and others. Mālik is reported to have regarded this as disliked. As for giving something of superior quality, they agreed that this is permissible. The correct view is that both are permissible, because Allah Most High says:
“And upon those who are able to fast is a ransom: feeding a needy person. But whoever voluntarily does more good, it is better for him. And fasting is better for you, if only you knew.”
It is established by scholarly consensus—and recorded in the authentic hadith collections and other hadith works, as well as works of Quranic commentary and jurisprudence—that when Allah first made fasting Ramadan obligatory, a person who was not travelling could choose between fasting and feeding one needy person each day.
The obligatory amount was therefore to feed one needy person, but Allah, glorified be He, encouraged feeding more than that, saying:
“And upon those who are able to fast is a ransom: feeding a needy person. But whoever voluntarily does more good, it is better for him.”
Then He said:
“And fasting is better for you.”
Thus, while they had this choice, there were three levels: the highest was fasting; next was feeding more than one needy person each day; and the lowest was confining oneself to feeding one needy person. Then Allah made fasting compulsory and removed the choice between these three alternatives.
If it is objected:
In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Muhammad al-Nufaylī narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Abū ‘Abd al-Rahīm, from Jahm ibn al-Jārūd, from Sālim ibn ‘Abd Allāh, from his father, who said:
“‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, designated a choice she-camel as a sacrificial offering and was offered three hundred dinars for her. He came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have designated a choice she-camel as a sacrificial offering and have been offered three hundred dinars for her. May I sell her and use the proceeds to buy large sacrificial animals?’ He replied, ‘No. Sacrifice that very animal.’”
Did he not therefore forbid him to sell her and use the proceeds to buy large sacrificial animals?