for us, whatever is regarded as feeding will suffice, even a lunch or dinner.

His saying, “or clothing them,” means clothing the ten poor persons, whether they are young or old.

How are they to be clothed? With a shirt alone, or with a shirt and trousers, or with a waist-wrapper and an upper wrap? Must this also include a turban, or a headcloth and cap, or an outer cloak—or what?

We say: As for feeding, Allah Most High has said: “from the average of what you feed your own families.” “Average” here means the middle range; it does not mean the highest quality. This is indicated by the Prophet’s saying to Mu‘adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, when he sent him to Yemen: “Beware of taking the choicest of their wealth.” (1) Had we made the highest quality obligatory, we would have taken from the choicest of their wealth.

As for clothing, Allah Most High has not restricted it by any specification. Accordingly, anything that may properly be called clothing fulfills the requirement. For example, if someone were to clothe another person with a waist-wrapper extending from the navel to the knee, this would not be called clothing. Thus, it varies according to the custom of each land. In our country, clothing consists of a long garment, a headcloth, and a cap. Trousers, however, are not required; rather, they are part of complete attire.

The apparent meaning of the noble verse is that there is no distinction between the young and the old, or between male and female, even though a woman’s clothing is generally more extensive than a man’s.

His saying, “or freeing a slave”: manumission is to set the slave free and deliver him from