Ramadan scholars argue that the Prophet established the amount of zakatul fitr to saple foods in a specific measurement due to differences in purchasing power.
It varies throughout time and among countries. Thus, determining the amount of Zakatul-Fitr using a set amount of money would cause it to vary and become unstable. So, you must suitably evaluate the sa’ of grains for one individual.
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Imam Abu Hanifah and his colleagues, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Umar ibnAbd Al-‘Aziz, and many other scholars, approved paying the value of Zakah, including Zakatul-Fitr, in money.
Both advocates and opponents of the viewpoint relied on a variety of facts and points of view. Sheikh Ibn Taymiyah considered both ideas and came to the following conclusion:
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He stated that paying Zakah with money when there is no need or interest is not allowed. It is possible to pay the value of Zakah as money due to need or interest.
The belief that it is lawful to pay the worth of Zakatul-Fitr in money was prevalent during the Tabiin period (the generation after the Companions) and was supported by numerous academics, including one of the caliphs. Ibn Abi Shaybah recounted on the authority of Awn, “I heard the letter of Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz.”
According to the same report, Al-Hasan stated, “There is no harm in paying the value of Zakatul-Fitr in dirhams,” Abu Ishaq stated, “I saw them paying the value of Zakatul-Fitr in dirhams,” and ‘Ata’ stated, “I used to give the value of Zakatul-Fitr in silver dirhams.”
Given that fatwas vary depending on the time, place, and condition of the people involved, the two perspectives can still apply. It is preferable to offer grains in a setting where giving food as Zakatul-Fitr is only appropriate when the needy require grains and the payer can easily obtain them.
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Furthermore, in vast and complex civilizations with a high population density, when grains are scarce and the poor do not require them due to processing time and effort, you would agree that paying the value of Zakatul-Fitr in cash is more convenient for both the payer and the receiver.
