What is Zakat al-Fitr?
Zakat al-Fitr (also called Sadaqat al-Fitr or Fitrana) is a charity due on every Muslim at the end of Ramadan, before the Eid prayer. The Prophet, peace be upon him, made it a purification for the fasting person and food for the poor. Ibn Umar reported: 'The Messenger of Allah enjoined Zakat al-Fitr, a sa of dates or a sa of barley, upon every Muslim - free or slave, male or female' (Sahih al-Bukhari 1503).
How much, and in what form
The amount is one sa (about 2.2 to 3 kg) of the staple food of the region - such as wheat, rice, dates, or barley - for each person. Many give its monetary value instead, which the Hanafi school permits; the Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools prefer giving actual food, though paying the value is widely practised. Your local mosque usually announces the per-person amount each year.
Who pays, and when
The head of the household pays on behalf of everyone they support, including children and dependents. It should reach the poor before the Eid al-Fitr prayer; giving it a day or two earlier is encouraged so it can be distributed in time.
The wisdom behind it
Zakat al-Fitr is small on purpose. It is measured per person, not per wealth, so that nearly everyone gives it - even those who themselves receive zakat during the year often give this one. The classical descriptions give it two jobs at once: it purifies the fasting person from the idle talk and small slips that crept into the month, and it feeds the poor so the whole community enters Eid fed. Its deadline teaches the same lesson: it must reach the needy before the Eid prayer, because charity that arrives after the celebration has missed the point of arriving at all.
Using this calculator
Enter the number of people in your household - it is due for every member, including children and anyone you support - and the local rate your mosque or community has announced for this year, in your own currency. The calculator multiplies honestly and shows the total to hand over. The rate field is deliberately yours to fill: fitr is measured in staple food (a sa) and its money value differs by country and year, so the number your local mosque announces is the right one to use. Pay it in the final days of Ramadan, before the Eid prayer at the latest. Everything stays on your device.