“I sat with Ka’b bin
‘Ujrah in the mosque and asked him about this Verse: ‘He must pay
a
compensation of either fasting (three days) or giving charity
(feeding
six poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep).’
Ka’b
said: it was revealed concerning me. I had trouble
with my head, so I
was carried to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), with
lice crawling on my
face. He said: ‘I did not think that you were
suffering as much as I
see. Do you have a sheep?’ I said: ‘No.’
Then this Verse was revealed:
“He must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of
either fasting (three days) or
giving Sadaqah (charity – feeding
six poor persons) or offering
sacrifice (one sheep).” He
said: ‘Fasting is three days,
charity is to be given to six poor
persons, giving each one half of a
Sa’ of food, and the sacrifice
is a sheep.’”
Sunan Ibn Majah Book 25, Hadith 198