4 – Such, then, are the levels of expiation for intercourse after a declaration of ẓihār and for intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan. The first is to free a slave; if he cannot find one or afford the price, he must fast two consecutive months; if he is unable, he must feed sixty needy persons, giving each person one mudd of wheat or half a ṣāʿ of another staple, drawn from the average food with which you feed your own families.

5 – The ḥadith further shows that engaging in ijtihād on scholarly questions without adequate knowledge can lead a person into grave error. A seeker of knowledge should therefore not attempt ijtihād until he possesses its requisite tools—namely, extensive training in the Islamic sciences and in the Arabic language.

6 – One must keep away from whatever excites the passions: provocative sights, licentious gatherings, or places rife with corruption and temptation, all of which drive a person toward sin and indecency.

7 – The Lawgiver protects the Muslims from disobedience by prescribing these penalties, which deter them from sin and shield His sacred limits with a fence of compensations that prevent violation.

8 – The passage also manifests Allah’s mercy toward His Muslim servants, for He has provided these expiations that erase their sins and remove the faults they have committed.

9 – It reveals the Law’s eagerness to emancipate slaves, since the freeing of a slave has been made an expiation for many sins and transgressions.

10 – Likewise, the All-Wise Law shows keen concern for feeding the poor and needy, having made their nourishment and clothing an expiation that wipes away sins and absolves misdeeds.