How to Distribute Expiations

The listener, Fawwazah Saleh al-Maliki, sent a question saying: O honorable Shaykh! If I have an expiation to pay, should I give it to a number of poor people, or is it sufficient to give it to one household where all the members are poor? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer: Expiations differ. If it is the expiation for an oath, it must be given to ten poor people, which is enough for one household, unless the household has ten people, in which case there is no harm. If it is the expiation for intercourse during Ramadan, it must be for sixty poor people; this applies to one who is unable to free a slave or fast for two months, who must feed sixty poor people. Likewise, the expiation for accidental killing involves freeing a slave; if one is unable, he must fast for two consecutive months. And so is the expiation for zihar, when a man likens his wife to a forbidden relative; the expiation is ordered: freeing a slave first if possible, if freeing a slave is not feasible, fasting for two consecutive months (sixty days), and if he is unable, feeding sixty poor people. Therefore, one must observe the number specified by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the expiations, such as the expiation for zihar, intercourse during Ramadan, and the oath; the number is obligatory.
As for if it is a charity by which one hopes for what is with Allah, and it is not an expiation for a specific matter, but rather a charity by which one hopes for the expiation of sins, then he may give it to even one poor person, and there is no harm. Charities, even to one poor person, even if large, are among the means of expiating sins, as in the authentic hadith: Charities are among the means of the forgiveness of sins. So if he gives one hundred riyals, or one thousand riyals, or more or less, to one poor person, this is required and contains great good, and is among the means of expiating evil deeds. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and do you good.