and bread is [based] on wheat flour and its bread. If he gives barley, it will not suffice him except for double that amount, just as it does not suffice [to give] from its grain except double what would suffice from wheat grain.

Section: It is more virtuous to give grain, because that avoids the controversy. Ahmad said: Dates are more pleasing to me, and flour is weak, and dates are more beloved to me. It is possible that giving bread is more virtuous, because it is more beneficial to the needy person (20) and less burdensome, and closer to achieving the intended purpose [itself, for] (21) the apparent [truth] is that the needy person will eat it and satisfy his need (22) for that day, whereas he may be unable to grind or knead the grain, so it is likely that he will need to sell it, then buy bread with its price, thus bearing the burden of buying and selling, the deception of the buyer and seller, and the delay in obtaining the benefit from it. It may even be that he does not obtain enough bread with its price to suffice him for his day, and thus the objective is lost, along with the occurrence of harm.

Section: The item produced for expiation must be free from defects. The grain must not be weevily, its taste must not be altered, nor should it contain darnel (23) or dirt that requires cleaning (24). The same applies to its flour and bread, for it is something produced for the sake of Allah the Almighty, for an obligation upon the liability, so it is not permissible for it to be defective, like a sheep in Zakah.

1806 - Issue; He said: (And if he gives them, instead of food, the equivalent of its value in silver, it does not suffice him.)

The general principle is that it does not suffice in expiation to pay the value of the food or the clothing, according to the opinion of our Imam, Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Ibn al-Mundhir. This is the apparent opinion of those whose views we mentioned regarding the interpretation of the verse in the previous issue. It is also the apparent (1) position of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ibn Abbas, Ata', Mujahid, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and al-Nakha'i. Al-Awza'i and the people of reason permitted it, because