Short answer
Usually it means zakat al-fitr, the small charity, also called fitrana or sadaqat al-fitr, that a Muslim with means pays for each family member before the Eid prayer at the end of Ramadan. Fitr means breaking the fast. A different word, fitrah, means the natural disposition Allah created people with.
Sadaqat al-fitr is wajib on every Muslim who owns the nisab beyond basic needs at dawn on Eid al-Fitr, for himself and his young children. The amount per person is half a sa' of wheat or its flour, commonly given as about 1.6 to 2 kg, or a full sa' of dates, barley or raisins, or the value of either.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Zakat al-fitr is fard: one sa' of the local staple food per person, given as food rather than money.
- Maliki
- Fard: one sa' of the local staple food per person, given as food and only to the poor and needy.
- Hanbali
- Fard: one sa' per person of dates, barley, raisins, wheat or dried cheese, given as food.
Explanation
Two Arabic words sound alike. Fitr (فطر) means breaking the fast. It gives Eid al-Fitr its name and the charity paid at the end of Ramadan, zakat al-fitr. In Urdu and in many UK and South Asian masjids this charity is simply called fitra or fitrana. Fitrah (فطرة) means the natural disposition Allah created every person with (30:30).
When people ask about fitra in a masjid, they almost always mean the Eid charity:
- Who pays: in the Hanafi school, a Muslim who owns the nisab at dawn on Eid day, for himself and his children under puberty (see who pays zakat al-fitr).
- How much: a set measure of staple food per person, or its value (see how much fitrana is).
- When: before the Eid prayer, and it may be paid earlier in Ramadan (see when to pay it).
- To whom: poor Muslims (see who can receive it).
The Prophet ﷺ made it a purification for the fasting person from idle and indecent talk, and food for the poor, so that everyone can enjoy Eid.
The other meaning, fitrah, is a matter of belief: the Prophet ﷺ said every child is born on the fitrah, a natural readiness to recognise Allah. Practices such as trimming the nails and moustache are also called acts of the fitrah. To work out your family's fitrana, use the zakat al-fitr calculator.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Ar-Room 30:30
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًۭا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.
Fitrah means the nature Allah created people with.
Quran, Surah Al-A'laa 87:14
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ﴿١٤﴾
He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
Many early scholars linked this verse to zakat al-fitr.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1609
Graded hasan... طهرة للصائم من اللغو والرفث وطعمة للمساكين ...
"A purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene talk, and food for the poor."
The purpose of zakat al-fitr.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1385
Sahih... كل مولود يولد على الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه ...
"Every child is born on the fitrah; then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian."
The second meaning: the natural disposition.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Zakat, chapter on sadaqat al-fitr. It is wajib on a free Muslim who owns the nisab beyond his needs, for himself and his young children; half a sa' of wheat or a sa' of dates or barley.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Kitab al-Zakat, chapter on zakat al-fitr. The Shafi'i rule of one sa' of the staple food.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.