sexual intercourse,” meaning, except intercourse.
His statement, “If he does so,” means: if he has intercourse with her in the vagina.
His statement, “then he must offer an expiation of one dinar or half of one,” means that he is obliged to offer one dinar or half a dinar as expiation.
A dinar is a gold currency. The weight of the Islamic dinar is one mithqāl of gold, and a mithqāl is two and a quarter grams. The Saudi gold pound is nearly two mithqāls, so half a Saudi gold pound is sufficient. Its market value should be ascertained.
For example, if the Saudi gold pound is worth one hundred riyals, then what is due is approximately fifty or twenty-five riyals, to be given to the poor.
His statement, “or half of it”: the word “or” here indicates a choice. Thus, he is required to give in charity either one dinar or half of it, because the basic meaning of “or” is to indicate a choice.
The evidence for this is what the compilers of the Sunan related from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said concerning the man who has intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating: “He should give in charity one dinar or half a dinar.” (2)
(1) Narrated by Muslim, Book of Menstruation, chapter: The permissibility of a menstruating woman washing her husband’s head, no. 302, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik.
(2) Narrated by Ahmad, 1:230, 237; Abu Dawud, Book of Purification, chapter: Concerning intercourse with a menstruating woman, no. 264; al-Nasai, Book of Purification, chapter: What is required of one who has intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating after learning of Allah’s prohibition of intercourse with her, no. 288, 1:153; al-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Purification, chapter: What has been related concerning the expiation for intercourse with a menstruating woman, no. 136; Ibn Majah, Book of Purification, chapter: The expiation for one who has intercourse with a menstruating woman, no. 640; and others, on the authority of Ibn Abbas.
Al-Bayhaqi declared the hadith weak, and al-Nawawi followed him, due to inconsistency in its chain of transmission. Ibn al-Qattan, Ibn al-Turkumani, Ibn Hajar, and others held that some of its narrations are free of this inconsistency. It was authenticated by al-Hakim, Ibn al-Qattan, Ibn Daqiq al-Eid, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Turkumani, Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Khattabi, Ibn Hajar, and others. Ahmad ibn Hanbal regarded it as hasan (good). See: al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 1:171; al-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, with al-Jawhar al-Naqi, 1:314; Ibn al-Qattan, Bayan al-Wahm wa-al-Iham, no. 2468; al-Nawawi, al-Khulasah, no. 605; Ibn Taymiyyah, Sharh al-Umdah, 1:467; Ibn Hajar, al-Talkhis al-Habir, no. 228.