In South Asia, what is the common name for Zakat al-Fitr?

In South Asia, the common name for Zakat al-Fitr is fitrana.

Fitrana is widely used in Urdu-speaking Muslim communities, particularly in Pakistan and parts of India. It refers to the obligatory charity given at the end of Ramadan so that people in need can share in Eid al-Fitr. The Arabic names zakat al-fitr and sadaqat al-fitr remain common in religious writing and across the wider Muslim world.

Traditionally, fitrana is paid as a prescribed amount of staple food for each person in a household. Foods named in classical reports include dates, barley, raisins and other locally important staples. Many communities now calculate a cash equivalent based on the price of an appropriate quantity of food.

Fitrana is not the same as ushr, which concerns agricultural produce, or khums, a distinct one-fifth levy recognized in some Islamic legal traditions. Sadaqah is a broader term for voluntary charity, although sadaqat al-fitr is an established alternate name for this specific obligation. Payment is generally expected before the Eid prayer, allowing recipients to use it during the festival.