Is it permissible to pay the expiation for breaking an oath to a single poor person, and what are the signs by which a poor person is identified?
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Question:
If the consequences of breaking an oath include feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or providing them with food, is it permissible to give that charity to a single poor person? And what are the signs by which a poor person is identified? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is necessary to provide for ten poor people. If you give to one poor person, nine remain for you to provide for—nine poor people—because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, specified ten. Therefore, this number must be completed by giving to ten poor people. Each poor person receives either a garment or half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of food. A poor person is identified by the fact that his income is not sufficient for him.
A poor person (miskin) is one who has an income that is not sufficient for him. As for the needy (faqir), he is one who has no income at all, or has a small income that is less than half of what is needed for sufficiency. In summary, there is no difference between the poor (miskin) and the needy (faqir); the term "needy" is used and includes the "poor," and the term "poor" is used and includes the "needy." However, when both are mentioned together, the "poor" (miskin) is the one who finds most of what is needed for sufficiency. That is the "poor" (miskin). The "needy" (faqir) is the one who finds nothing or finds less than half of what is needed for sufficiency. This is the difference between them. For this reason, it is said: "The needy and the poor, when they are mentioned together, they are distinguished; and when they are distinguished, they are combined." Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
If the consequences of breaking an oath include feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or providing them with food, is it permissible to give that charity to a single poor person? And what are the signs by which a poor person is identified? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is necessary to provide for ten poor people. If you give to one poor person, nine remain for you to provide for—nine poor people—because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, specified ten. Therefore, this number must be completed by giving to ten poor people. Each poor person receives either a garment or half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of food. A poor person is identified by the fact that his income is not sufficient for him.
A poor person (miskin) is one who has an income that is not sufficient for him. As for the needy (faqir), he is one who has no income at all, or has a small income that is less than half of what is needed for sufficiency. In summary, there is no difference between the poor (miskin) and the needy (faqir); the term "needy" is used and includes the "poor," and the term "poor" is used and includes the "needy." However, when both are mentioned together, the "poor" (miskin) is the one who finds most of what is needed for sufficiency. That is the "poor" (miskin). The "needy" (faqir) is the one who finds nothing or finds less than half of what is needed for sufficiency. This is the difference between them. For this reason, it is said: "The needy and the poor, when they are mentioned together, they are distinguished; and when they are distinguished, they are combined." Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز إخراج كفارة الوقوع في الحلف لمسكين واحد وما هي العلامات التي يعرف بها المسكين؟ الشيخ الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.