A group may be given what is required of one person, and vice versa.

His statement, “A group may be given what is required of one person, and vice versa”: here, one may say, “a group may be given,” or one may say, “one may give to a group.”

By “a group,” he means those who are entitled to zakat al-fitr.

Does zakat al-fitr have the same categories of recipients as the rest of the zakat, or is it designated for needy poor people?

The answer is that the scholars hold two views:

The first is that it may be distributed among the same categories as the rest of the zakat, including those whose hearts are to be reconciled and those in debt. This is the view adopted by the author.

The second is that zakat al-fitr is to be given only to the poor, and this is the correct view.

His statement, “He may give a group what is required of one person, and vice versa,” may be illustrated as follows: if a person owes ten fitrahs, he may give them all to one poor person.

And if a person owes one fitrah, he may give it to ten poor people, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, specified the amount to be given but did not specify the recipient.

The scholars said: if one distributes a fitrah among a group, it is recommended that no recipient be given less than one mudd.

However, if he gives less than a sa' to someone, he must inform the recipient that he has given him less than a sa', for it is feared that the recipient may give it as zakat al-fitr on his own behalf even though it is less than a sa'.

According to the explanation we have just given, with respect to zakat al-fitr, a group may give what is required of them to a single poor person, or an individual may give what is required of him to several poor people.