After breaking an oath, do we need to feed 10 poor persons in a single day?

Question

I broke an oath that I have made. So I went forward to feed 10 poor persons. So I fed 5 poor persons approximately a month ago and want to feed 5 more this month. Is this acceptable or do I have to feed 10 poor persons in one day?

Answer 1

According to Qur'an 5:89, one of the options of expiation of breaking an oath (Kaffarat Al-Yameen) is to feed ten needy people from one's own food, but having them on the same day is not a condition that is mentioned in the verse:

لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الْأَيْمَانَ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be grateful.

Ibn Qudamah in Al-Mughni, Vol. 9, p. 544, Chapter 8028 mentioned so:

وإن أطعم كل يوم مسكينا، حتى أكمل العشرة، أجزأه، بلا خلاف نعلمه؛ لأن الواجب إطعام عشرة مساكين، وقد أطعمهم

If one feeds one needy person every day until the ten days are completed, this is acceptable with no disagreement we know of, because one has to feed ten needy people, and one will have fulfilled this.

_{NOTE: My own translation, so treat with care.}

There is a difference of opinions on whether the ten needy people have to be distinctly different, or if the equivalent (i.e., feed one needy person ten meals, or five needy people two meals each, etc.) would suffice. Malik, Al-Shafe'i, and Ibn Hanbal said that the verse says ten needy people; therefore, they have to be ten different people. Al-Awza'i and some of the Hanafi scholars said it is permitted to feed the equivalent.