The Responsibility of the Mufti Who Ruled That the Expiation for an Oath Is to Fast Directly

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. A person was given a ruling that the expiation for an oath is to fast three days directly, and feeding or freeing a slave was not mentioned to him. This mufti was unaware of the ruling. What is now required of the mufti?

Answer:
This is the affliction: those who issue rulings without knowledge, without verification, and without deliberation fall into such errors and cause people to fall into them. The one who fasted, while he is able to feed people, his fasting does not suffice him, because Allah arranged fasting for the one who does not find clothing or the feeding of ten poor people or the freeing of a slave; He arranged it for him. So this mufti must inform the person he ruled for that he is required to pay the expiation by feeding ten poor people or clothing them, because he is able to do so. He must inform him of this. Yes.