic scholars, in the middle of Ramadan. Last year, the minimum Fitra was Tk 115 (based on the market price of wheat), and the maximum was Tk 2,970 (based on the market price of cheese). There were also three more types of Fitra: Tk 400 (barley), Tk 2,145 (kishmish) and Tk 2,475 (dates). Muslims must choose and pay any of the five amounts of Fitra according to their financial ability and willingness.

The core idea behind Fitra is to make the Eid celebration universal for all, where both rich and poor can join and enjoy it. This inclusivity is a powerful aspect of Fitra, inspiring Muslims to extend their hands to each other, especially to poor and needy people, to create socio-economic harmony. Finally, it is to fulfil the obligation set by the almighty Allah and satisfy Him for divine blessings.

Zakat al-Mal, or Zakat in short, is a much broader subject and is considered one of the core five pillars of Islam. It is an obligatory charity and is linked with the wealth of Muslims. The ultimate aim of Zakat is to support the needy, thereby embodying the spiritual and socio-economic aspects of this worship. Islamic scholars have developed voluminous literature regarding Zakat through extensive research and outlined a series of guidelines for paying Zakat properly. There are, however, some differences in opinion among them, indicating the flexibility of Sharia in easing the practice for Muslims. This flexibility should reassure Muslims that they can fulfill their Zakat obligations in a way that suits their circumstances.

The general rule is that any Muslim who possesses  the Nisab amount of wealth for a year must pay Zakat on the market price of wealth at a certain time. Nisab means the minimum threshold of wealth, as determined by the Sharia scholars following the gold or silver standard. Suppose the minimum wealth of a Muslim is equivalent to 7.5 vori (or 87.5 grams) of gold or 52.5 vori ( or 613 grams) of sliver. In that case, he or she has to pay Zaka at the rate of 2.5 per cent of the market value of the net wealth. Net wealth is derived by deducting the value of liabilities from the value of assets at a particular point in time.

Determining the Nisab is tricky for various reasons. For instance, according to the silver standard, Nisab is Tk 91,705 (as per the average market price of four types of silver on February 28, 2025).  This means anyone who now possesses at least the same amount of net wealth is subject to paying Zakat. For the gold standard, Nisab is Tk 774,151 (as per the average market price of four categories of gold on February 28, 2025).  As there is a big difference between the gold and silver standards, the question is which one to follow.   Many argue that by following the silver standard, more people become eligible to pay Zakat, which is beneficial for the poor and needy. Again, it is also important to note that those who are eligible to pay Zakat are not eligible to receive it. Moreover, in Bangladesh, as well as some other countries, there is no official announcement of Nisab, like Pakistan. So, Muslims have to rely on experts and scholars or maybe even their own knowledge and understanding to set their Nisab and pay Zakat.

The Verse (Ayat) 60 of the 9th Surah (AT-Tawbah) in the Quran provides an instruction to pay Zakat to eight types of people: "Alms-tax is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted to the faith, for freeing slaves, for those in debt, for God's cause, and for needy travellers. This is an obligation from God. And God is All-Knowing, All-Wise." [P-105, The Clear Quran Series: A Thematic English Translation by Dr Mustafa Khattab, Book of Signs Foundation, USA, (2016)]. Nevertheless, there are slight differences among the Shariah scholars on the detailed interpretation of the verse and determining eligibility for Zakat recipients.  It is, however, about  the nitty-gritty and not the fundamental principle.

The core thing of Zakat is to cleanse or purify wealth by sharing a part of it with the underprivileged section of society. The sharing must be done in a way that after a certain period, the recipients also become Zakat givers. In this process, income disparity in a society can be reduced significantly. This aspect of Zakat offers hope for a more equitable society. As Ramadan is the time to purify body and soul with fasting and donating, it is also an opportunity to reduce  the economic gaps and enhance social bonding through obligatory charities in an organised manner.

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