My grandmother wanted to know if fitra of Eid can be given in the name of a dead, for e.g. her parents.


Praise be to Allaah.

Zakaat al-fitr is obligatory for all Muslims, males and
females, old and young, as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). 

It is only required from the living who are present at the
time when it becomes due. 

The time when zakaat al-fitr becomes due is when the sun sets
on the last day of Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) called it sadaqat al-fitr, and fitr or breaking the
fast of Ramadaan comes when the sun sets on the night of Eid (i.e., the
night before Eid). It is a purification for the fasting person from any idle
or obscene speech, and the fast ends when the sun sets. 

If a person dies before
the time it become obligatory, he does not have to pay this zakaah. If a
person lives until the time when it becomes obligatory, then dies before
paying it, then it should be paid on his behalf from his wealth because it
is still a duty that he owes and becomes a debt that must be paid on his
behalf. 

See: al-Majmoo’, 6/84; al-Mugni, 2/358;
al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 23/341 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

If a person dies before the sun sets on the night before Eid,
he does not have to pay zakaat al-fitr, because he died before it became
obligatory. End quote. 

Fiqh al-‘Ibaadaat, p. 211 

In conclusion: The
deceased person is responsible for this if he died after the time when it
became obligatory, which is sunset on the night before Eid. In that case it
must be paid on his behalf.

 If he died before the time when it became obligatory – which
appears to be the case in the question asked here – then this zakaah is not
obligatory. 

If your grandmother gave charity such as food, money, etc on
his behalf, then it is charity given on his behalf and is not zakaat
al-fitr. 

It is proven in more than one hadeeth from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that charity given on behalf of
the dead benefits them and the reward reaches them. 

See question no. 42384. 

And Allaah knows best.