Bahaar-e-Shariat Volume 5 (Zakaat, Sadaqa e Fitr, optional charity, fasting, and I’tekaaf)

This volume provides a detailed exposition of the laws of Zakaat, Sadaqa e Fitr, optional charity, fasting, and I’tekaaf according to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It establishes the conditions for the obligation of Zakaat, including the requirement of being a Muslim, reaching puberty, being of sound mind, and possessing the nisab (threshold) free from debt and basic necessities. The work details the specific thresholds for various forms of wealth, including gold, silver, trade goods, and grazing livestock (sa’imah), while also outlining the rules for collecting and distributing these dues to the eight categories of recipients defined in the Qur’an.

The text further addresses the regulations governing fasting, covering the sighting of the moon, acts that invalidate the fast, and the conditions under which one is exempt from fasting. It provides guidance on the Kaffarah (expiation) for intentionally breaking a fast and outlines the rules for I’tekaaf, including the requirements for the mosque, the conduct of the mu’takif (the person performing seclusion), and the invalidation of the seclusion. The work concludes with a strong emphasis on maintaining the correct aqidah (belief) and avoiding deviant sects, urging the reader to remain steadfast on the path of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah.

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Key topics & takeaways

Zakaat

• Definition of Zakaat — it is the transfer of ownership of a portion of wealth to a needy person who is not a Hashmi (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, ﷺ), for the sake of Allah ▸page 29
• Status of Zakaat — it is fard (obligatory); rejection of it is kufr (unbelief), and failure to pay it is a major sin ▸page 29
• Conditions for obligation — the payer must be a Muslim, sane, an adult, a freeman, and possess the nisab threshold, which must be free from debt and basic necessities (▸page 30, ▸page 33, ▸page 35, ▸page 40)
• Nisab of gold and silver — the threshold is 7.5 tola (87.48 grams) for gold and 52.5 tola (612.36 grams) for silver ▸page 79
• Zakaat on trade goods — Zakaat is due on merchandise intended for business, calculated at 2.5% of its current market value (▸page 81, ▸page 90)
• Zakaat on grazing livestock — specific thresholds and rates are fixed for camels, cattle, and goats that graze freely for most of the year (▸page 63, ▸page 65, ▸page 68, ▸page 70)
• Intention (niyyat) — the payer must make the intention for Zakaat at the time of giving or when separating the funds for the recipient ▸page 51
• Prohibited recipients — Zakaat cannot be given to one's parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouse, nor to a Hashmi (▸page 127, ▸page 129, ▸page 132)

Sadaqa e Fitr

• Obligation — it is waajib upon every free Muslim who possesses the nisab threshold on the day of Eid al-Fitr ▸page 141
• Timing — it becomes waajib at the appearance of subho saadiq (true dawn) on the day of Eid ▸page 141
• Amount — the payment is based on half a sa' of wheat or its value, with current calculations recommended at 1.919 kilograms (▸page 140, ▸page 146)

Fasting

• Definition — intentional abstinence from eating, drinking, and sexual intimacy from subho saadiq until sunset with the intention of worship ▸page 189
• Intention — for the fard fast of Ramadan, the intention must be made before zahwa e kubra (mid-morning) ▸page 191
• Invalidation — the fast is broken by intentional eating, drinking, or sexual intimacy; kaffarah (expiation) is required for intentional breaking without a valid shar'i reason (▸page 223, ▸page 234)
• Exemptions — travelers, the ill, the pregnant, and breastfeeding mothers may defer fasting, provided they make up the qaza later ▸page 253
• Makruh acts — tasting food without a valid reason, backbiting, lying, and excessive rinsing of the mouth are discouraged (▸page 242, ▸page 244)

I’tekaaf

• Definition — remaining in the mosque with the intention of worship for the sake of Allah ▸page 282
• Types — waajib (by vow), sunnat-e-mu’akkadah (last ten days of Ramadan), and nafil (optional) ▸page 284
• Invalidation — leaving the mosque without a valid shar'i reason or engaging in sexual intimacy invalidates the seclusion (▸page 287, ▸page 291)
• Conduct — the mu’takif should occupy themselves with the recitation of the Qur’an, dhikr, and study of religious knowledge, avoiding unnecessary speech ▸page 293