This audio is brought to you by MuslimCentral.com

The reality is, whatever is known as unfar, lilfukara, whatever is more beneficial for the poor person is what you should try to give out.

There is permissibility to give it out in cash, there is permissibility to give it out in kind.

But if you want to know which is better, you need to look at what's better for the poor person.

So if it is better, for example, to give them the cash, then so be it.

But if it's better to give them the hampers or the food that they want and so on, then you'd rather do that.

When it comes to Sadakatul Fithr, it is best to give the food item itself, that is the Sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaa'ala Sallam.

There are some scholars who say that you may give the money as well.

However, some people say it's prohibited to give money, you must give it in kind.

And some say it's prohibited to give the, you know, in kind you must give the cash.

Both of those are actually not accurate.

The reason is you've got to do whatever is beneficial for the poor person.

Imagine, ten people giving someone Zakat and they give them ten big bags of rice.

What will this poor person do with ten big bags of rice?

He's going to sell them. Perhaps he has other needs.

He might need clothing, he might need medication, he might need something you don't know about, he might have to pay a bill,

he might have something outstanding. So that's the reason why we say you've got to look into whatever is beneficial for the poor person.

Thereafter, you need to know that sometimes if there is a need outside of Ramadan, you can give.

You can give in advance and you can then deduct it from what you have given in Ramadan or your Zakat amount.

You are allowed to give in advance and then you say look this is part of my Zakat because there is a need.

There is an urgent desperately need right now.

And that is why at times people say look I know there is a need but I'm waiting for Ramadan because I want a greater reward.

...