Paying the expiation for an oath and for breaking the fast for poor students with baskets of food
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The questioner:
I seek Allah's forgiveness for you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner says: In our school, there are some poor students whose poverty we have verified. Some of the teachers want to pay the expiation for an oath and the expiation for breaking the fast in Ramadan for the sick by placing two baskets, each filled with drinks and sandwiches, so that the student eats until he is full. Does this clear his conscience?
The Shaykh:
What is each basket filled with?
The questioner:
With drinks and sandwiches.
The Shaykh:
The second thing.
The questioner:
Sandwiches.
The Shaykh:
Sandwich.
The questioner:
A sandwich.
The Shaykh:
No, the poor person is given charity and he disposes of it as he sees fit. You do not give him food and say, "No, he is given charity because he might need money to buy clothes for himself, to buy a garment for him, so give him money and he will dispose of it as he sees fit." Yes.
The questioner:
Peace be upon you, Your Eminence, father. Regarding the teacher's question about the expiation, you mentioned that he gives him money, and he is asking about the expiation for an oath.
The Shaykh:
It is all the same; it is charity. The expiation is charity, and the needy person may not need food; he may need clothes, or need to buy something. Give him money. Is it the expiation for an oath?
The questioner:
We mentioned the expiation for an oath.
The Shaykh:
An oath does not accept money; it accepts food. Food for ten poor people, or food for sixty poor people. "Food" means food. You give the poor person food, and he disposes of it as he sees fit. He might want to sell it, or he might want to pay off a debt he owes. Yes.
The questioner:
You are the best, may Allah reward you.
I seek Allah's forgiveness for you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner says: In our school, there are some poor students whose poverty we have verified. Some of the teachers want to pay the expiation for an oath and the expiation for breaking the fast in Ramadan for the sick by placing two baskets, each filled with drinks and sandwiches, so that the student eats until he is full. Does this clear his conscience?
The Shaykh:
What is each basket filled with?
The questioner:
With drinks and sandwiches.
The Shaykh:
The second thing.
The questioner:
Sandwiches.
The Shaykh:
Sandwich.
The questioner:
A sandwich.
The Shaykh:
No, the poor person is given charity and he disposes of it as he sees fit. You do not give him food and say, "No, he is given charity because he might need money to buy clothes for himself, to buy a garment for him, so give him money and he will dispose of it as he sees fit." Yes.
The questioner:
Peace be upon you, Your Eminence, father. Regarding the teacher's question about the expiation, you mentioned that he gives him money, and he is asking about the expiation for an oath.
The Shaykh:
It is all the same; it is charity. The expiation is charity, and the needy person may not need food; he may need clothes, or need to buy something. Give him money. Is it the expiation for an oath?
The questioner:
We mentioned the expiation for an oath.
The Shaykh:
An oath does not accept money; it accepts food. Food for ten poor people, or food for sixty poor people. "Food" means food. You give the poor person food, and he disposes of it as he sees fit. He might want to sell it, or he might want to pay off a debt he owes. Yes.
The questioner:
You are the best, may Allah reward you.
Source
تفسير حزب المفصل، تفسير سورة الحديد : الآيات [ 1 - 7 ] — islamhouse.com (58:24)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.