Expiation Of Oaths
In the Maliki school of Islamic law, if someone needs to make up for violating an oath, they are required to provide food for ten poor people. This food should be of average quality, akin to what families eat, based on the Quranic instruction: ”…so its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of what you feed your families…” [Al-Ma’idah: 89].
Each needy person should receive at least one mudd of food, which in modern terms amounts to approximately 500 grams (about 1.1 pounds). This amount follows the tradition set by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Instead of giving plain grain or flour, one can opt to either give each of the ten poor people two loaves of bread totaling about 754 grams, or provide two full meals (like lunch and dinner) to each of the ten people on one or more days. While not required, it’s commendable to add something like dates, milk, or oil to enhance the meal.
Here in America, it’s common for people to substitute the food donation with a monetary equivalent. This should be done cautiously to ensure the amount is neither excessive nor insufficient. The goal is to reflect the cost of the food needed without causing undue burden on the giver. If a modest meal costs around $7 in your area, then the total would be $7 x 20 = $140.
The recipients of this charity must be Muslim, should not be financially dependent on the giver, and must be ten different individuals. Distributing all the food or money to fewer than ten people does not fulfill the requirement. This practice ensures fairness and adequate support for those in need.
Allah knows best
Suhaib Webb