Hawzah News Agency – The Office of the Supreme Religious Authority Sayed Ali al-Sistani determines the monetary value of Zakat al-Fitr for this year to 2250 Iraqi dinars per person for the fast of the holy month of Ramadhan this year 1443 AH.
The Zakat Fitr is about three kilos of wheat or barley or dates or raisins or rice or millet etc, which is the dominant food in the place where the person lives. It is also sufficient if the person pays the price of one of these items in cash. As per obligatory precaution, he should not give from that food which is not staple in his place, even if it be wheat, barley, dates or raisins. Therefore, the believer may take into account the monetary value of the kilo of these materials in his country before paying the sum of three kilos per person in cash.
It is called Zakat al-Fitr because it is obligatory on Eid al-Fitr, it is also called the Zakat [charity] for the body, since it saves the body from calamities. It is distinguished from other Zakat as it is imposed on people rather than on money, meaning that is imposed to purify the souls of fasting believers not to cleanse money as for the other Zakat. The Zakat al-Fitr should be given to the poor and needy.