Q: Our local shiek insists on us giving wheat and dates as zakatul fitr. He would not accept any other form of payment. I just cannot walk around with dates and wheat imaam. I am paying for 20 people as a family. Can we give money?So this year I did not give. What do I do(email)

A: You local ‘sheik’ is a literalist. He is incorrect upon his ‘insistence.’

• You can give the sadaqatul fitr in the form of dollar bills (currency that is used by locals) so long as this financial value given is equivalent to the value of dates, wheat etc. This sadaqatul fitr amount that s given in currency form would correspond to the weight we are required to give as it relates to dates, wheat, etc.
• You can still give your sadaqatul fitr. Do so in the correct place, in the correct manner.
• Under ideal conditions, if the poor can use the wheat and dates, by all means they should get it.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

p.s. We cannot walk up to a poor person and say: Here is wheat. This poor person may end being a wheat supplier soonif we all given him/her wheat. Inform the sheik, the poor sometimes need food, sometimes they need a bill paid, etc. We cannot impose a truck load of dates and wheat on the poor!