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Is it permissible to pay money for the expiation of an oath, and how much is this amount in US dollars?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The fundamental principle for the expiation of an oath is to feed ten needy persons, or to clothe them, or to free a slave. If one is unable to do so, then one must fast for three days. Scholars have differed regarding the permissibility of paying the monetary value of the expiation. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and others favored the permissibility of paying it if the predominant benefit for the poor person lies in that. Therefore, it is permissible to pay the monetary value of the expiation in money if it is more beneficial for the poor person. However, its value cannot be precisely determined in dollars or other currencies due to their fluctuation with time, place, and type of food.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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