FatwaFederal TerritoriesFasting
AL-KAFI #1809: HUKUM ZAKAT FITRAH BAGI ANAK YANG HILANG
Must a father pay zakat al-fitr for his missing child?
Short answer
Zakat al-fitr is obligatory for a missing child whether the child is known to be alive or his status is uncertain.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Fasting
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Zakat al-fitr is obligatory for a missing child whether the child is known to be alive or his status is uncertain. If his survival is uncertain, the most authentic view in the Shafi'i school is that it is still obligatory, since a missing person is presumed to be alive. The duty falls on the father at sunset on the last day of Ramadan, which is the night of Eid al-Fitr. The father bears the child's zakat until puberty, and an adult child who can pay for himself is no longer the father's responsibility.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Jika seseorang itu diketahui masih hidup maka hukum zakat fitrah wajib dibayar.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1809: HUKUM ZAKAT FITRAH BAGI ANAK YANG HILANG”, 28 June 2021. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/4843-al-kafi-1809-hukum-zakat-fitrah-bagi-anak-yang-hilang. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/zakat-fitr-for-missing-child-ruling/