Discussion of the categories of prohibited acts regarding the fidyah.

The Shaykh : Then know that when the scholars speak of the prohibitions of ihram and say "blood," they do not mean that blood is specifically designated, but rather that it is one of three options: blood, feeding six poor people with half a sa' for each poor person, or fasting for three days. Everything you see that involves blood, except for intercourse during Hajj before the first tahallul, for which a camel is required, and except for the penalty for hunting, for which the equivalent is required as will come later, if Allah wills, in the fidyah. But keep this in mind, because many of the brother muftis, whenever a person comes to them, say "you owe blood, you owe blood," and the layperson goes off without knowing why it was explained to him, and he struggles to buy the blood, and perhaps he borrows money for it. But if he were told, "You have the choice: blood, feeding six poor people with half a sa' for each poor person, or third, fasting for three days," it might be easier for him. But everyone who comes to us, we say "you owe blood." This is a mistake. It is obligatory to clarify the ruling of the Shari'ah to people. And by what do we know that he is given the choice between these three? From shaving the head, because Allah said So the prohibitions are: those for which there is no fidyah, those for which the fidyah is a camel, those for which the fidyah is the equivalent, and those for which the fidyah is the choice between these three matters. And most of the prohibitions are that one is given the choice between these three matters in them. Now, the author says "So whoever shaves or trims [his hair] three times, he owes blood".