Is My Expiation Valid If I Fed 1/2 Kilo of Biryani per Person?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

A few years ago, I broke several oaths and mistakenly fed ½ kg of chicken biryani per person instead of 1.5 kg of rice as expiation. Is my expiation valid considering the biryani’s weight and content, or must I repeat it—and if so, can I feed different needy Muslims this time?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I hope you are in good health and faith. Thank you for your question.

Your expiation (kaffara) is valid; half a kilogram of cooked biryani is a proper full meal and fulfills the requirement of feeding the needy.

½ kg (500 g) of biryani is a substantial cooked meal. It already includes rice,  meat, oil/spices, and most people would consider that more than a normal or even a generous meal.

The Calculation for the Expiation for a Broken Oath

The expiation (kaffara) for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor people two full meals each, or to give them the monetary equivalent, or to clothe them in decent clothing that covers most of their bodies. The monetary equivalent sought is approximately equal to the market price of about two kilograms of wheat.

[Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.

Related

• Oaths Archives – SeekersGuidance
• What Are the Words That Make an Oath Binding? – SeekersGuidance
• Vows and Oaths: Keep Repeating the Mistake. Do I have to keep repeating – IslamQA
• What Is the Expiation (Kaffara) of Breaking an Oath? – SeekersGuidanceA Reader on Tawba (Repentance)

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.