What is the ruling on performing fasting if a wealthy person obligated to pay expiation becomes impoverished?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Expiations
Primary text
If expiation (kaffarah) was obligatory upon a wealthy person who subsequently becomes poor, fasting does not suffice for him. This is the position of Al-Shafi'i. The reasoning is that feeding the poor was obligatory in the expiation, and it is not dropped due to inability to perform it, similar to the feeding obligation in the expiation for *Zihar*.
Supporting text
Abu Thawr and the companions of *Ahl al-Ra'y* hold that fasting suffices because the person is incapable of performing the primary obligation (feeding), thus permitting a shift to the substitute (fasting). They draw an analogy to a person obligated to pray who possesses water for ablution but loses it before performing *wudu*; in that case, they permit shifting to *tayammum*.