Question:
Respected Ulama
Provide your answers. (May Allah reward you)
A lady died. She did not fast for 15 years. Her parents want to discharge the Fidyah on her behalf. Do they calculate the Fidyah according to the Fidyah amount in each of the years that she fasted or in terms of the present value at the time of discharge? The Fidyah is specified in the Shari’ah in relation to specified weights of certain crops, like barley, wheat etc. and not in relation to a monetary amount like Diraahim (silver coins) or gold coins. Therefore, if it is discharged by money in any year, the price of those crops, like barley, wheat etc. is calculated in relation to the prices in the local country, except in a rare case where such crops a re not found in the country. We learn from this, that if the Fidyah was deferred or not discharged, the Asl (original) wujoob (obligation) remains in terms of the weight and not in terms of the price in any particular year. Therefore, when discharging the Fidyah after her death, the Fidyah is to be calculated at the figures calculated at the instance of discharging the Fidyah. Such a Fidyah can be distributed at any time of the year and you do not have to wait till Ramadhan. (opinion Ahmed Fazel Ebrahim, January, 2004)
Answer:
The Fidyah of fasting should be calculated according to the price of the crops e.g. wheat, barley, etc at the time of discharging the Fidyah. (Ahsanul Fataawaa, Vol. 4, Page 441)
And Allah Ta’ala knows best,
Qasim bin Hashim Limbada
Attested to as correct by:
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
21 January 2004
28 Thil Qa’dah 1424
This Q&A was indexed in 2012 from the website of Jameah Mahmoodiyah, South Africa. The original website no longer exists.