What is the ruling regarding cutting only a portion of a fingernail or hair strand concerning the Fidyah?
Chapter on Ransom (Fidyah) and Penalty for Hunting
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
Cutting a portion of a fingernail carries the same ruling as cutting the entire nail, and similarly, cutting only a part of a hair strand is equivalent to cutting all of it. This is because the Fidyah is obligatory upon the removal of a single hair or nail, regardless of its length, and the penalty is not determined by surface area. Therefore, the liability is similar to the ruling on the 'Mūḍiḥah' (a minor wound that exposes bone), where the same penalty applies whether the wound is small or large.
Supporting text
Ibn 'Aqil transmitted an opinion that the penalty should be calculated proportionally to the extent of the damage, similar to the required Diyah for a finger, where the first joint necessitates one-third of the full Diyah.