The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, confirmed that giving Zakat Al-Fitr in money is not permissible, and should be given in the form of food.

Al-Sheikh explained this as “contrary to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, who used to remove it from food.

“Zakat Al-Fitr is to be given from the foodstuff of humans, such as wheat, rice, raisins, and the like. It is obligatory for a Muslim in the place where the sunset of the last day of Ramzan is witnessed, and it can be given a day or two before Eid,” the Grand Mufti said.