(A man broke his fast intentionally) during Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded him to emancipate a slave, or fast for two months, or feed sixty poor men. He said: I cannot provide. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Sit down. Thereafter a huge basket of dates ('araq) was brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: Take this and give it as sadaqah (alms). He said: Messenger of Allah, there is no poorer than I. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) thereupon laughed so that his canine teeth became visible and said: Eat it yourself.
Abu Dawud said: Ibn Juraij narrated it from al-Zuhri in the wordings of the narrator Malik that a man broke his fast. This version says: You should either free a slave, or fast for two months, or provide food for sixty poor men.
Hadith Commentary: Expiation for Intentional Fasting Violation
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 2392 addresses the serious matter of intentionally breaking the fast during Ramadan without valid excuse. The prescribed expiation (kaffarah) follows a specific hierarchy: emancipation of a believing slave, fasting for two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor persons.
Legal Rulings and Scholarly Consensus
The Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools agree this expiation applies specifically to intentional sexual intercourse during fasting hours. Maliki scholars extend it to any intentional breaking of fast through eating, drinking, or intercourse.
The sequential order indicates preference: freeing a slave takes precedence if possible, followed by consecutive fasting, with feeding the poor as the final option for those incapable of the first two.
Divine Mercy and Practical Wisdom
The Prophet's laughter and final permission to consume the dates himself demonstrates Allah's mercy. When the man proved genuinely incapable of fulfilling any expiation option, the requirement was lifted, illustrating the Islamic principle that "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity" (Quran 2:286).
Contemporary Application
In modern contexts where slavery is abolished, the first option becomes obsolete. The remaining options maintain their validity, with scholars permitting monetary equivalent for feeding sixty poor people based on current food prices in one's locality.