Is paying the monetary equivalent (*Qimah*) permissible for atonement (*Kaffarah*)?

Primary text

Paying the monetary equivalent is not sufficient for atonement. This view is narrated by Al-Maymouni and Al-Athram, and it is the established position of Al-Shafi'i. When Imam Ahmad was questioned about a man who paid five *Dawanīq* for atonement, he mentioned that he would not have advised it beforehand, but accepted what was already paid, implicitly treating the matter as disputed, thus avoiding imposing strictness on the payer. The primary ruling is that payment is invalid.