Zakatul Fitr : estimation of Zakatul Fitr in money

Fatawa Question

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh, May Allah bless you, My name is Muhammar, came from Indonesia . I'm right now living for a temporary reason as a Student in Germany. I also active in a Indonesian Muslim's community organization. We, Indonesian Muslims, in such along time have a dilemma to do our duties as a Muslim in this country, especially Zakat. We were usually paying our Zakat in a conventional way in Indonesia . We usually counted the amount of Zakat from the measurement of rice (class A, the expensive rice) in cash, especially Zakat Fitrah (1 sa' = 2.520 kilograms of rice), Zakat of Income / Salary (Nisab from Qiyas of Zakat of agriculture / plants = 524 kilograms of rice, payed every month), Fidyah ( 0.675 kilograms of rice), and Kaffarah ( 40.5 kilograms of rice). It much base on Syekh Yusuf Al Qardhaway's Fatwas of Zakat. But we are right now in other country. The germans always consume a vary of common foods, some of beans, rice, wheat, potato, etc. But the Muslim immigrants (almost from Turkey) always consume bread and rice. Especially by Indonesian Muslim, we consume almost rice in general. Our embassy does not have a branch, that manages a religious problem, because that is so personal. Well, we have such a secular government. The Islamic center in Koln-Germany always announce every year the ammount of Zakat Fitrah in cash. The amount came from the assumtion, the ability of consuming from a person in one day and one night. But sadly, there is no information about how much the Fidyah and Kaffarah is. They also said, that the Nisab from Zakat of Income / Salary came from Qiyas of Zakat of Gold (85 grams of Gold) and the Zakat must be payed every year. Is it okay, that we don't follow that ? Because it's very different from our custom way (see top). Our organization have made some survey about the price of rice in every market in German . And we found that, the price from the expensive rice is seven time expensiver than the cheap ones. And this expensive one is very rare to consume. In a future we have plan to make the next survey, which rice, that Indonesian Muslim almost consume, and which one is the expensiver, that Indonesian Muslim almost consume. But the question is, is it possible that we have such a power to make this such decision ? We don't have any 'Ulamas / Mufti or scholars to ask Fatwa for, and we are just an ordinary student and residence in Germany, that don't have enough Islamic thoughts. Is it possible, that we form such a Majlis Syura for Zakat with that conditions ? Another question : Is it ok, that our organization also organize the bank interest (Riba) and distribute this fund to Indonesia, especially for new infrastructure caused by earth quake and tsunami, and for medical research (such as : AIDS, cancer, etc.,) ? Cause in Germany, there is no Islamic / Shariah Bank, and we don't have any clue how distribute this money in this Land. Would you please help us ? to let us out from this very urgent dilemma ? It would be kind, that we have the answer a soon as possible. Because we have to execute that very soon. Jazakumullah Khayran Katsiran, Wassalaamu'alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh

Fatwa

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Publication Date

2007-06-04

Main Subjects

Economics & Business Administration
Islamic Studies

No. of Pages

3

Data Type

Fatawa

Language

English

Record ID

BIM-787536

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