Short answer
For a baby born before dawn on Eid day, yes: in the Hanafi school the father pays it. For a baby born after dawn on Eid, or still in the womb, no. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools count from sunset on the last day of Ramadan instead, and the Hanbali school recommends paying for an unborn child.
Sadaqat al-fitr becomes wajib at true dawn (subh sadiq) on the day of Eid al-Fitr. A child born before that moment is included; a child born after it, or not yet born, is not. The father pays for his minor children from his own wealth, unless a child has wealth of his own.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- It is due for a child born before sunset on the last day of Ramadan, and not for one born after.
- Hanbali
- It is due for a child born before sunset on the last day of Ramadan, and it is recommended (mustahabb) to pay for a baby still in the womb.
Explanation
In the Hanafi school, zakat al-fitr is tied to one moment: true dawn on Eid day, when Fajr time begins. Whoever is alive and in your care at that moment is counted.
- A baby born the night before Eid, or before Fajr on Eid morning: pay for the baby.
- A baby born after Fajr on Eid day: nothing is due, though you may give charity in thanks.
- A baby still in the womb: nothing is due.
The same moment works the other way. Someone who dies before dawn on Eid has no zakat al-fitr due for them, and someone who accepts Islam before dawn on Eid owes it if they have the means.
The father pays for his young children from his own money if he owns the nisab. If the baby has wealth of its own, for example cash gifts that are clearly the baby's, Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf hold that it is paid from the baby's wealth. The amount is the same as for anyone else; see how much is zakat al-fitr and who pays zakat al-fitr.
If you are not sure whether your baby arrived before or after dawn, paying is the cautious course and costs little.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 1503
Sahih... على العبد والحر والذكر والأنثى والصغير والكبير من المسلمين ...
"On the slave and the free, male and female, young and old among the Muslims."
Zakat al-fitr is due for young children, including babies.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1511
Sahih... فكان ابن عمر يعطي عن الصغير والكبير حتى إن كان يعطي عن بني ...
"Ibn Umar used to give it for young and old, even for my children."
The Companions paid it for their young children.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Zakat, chapter on sadaqat al-fitr. It becomes due at dawn on the day of Fitr; whoever is born or becomes Muslim before then is included.
- al-Mughni, Kitab al-Zakat, chapter on zakat al-fitr. The Hanbali recommendation to pay for a foetus.
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.