Giving Kaffarah of Two Oaths to One Faqeer
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
What is the Ruling on Giving the Sadaqah al-Fitr for the Kaffarah of Two Oaths to the Same Faqir on the Same Day?
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: When paying the kaffarah (expiation) of an oath, it is only allowed to give a shar’i faqir the amount equivalent to one sadaqah al-fitr in a single day; giving more is not allowed. But the question is, if one is liable for the kaffarah of multiple oaths, is it permissible for him to give a sadaqah al-fitr for each kaffarah separately to the same shar’i faqir on the same day? In other words, after giving a shar’i faqir the sadaqah al-fitr for the first kaffarah, can he be given the sadaqah al-fitr for the second kaffarah on the same day?
Answer
Yes! If one is liable for the kaffarah of multiple oaths, he can give the sadaqah al-fitr for the second kaffarah to the same shar’i faqir on the same day after having given him the sadaqah al-fitr for the first kaffarah. However, the condition is that he must give the sadaqah al-fitr for each kaffarah separately. If he gives the sadaqah al-fitr for both kaffarahs together, it will be regarded as the fulfillment of only one kaffarah. But when he gives the sadaqah al-fitr of each kaffarah separately, the payment for each kaffarah will be considered valid.
Thus, it is stated in al-Hidayah, Kanz, al-Bahr al-Ra’iq, al-Nahr al-Fa’iq, etc. (the following is cited from al-Nahr):
(ولو أطعم) المظاهر أي: ملك ما يطعم ناويا عن كونه (عن ظهارين) لمتحدة أو متعددة (ستين فقيرا كل فقير صاعا) من البر (صح عن) ظهار (واحد) عندهما ۔۔۔وقال محمد: يجوز عنهما، وعلى هذا الخلاف لو أعطى عشرا كل واحد صاعا عن يمينين والخلاف مقيد بما إذا كان دفعة واحدة فإن كان بدفعات جاز اتفاقا ذكره الشارح وغيره
(Al-Nahr al-Fa’iq, Vol. 2, p. 461, Publ. Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyah)
This is permissible when they are given separately. Mentioning this, it is stated in al-Hindiya:
لو أعطاه نصف الصاع عن إحدى الكفارتين، ثم أعطى النصف الآخر إياه عن الكفارة الأخرى جاز بالاتفاق كذا في غاية البيان
(Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyah, Vol. 1, p. 514, Publ. Dar al-Fikr)
:It is stated in Bahar-e-Sharī’at
اس کے ذمہ دو۲ ظہار تھے خواہ ایک ہی عورت سے دونوں ظہار کیے یا دو عورتوں سے اور دونوں کے کفارہ میں ساٹھ مسکین کو ایک ایک صاع گیہوں دیديے تو صرف ایک کفارہ ادا ہوا اور اگر پہلے نصف نصف صاع ایک کفارہ میں ديے پھر اُنھیں کو نصف نصف صاع دوسرے کفارہ میں ديے تو دونوں ادا ہوگئے۔
Translation: If one was liable for two zihar, whether both were with the same wife or with two different wives, and he gave one saa’ of wheat to sixty miskeen for both kaffarahs, then only one kaffarah was fulfilled. But, if he first gave a half saa’ for one kaffarah and then gave the same miskeens a half saa’ for the second kaffarah, then both were fulfilled. (Bahar-e-Sharī’at, Vol. 2, sect. 8, p. 216, Publ. Maktaba-Tul-Madinah, Karachi)
وَ اللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: HAB-0658
Date: 27th Rabi’ al-Sani 1447 AH/ 21st October 2025