Fatawaa

Subject : Islamic Ruling on Paying Expiation Money to Cancer Patients
Fatwa Number : 3556
Date : 19-02-2020
Classified : Oaths and vows
Fatwa Type : Search Fatawaa

Question :

What is the ruling of Sharia on receiving expiation money in favor of poor cancer patients in the form of food coupons; three JDs per meal?



The Answer :

Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.

Islam legislated expiation (Kafara) to erase sin of responsible Muslim. It also determined the rules related to expiation and made adherence to them an obligation. The expiation for an oath is feeding or clothing ten needy persons as agreed by the considerable schools of Islamic jurisprudence. The reason for this is that this ruling is based on a definitive text from the Noble Quran: "Allah will not take you to task for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but He will take you to task for the oaths which ye swear in earnest. The expiation thereof is the feeding of ten of the needy with the average of that wherewith ye feed your own folk, or the clothing of them,"

According to Hanafie jurists, it is permissible to offer the value of half a Saa`( 1200grams) of wheat or rice as an expiation if there is an outweighing benefit in this for the needy. Al-Babarti said, "Hanafie jurists hold the view that it is permissible to offer the monetary value of obligatory and voluntary charities as well as ‘Ushr (tithes) and expiations." {Al-Enaya Shareh Al-Hidayah/191-192}.

However, the needy should authorize a party to collect the money on their behalf so as for the expiations to be considered valid. 

In conclusion, we see nothing wrong if the needy, referred to in the above question, authorize King Hussein Cancer Center to receive the expiations on their behalf, then distribute the value of each expiation in the form of food coupons; each of which equals the monetary value needed for feeding one needy person. Then, the coupons are given to the cancer patients to buy meals with. And Allah The Almighty knows best.






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