Who is entitled to receive Kaffarah (atonement) payments?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Zihar
Primary text
The rightful recipients of Kaffarah are the poor (*Masakin*), based on the Divine saying: {So, feeding sixty poor persons} [Al-Mujadilah: 4]. The destitute (*Fuqara'*) are included among them as they possess neediness with added severity, and there is no dispute on this inclusion. The wealthy have no right to Kaffarah, whether they are among the categories eligible for Zakat, such as warriors (*Ghuzat*) or those whose hearts are to be reconciled (*Mu'allafati Qulubuhum*), or otherwise, because Allah the Almighty specified the poor. The ruling is firmly established that Kaffarah must be given in food equivalent to one day's sustenance per poor person.
Supporting text
There is a difference of opinion regarding whether an indentured servant (*Mukatab*) may receive Kaffarah. Al-Qadi in Al-Mujarrad and Abu Al-Khattab in Al-Hidaya state that it is impermissible, which is the position of Al-Shafi'i. Conversely, Al-Sharif Abu Ja'far and Abu Al-Khattab in their respective Masail permit its delivery, aligning with the views of Abu Hanifa and Abu Thawr, arguing that the *Mukatab* receives Zakat due to need, resembling the poor.