The basis of fidyah has been shifted from the price of one cupful (mudd) of staple food to that of a moderate meal, in accordance with local practice (ʿurf) and scholarly consensus that it need not be limited to specific staple foods. A moderate meal is sufficient for a person’s daily needs, neither of poor quality nor excessively costly.

Even though the calculation has shifted, it remains consistent with the opinions of Syafi’i scholars such as Shaykh Muṣṭafā al-Bughā who hold that what is prescribed is the cost of a moderate meal for one day of the individual paying the fidyah. This approach will continue to meaningfully support the most vulnerable members of our community.