Fidyah (Expiation) – Section 43
Ka'b bin 'Ucrā (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ met Ka'b during the year of the Hudaybiya treaty, and he had lice on his head. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: “Do they trouble you?”
Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Yes." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said: “Shave your head, and as a penalty, slaughter a sheep, or fast for three days, or feed six poor people three *sa'* of dates.” [595]
**Explanation:**
Ka'b bin 'Ucrā (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the state of *ihram*. Lice had settled on his head and were causing him distress. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered him to shave his hair and slaughter a sacrifice as penalty. This honorable hadith shows that one is permitted to choose between shaving one’s head due to necessity, or sacrificing an animal, or fasting for three days, or giving six poor people six *sa'* of dates. This is the opinion of Imam al-A'zam and Ash-Shafi'i.
Kab bin Ucr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said to him: "Because you cut your hair while in ihram, either slaughter a sacrifice, or fast for three days, or give charity of half a sa’ of dates to six poor people."
Explanation:
If a person in ihram cuts his hair due to necessity, the penalty is either to slaughter a sacrifice, or fast for three days, or donate half a sa’ of dates to six poor people.
Ka'b ibn 'Ucr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ visited him in the year of Hudaybiya. The narrator mentioned the event as previously stated. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked Ka'b, "Do you have a sacrificial animal?" Ka'b said, "No." He (the Prophet ﷺ) then said, “Then either fast three days or give six *sa'*s of dates in charity to three poor persons each.”
Ka'b ibn 'Ucr reported: He had shaved his head due to an ailment that afflicted him, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Ka'b to sacrifice a cow.
Kâb ibn ‘Ucrān (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I experienced a troublesome infestation of insects in my head during the year of Hudaybiya, alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him), to the extent that I feared losing my sight. Then Allah, exalted be He, revealed to me the verse: “But among you are those who are ill…” [Al-Baqarah 2:196]. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) called me and commanded me, "Shave your head and fast for three days, or feed a poor person six *farq* dates as sustenance, or sacrifice a sheep." I then shaved my head. Afterwards, I sacrificed a sheep.
Note:
*Farq*: Sixteen *ratl*. Equivalent to three *sa’s*. One *sa’* is equal to 1040 dirhams. Equivalent to 3.333 grams.
From among these [acts of charity, fasting, and sacrifice], whichever you perform will suffice.