The Ruling on Expiation for an Oath by Feeding the Poor
6-4-2026 | IslamWeb
Question:
How to pay kaffarah(broken oath) and fidya. How much are they and is it permissible to pay a charity to feed a poor person a meal even if i am unsure what type of food/how much they will give, as the ayah says feed them with what you would feed your self/familys.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Slave and Messenger.
Whoever wishes to expiate for breaking an oath by feeding others, must either give each of ten needy persons ownership of food equal to 750 grams of the staple food of the country, or feed each of the ten with meals such as lunch and dinner consisting of rice with meat or chicken, for example.
The first method is called transfer of ownership, while the second is called permitting and enabling (them to eat).
It is stated in the Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia: “Transfer of ownership is giving the required amount of food such that the recipient may dispose of it as an owner. Permitting (to eat) is enabling the recipient to consume the food given as expiation, such as feeding them lunch and dinner, or two lunches, or two dinners.” [End quote].
The type of food is clarified in the statement of Allah (what means): {...its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of what you feed your families, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. But whoever cannot find [the means] – then fasting for three days.} [Qur'an 5:89]
As-Shawkani 
said in Fath al-Qadeer: “That is, feed them from the average food that you normally feed your family—not the best of it, and it is not permissible to give them the lowest quality.” [End quote].
Whoever is obligated to offer expiation must ensure that it is properly fulfilled and that the amount of food given is sufficient and of average quality, because one's liability is not cleared except with certainty.
Al-Wansharisi said in Idah al-Masalik ila Qawa’id al-Imam Malik, Rule 27: “A liability, once established with certainty, is not cleared except with certainty. This includes doubt regarding whether one has fulfilled what is due of zakah or expiation.” [End quote].
As for fidyah, it requires further clarification before a specific answer can be given.
Allah Knows best.