Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (7/172)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and given in charity to the poor of the Sacred Precinct, due to the statement of Allah, Exalted is He: “as an offering brought to the Ka‘bah” [al-Ma’idah: 95].

His statement: “Or its appraisal in dirhams, with which food is purchased and one mudd is given to each needy person; or he fasts one day for each mudd.” The word “or” in the author’s wording carries the sense of “and.” Thus, the meaning is that, regarding compensation for game, he has a choice between slaughtering its equivalent and giving it in charity to the poor of the Sacred Precinct, or appraising it in dirhams, and so forth, due to the statement of Allah, Exalted is He: “or an expiation: feeding needy people, or its equivalent in fasting” [al-Ma’idah: 95].

The expiation is what Allah has explained. However, it may be said that a substitute takes the ruling of that for which it substitutes; thus, the expiation would be equivalent to either the animal equivalent or the game itself. The Quran is not explicit as to either of these, and for this reason the scholars differed: is it the game or its equivalent that is to be appraised?

According to the madhhab, it is the equivalent that is appraised, because that is what is originally obligatory as the expiation. Since it is what is originally obligatory, what is due is its value. Thus, the equivalent is appraised in dirhams, with which food is purchased, and one mudd is given to each needy person. This is the stronger view, and it is closer to the principles of the Sacred Law: it is the equivalent that is appraised, whether its value is less than or greater than that of the game.

It was also said that the game itself is appraised, because once one turns away from the equivalent, it becomes like game for which there is no equivalent; and the compensation for game that has no equivalent is its value.

His statement: “Or its appraisal in dirhams, with which food is purchased”: this is given by way of example, not as a stipulation. Thus, he may appraise it in dirhams, then give from the food he possesses an amount equal in value to those dirhams.

ويتصدق به على فقراء الحرم لقوله تعالى: ﴿هَدْيًا بَالِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ﴾ [المائدة: ٩٥]. قوله: «أو تقويمه بدراهم يشترى بها طعاماً فيطعم كل مسكين مدًّا، أو يصوم عن كل مد يوماً»، (أو) في كلام المؤلف بمعنى الواو، فمعنى الكلام أنه يخير في جزاء الصيد بين ذبح مثله يتصدق به على فقراء الحرم، وتقويمه بدراهم … إلخ لقوله تعالى: ﴿أَوْ كَفَّارَةٌ طَعَامُ مَسَاكِينَ أَوْ عَدْلُ ذَلِكَ صِيَامًا﴾ [المائدة: ٩٥] الكفارة ما بَيَّنَها الله ﷿ ولكن يقال: إن البدل له حكم المبدل، فتكون الكفارة تساوي المثل أو الصيد، والقرآن ليس فيه إفصاح بهذا ولا هذا؛ ولذلك اختلف العلماء، هل الذي يقوم الصيد أو المثل؟ المذهب: أن الذي يقوم المثل؛ لأنه هو الواجب في الكفارة أصلاً، فإذا كان هو الواجب أصلاً فالواجب قيمته، فَيُقَوَّمُ المثل بدراهم يشتري بها طعاماً، ويطعم كل مسكين مُدّاً، وهو الراجح وهو أقرب إلى قواعد الشرع أن الذي يقوم المثل سواء قلَّت قيمته عن الصيد أو زادت. وقيل: إن الذي يقوِّم الصيد؛ لأنه لما عدل عن المثل صار كالصيد الذي لا مثل له، والصيد الذي لا مثل له، جزاؤه قيمته. وقوله: «أو تقويمه بدراهم يشترى بها طعاماً»، هذا على سبيل المثال، وليس على سبيل التعيين، فله أن يقومه بدراهم، ثم يخرج من الطعام الذي عنده ما يساوي هذه الدراهم.