Ibn Abbas: "Whoever performs it before the prayer, it is a accepted Zakah, and whoever performs it after the prayer, it is a charity among other charities." (2) If he delays it until after the prayer, he has left what is more excellent, due to the Sunnah we mentioned, and because the objective of it is to provide sufficiency so they do not have to roam and beg on this day. So whenever he delays it, their sufficiency is not achieved for the entire day, especially at the time of the prayer. This view was leaned toward by Ata, Malik, Musa ibn Wardan (3), Ishaq, and the People of Opinion (Ashab al-Ra'y). Al-Qadi said: If he pays it during the remainder of the day, he has not committed something disliked, because sufficiency (4) is achieved by it on that day. Sa'id said: Abu Ma'shar narrated to us, from Nafi', from Ibn Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered us to pay it. He mentioned the hadith (5). He said: He would be ordered to pay it before he prayed, and when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned, he would distribute it among them and say: "Provide them with sufficiency from having to beg on (6) this day." We have already mentioned the report and the meaning which necessitates dislike. If he delays it beyond the day of Eid, he is sinful and he is obligated to perform its qada (make-up payment). It was narrated from Ibn Sirin and al-Nakha'i that there is a concession regarding delaying it until after the day of Eid. Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Kahhal narrated: I said to Abu Abd Allah: "If he sets aside the Zakah but does not give it?" He said: "Yes, if he has prepared it for a group [of people]." Ibn al-Mundhir related this from Ahmad, and following the Sunnah is more appropriate.
Section: As for the time of obligation, it is the time of the sunset of the last day of Ramadan, for it becomes obligatory at the sunset of the last day of the month of Ramadan. So whoever marries, or becomes the owner of a slave, or has a child born to him, or embraces Islam before sunset, the fitra (charity of breaking the fast) is binding upon him. And if he was
(2) Its chain of narration was mentioned previously on page 284. (3) Abu Amr Musa ibn Wardan al-Qurashi al-Amiri, their freed slave, a Tabi'i who was a narrator in Egypt, and he died in the year 117 AH. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 10/376, 377. (4) In A, B, and M: "al-ghina" (sufficiency). (5) Its chain of narration was mentioned previously on page 281. (6) Omitted from the Original and B.
