The Islamic Jurists on Sunday asked people not to give Sadkat-ul-Fitr to beggars who approach people for different alms during the last ten days of Ramadan.“Muslim should avoid giving Sadkat-ul-Fitr to the people who are professional beggars,” Ulemas cautioned.Islamic Jurist, Mufti Zeyaul Haq told KNS that a person giving Fitr to a beggar should verify whether he is needy or not. “Fitr should be given to the people who are ‘Mustahiq’ (Deserving),” he said.“People should first look a needy person among their relatives. If he founds someone who needs the sadkah among their relatives then they should avoid others and give preference to their own relatives," he said, adding that giving Sadkah to relatives is permissible while only four relations including mother, father, son and daughter have been excluded from it.
He said besides relatives, it is also permissible in Islam that people can give Sadkah to the Islamic study centres but only needy and deserving people should take benefit from that.Mufti said that it has been decided that people have to pay rupees 60 as Sadaqat-al-Fitr in the Valley and people can also give rice, floor and wheat depending upon the place they live in."Another Islamic Jurist said, "One who is professionally beggar do not deserve Sadkah.”He said that Muslims have been asked to give Sadkah to those who deserve it, adding, “If you find someone among the beggars who really deserve the Sadkah then Islam permits a person to give Sadkat-ul-Fitr to him but we can't give Sadkah to those who are professional beggares.”
“It is important under Islamic law to verify first whether the person is needy or not," he informed.It is pertinent to mention here that Sadkat-ul-Fitr is Wajib upon such a person who owns assets, which equal the value of the Nisab.“The owner of Nisab in the ruling as regards Sadkat-ul-Fitr is such a person who has 7 ½ Tola gold (93 grammes 312 milligrammes,) or 52 ½ Tola silver (653 grammes 184 milligrammes), or their equivalent value in money or any other form of asset. If the father is so poor (that he cannot give his own Sadkat-ul-Fitr let alone on behalf of his children,) or has passed away, then it is Wajib on the grandfather to give Sadkat-ul-Fitr on behalf of his grandchildren," Islam teaches. (KNS)