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Delegating a charity organization to pay kafaarat yameen (expiation for breaking a vow)

13-09-2000

Question 4347

I have a question regarding the kaffaarah mentioned in the eighty ninth ayah of sooratul Maa'idah, that the deliberate violation of an oath should be expiated by feeding ten poor persons the average of what you feed your own family, clothe them, free a slave or fast if none of these is possible.  Would sending money through a relief group (Muslims serving Muslims) fulfill feeding the ten poor persons according to the standard that one feeds his own family?  This is assuming that no money was extracted for administrative charges,there is money enough to feed the appropriate number of people, and that the people involved in the distribution of the food are of sound repute.  If this is not acceptable what person would be acceptable as a "poor person"?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

If you cannot find any poor person who deserves to receive zakaah in the country where you live, there is nothing wrong with transferring the kafaarah to another country via a trustworthy person or group who can act as the agent of the person who is paying the kafaarah, so that it can reach deserving people of the categories mentioned in the aayah, under the conditions of kafaarah stated. But paying money instead of giving what is stated is not enough. The person who is considered to be poor or needy is the one who does not have enough of the bare necessities.

Vows Guardianship, Representation
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