Thus, zakat al-fitr must be given from the food eaten by people. If these foods vary, we take the general middle standard. In our time, we have found that rice is the most common staple. The apparent purport of the author’s words—may Allah have mercy on him—is that these categories may be given as zakat al-fitr, whether or not they are staple foods and nourishment, because they are explicitly mentioned in the hadith. Here, the jurists have adopted the outward wording of the text rather than its underlying meaning. Accordingly, if someone today were to give barley, raisins, or dried curds, that would suffice, even though they are not staple foods.

The author’s statement, “One sa‘ of wheat or barley is obligatory,” apparently indicates that there is no difference between wheat and other commodities, and that one sa‘ of wheat must be given.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah have mercy on him—held that half a sa‘ of wheat should be given. He said: This is what people followed during the time of Mu‘awiyah—may Allah be pleased with him. When Mu‘awiyah—may Allah be pleased with him—arrived in Madinah, he said, “I consider one mudd of this”—meaning wheat—“to be equivalent to two mudds of this”—meaning barley. Thus, people moved from giving one sa‘ of wheat to giving half a sa‘ of it (1).

Shaykh al-Islam also said: It is likewise analogous to the rest of the expiations according to the jurists, for the jurists say that what is required is one sa‘ of such-and-such, or half a sa‘ of wheat; or they say that what is required is half a sa‘ of such-and-such, or one mudd