❖ Rulings on Expiation, Oaths, and Testimony in Islam ❖
This writing is excerpted from the book "500 Questions and Answers for Women" based on the Fatwas of the Scholars of the Haramain, translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
① Searching for Needy Persons:
It is necessary for you to make an effort to search for needy individuals within your city. If none are found, then look in nearby towns.
If you find only one eligible poor person, it is permissible to feed that same person for ten separate meals over ten days.
Additionally, it is permissible to pay the kaffārah through charitable organizations that collect donations and distribute them appropriately to the needy according to their requirements and eligibility.
② Feeding with Staple Food:
It is permissible to gather ten needy individuals and feed them either in the morning or evening, giving them a meal that is filling and sufficient.
If someone wishes to give the expiation in uncooked form, it is also valid provided the food is of general and household use.
For example, if rice and meat are normally consumed in your home, then one meal’s worth of that food can be given to each individual.
③ Giving Money Instead of Food:
Paying cash in place of food is not valid, even if it seems to be more convenient or beneficial for the poor.
This is because the specific command in the Qur’an pertains to feeding, and most people are not aware of the textual rulings concerning it. Therefore, substituting money does not fulfill the obligation.
④ Oaths by a Mother to Her Children:
In our view, such oaths taken by the mother are considered idle (لغو) because they are not taken with serious intent. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّـهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ...﴾ [5:89]
“Allah will not call you to account for idle oaths in your speech, but He will hold you to account for what you intended in your oaths.”
Such oaths are typically used for disciplining or cautioning, so no expiation is required in these cases.
⑤ False Testimony Against the Teacher:
By giving a false testimony against the facts to defend your friend, you have committed a serious mistake.
The expiation for this is:
✔ Sincere repentance (tawbah)
✔ Seeking Allah’s forgiveness (istighfār)
✔ Apologizing to the school headmistress
✔ Making dua (supplication) for the teacher
If you can find out the teacher’s current location, you should apologize directly—either in person, or via phone or letter.
والله الموفق
(Shaykh Ibn Jibreen ḥafiẓahullāh)
This writing is excerpted from the book "500 Questions and Answers for Women" based on the Fatwas of the Scholars of the Haramain, translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
❖ Question:
- If I cannot find ten needy people in my city, can I feed one eligible poor person ten times instead?
- In our country, rice is the staple food. Can I give rice as kaffārah (expiation)?
- If cash would benefit the poor more, can I pay the expiation in money instead of food? If so, how much per person in Riyals?
- A mother often takes oaths from her children to get them to fulfill their responsibilities, but they frequently disobey, resulting in unfulfilled oaths. In such a case, is expiation required, or are such oaths considered idle (laghw)?
- A classmate of mine got into a disagreement with our teacher and raised her voice without permission. The teacher asked me to testify, but I gave a false testimony in defense of my friend, knowing she was wrong. I later regretted this. I planned to apologize, but the teacher had already returned to Saudi Arabia. What should I do now?
❖ Answer:
① Searching for Needy Persons:
It is necessary for you to make an effort to search for needy individuals within your city. If none are found, then look in nearby towns.
If you find only one eligible poor person, it is permissible to feed that same person for ten separate meals over ten days.
Additionally, it is permissible to pay the kaffārah through charitable organizations that collect donations and distribute them appropriately to the needy according to their requirements and eligibility.
② Feeding with Staple Food:
It is permissible to gather ten needy individuals and feed them either in the morning or evening, giving them a meal that is filling and sufficient.
If someone wishes to give the expiation in uncooked form, it is also valid provided the food is of general and household use.
For example, if rice and meat are normally consumed in your home, then one meal’s worth of that food can be given to each individual.
③ Giving Money Instead of Food:
Paying cash in place of food is not valid, even if it seems to be more convenient or beneficial for the poor.
This is because the specific command in the Qur’an pertains to feeding, and most people are not aware of the textual rulings concerning it. Therefore, substituting money does not fulfill the obligation.
④ Oaths by a Mother to Her Children:
In our view, such oaths taken by the mother are considered idle (لغو) because they are not taken with serious intent. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّـهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ...﴾ [5:89]
“Allah will not call you to account for idle oaths in your speech, but He will hold you to account for what you intended in your oaths.”
Such oaths are typically used for disciplining or cautioning, so no expiation is required in these cases.
⑤ False Testimony Against the Teacher:
By giving a false testimony against the facts to defend your friend, you have committed a serious mistake.
The expiation for this is:
✔ Sincere repentance (tawbah)
✔ Seeking Allah’s forgiveness (istighfār)
✔ Apologizing to the school headmistress
✔ Making dua (supplication) for the teacher
If you can find out the teacher’s current location, you should apologize directly—either in person, or via phone or letter.
والله الموفق
(Shaykh Ibn Jibreen ḥafiẓahullāh)
