similarly. And before it: I asked Ka'b ibn 'Ujrah about this verse: "Whoever among you is ill or has an ailment in his head, then a fidyah (expiation) of fasting three days."
His saying: "Or charity"
1784 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, Mujahid said: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla narrated to me, from Ka'b ibn 'Ujrah, that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw him while his lice were falling onto his face, so he said: "Do your pests bother you?" He said: Yes. So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded him to shave while he was at al-Hudaybiyyah, and it was not yet clear to them that they would release themselves from ihram there, as they were still hoping to enter Makkah. Then Allah revealed the [ruling regarding] fidyah, so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded him to feed a faraq [a measure] between six poor persons, or offer a sheep as a sacrifice, or fast for three days.
His saying: "Or a sacrifice"
1785 - Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la informed us by reading, 'Abd Allah ibn Wahb informed us, that Malik ibn Anas narrated to him, from 'Abd al-Karim ibn Malik al-Jazari, from Mujahid, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Ka'b ibn 'Ujrah, that he was with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when lice in his head bothered him. So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded him to shave his head, and he said: "Fast three days, or feed six poor persons—two mudds [of food] for each person—or offer a sheep as a sacrifice; whichever of these you do, it will suffice for you."
His saying: "Or"
1786 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Hafs and al-Muharibi narrated to us, from Layth, from Mujahid, from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding "then a fidyah (expiation) of fasting, charity, or a sacrifice," he said: When it says "or... or," then whichever you choose, it will suffice you.
It was narrated from Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, 'Ata', Tawus, al-Hasan, Humayd al-A'raj, Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, and al-Dahhak, similarly.
(1). Tafsir Mujahid 1/10. (2). Al-Bukhari 2/208. Ibn Kathir said: It is the school of the four Imams and the generality of scholars that he has a choice in this matter; if he wishes, he may fast, and if he wishes, he may give charity of a faraq, which is three sa's, for every poor person a half sa'—which is two mudds—and if he wishes, he may slaughter a sheep and distribute it to the poor. Whichever of these he does, it will suffice him. 1/338.
