food; he benefits only by eating it, which is a more limited benefit than if he were handed uncooked food. A believer, therefore, should err on the side of caution in the matters of his religion and his worship.

Question: May one pay cash instead of food in this situation, to the value of a sâʿ of whatever food is required? Does that satisfy the obligation?

Answer: No, it does not. Paying money in place of the prescribed feeding for missed days of Ramadan is not acceptable, and the same applies to the charity of Fiṭr: cash may not be given. Allah has explicitly required food, saying, “And upon those who are able to fast only with difficulty, there is a ransom: feeding a needy person” (Qur’an 2:184). The Prophet ﷺ likewise fixed the amount of the charity of Fiṭr as “one sâʿ of wheat, or one sâʿ of barley, or one sâʿ of dates,” and in another narration, “one sâʿ of food.” Since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ specified feeding, we must adhere strictly to it. Coins and currency existed when these rulings were laid down, yet the Lawgiver singled out food; had it been permissible to pay in cash, he would have made that clear, for delaying clarification when people need it is not allowed.

Question: If a person cannot find enough poor people in his own town who qualify to receive this charity—such as the expiation for breaking the fast in Ramadan—may he transfer it to another town where poor people are more plentiful?