Is it permissible to substitute the votive animal sacrificed as an act of gratitude to Allah with food items of the same value, and does an expiation for breaking an oath become incumbent upon me? If it is incumbent, can it be deducted from the amount, and is it permissible to allocate a portion of the amount to a needy brother or to family members who are beneficiaries of social security?

Replacing the animal sworn upon with foodstuffs is correct, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever takes an oath and then sees something better than it, let him do that which is better and expiate his oath." If the oath was to perform an obligation or abandon a forbidden act, then one must uphold the oath, and breaking it is a sin and requires expiation. If it was to abandon an obligation or perform a forbidden act, then one must break it and offer expiation. If it was to perform a supererogatory act, then violating it is disliked and requires expiation. If it was to abandon a supererogatory act, then the oath is disliked. If it was concerning a permissible act, then one may uphold it or break it, and upholding it is better. The foodstuffs can be distributed among needy relatives. Breaking the oath occurs when the specified time passes or the action becomes impossible, and expiation is permissible before breaking it. The expiation for an oath is feeding ten poor persons, or clothing them, or emancipating a slave. If one cannot find these, then fasting for three days. This has no relation to what is distributed. If the matter is a vow and not an oath, then if it is an act of devotion and expressed with wording that implies commitment, it must be fulfilled and cannot be replaced; otherwise, nothing is obligatory.