Fitr Alms Amount for 1402 Announced Without Regard to People’s Poverty

“Ayatollah Sistani” announced the amount of fitr alms (zakat al-fitr) to be paid in the year 1402.

Zakat al-fitr, or fitr alms, is one of the branches of Islamic religion that is paid on Eid al-Fitr. Fitr alms amount to one sa’ (a traditional Islamic unit of measure), equivalent to approximately three kilograms of the staple food commonly consumed by individuals, which can be wheat (for those who eat more bread), rice, corn, raisins, dates, and the like.

In Islam, paying zakat al-fitr is a religious obligation after one month of fasting in the month of Ramadan and on Eid al-Fitr, which is the first day of the month of Shawwal. According to the religious rulings of the sources of emulation, it is obligatory for anyone who is not poor to pay fitr alms for themselves and all those under their support.

Ayatollah Sistani determined the fitr alms amount payable in the year 1402 as follows: “Since the amount of zakat al-fitr for each individual is three kilograms, the amount for fitr alms in lieu of flour is 60,000 tomans, for fitr alms in lieu of Iranian rice is 360,000 tomans, and for fitr alms in lieu of non-Iranian rice is 105,000 tomans.”

The announcement of fitr alms payment by people came at a time when people’s dining tables have become much smaller compared to previous years, and people have even lost their purchasing power for foodstuffs compared to previous months. Many workers have not even received their salaries for several months, and even if they were not fasting, they would not have the means to buy rice and meat to feed themselves, and they are no different from someone who is fasting.

“Ayatollah Javadi Amoli” also announced a few days before the end of Ramadan on the night of the martyrdom of Ali ibn Abi Talib in a tweet: “An Islamic government does not even have the right to oppress a non-believer.” In this tweet, he wrote that according to a letter Ali wrote to Malik al-Ashtar as a circular, not all people are Muslims and there are some non-believers among them, and no one can commit injustice against them.

The publication of Javadi Amoli’s remarks about establishing justice came at a time when only a few days remained until Eid al-Fitr, and people who are in need of even bread for their dinner are obligated to pay fitr alms. This means that if a family of four who can afford flour must pay 240,000 tomans as fitr alms, and if they withhold this amount instead of paying it, they could instead purchase one and a half kilograms of non-Iranian rice for themselves to avoid constantly using flour.

According to what Javadi Amoli said, referring to the letter of Ali ibn Abi Talib addressed to Malik al-Ashtar, is it not injustice to take away an amount of fitr alms that could at least equal one kilogram of rice for a family from their hands and pay it to the government?

Is it not injustice that workers’ rights and wages are not paid for several months, yet fitr alms payment is made obligatory? In truth, how is Ali’s just government that the current Islamic Republic regime now follows, when every day many people in Iran are being killed?