[Q 492] Giving Kaffarah Abroad from the UK

QUESTION:

General question it was asked in class last week and can’t remember answer . Can someone living in the uk give a kaffarah for breaking a oath in pakistan because it would be cheaper and if you give money to a charity for how do you know they give it to the needy
If they didn’t end up giving it is your kaffarah done

ANSWER:

The person who has to give Kaffarah (expiation) or Fidyah (compensation), it will be given according to the price of wheat or barley etc. in the place where he lives; yes, there is the choice that he may give the currency of that place (for example Pound etc.) or he may give the currency of another country according to its value. For example, hypothetically, if in the UK the price of half Saa‘ wheat is one Pound, and one Pound in Pakistani Rupees is equal to four hundred Rupees, then he may give one Pound to any Shar‘i (Sharii) Faqeer (poor person) in Pakistan, and he may also give four hundred Rupees. The reason for this is that the Kaffarah of Salah, Sawm, and Yameen are like Sadaqah Fitr, because Sadaqah Fitr is also necessary on the liability; for this reason it does not fall due to the destruction of wealth.

The Kaffarah of Yameen also has no connection with any specific wealth, rather it is connected with liability; for this reason it does not fall by becoming poor, although in this situation there is the choice of giving Kaffarah in the form of fasts instead of wealth, but if before the fasts are completed, wealth comes, then Kaffarah will have to be given by wealth. And Salah and Sawm are also bodily acts of worship that are necessary upon the liability, as is not hidden. Therefore, their Kaffarah is also connected with liability, because the purpose of Kaffarah is to finish the demand that has become necessary on the liability. Hence, in all of these, the ruling will be the same as that of Sadaqah Fitr, and in Sadaqah Fitr, the price of the place where the giver lives is looked at.

Before giving Kaffarah to any organisation etc., one should think and reflect and make investigation; if it becomes known that they deliver the amount of Kaffarah to the Fuqarā’ (poor people) according to Shar‘i principles, then in this case by giving them the Kaffarah your Kaffarah is done. Hypothetically, if they did not deliver it to the deserving people and you do not have knowledge of this, then in this case there will be no burden upon you.

In Fatawa Hindiyyah it is stated:

“ثم معتبر فی الزکاہ مکان المال حتی لو کان ھو بلد ومالہ فی بلد آخر یفرق فی موضع المال وفی صدقہ فطر یعتبر مکانہ
(فتویٰ ھندیہ، كتاب الزکوہ، باب المصارف، جلد 1، صفحہ 209، دار الکتب العلمیہ، بیروت)”

In Radd al-Muhtar it is stated:

“والمعتبر في الزكاة فقراء مكان المال، وفي الوصية مكان الموصي، وفي الفطرة مكان المؤدي عند محمد، وهو الأصح
(ردالمختار، کتاب الزکاۃ، باب مصرف الزکاۃ، جلد 2، صفحہ 355، دار الکتب العلمیہ، بیروت)”

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Answered by Usman Madani (Ask mufti scholar)
Translated Answer
Date: 13th November 2025