فدى

Core meaning

To give one thing in place of another so as to free what is held. The gesture is the same when a sacrifice frees a son, when one offers goods to free oneself, when food stands in for a due, and when captives are returned one against another.

Uses

1. فَدَيْنَٰهُ → "to ransom" : to free someone by giving something else in his place.

   • «وَفَدَيْنَٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢ» — "And We ransomed him with an immense sacrifice" (37:107)

2. ٱفْتَدَىٰ, ٱفْتَدَتْ, لِيَفْتَدُوا۟, يَفْتَدِى → "to ransom oneself", "to offer as ransom", "to give as ransom" : to give goods in one's own place, so as to free oneself.

   • «فِيمَا ٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ» — "for what she ransoms herself with" (2:229)
   • «وَلَوِ ٱفْتَدَىٰ بِهِۦٓ» — "even were he to offer it as ransom" (3:91)
   • «لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ» — "they would give it as ransom" (13:18)

3. فِدْيَة → "a compensation", "ransom" : what is given in place: what stands in for a due, or the price one would wish to pay on the last day.

   • «فِدْيَةٌۭ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍۢ» — "a compensation, the feeding of a destitute person" (2:184)
   • «لَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنكُمْ فِدْيَةٌۭ» — "no ransom will be taken from you" (57:15)

4. تُفَٰدُوهُمْ, فِدَآء → "to exchange", "exchange of captives" : the form of reciprocity: to give one against the other; captives are returned against others.

   • «وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَٰرَىٰ تُفَٰدُوهُمْ» — "and if they come to you as captives, you exchange them" (2:85)
   • «وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً» — "or exchange of captives" (47:4)

Evidence from the text

The gesture is always a substitution: one thing is given in place of another, and what was held is freed. In 37:107, the son promised to the sacrifice is ransomed "with an immense sacrifice" (37:107): the animal takes his place. In 2:184 and 2:196, a compensation stands in for what is due: "the feeding of a destitute person" (2:184), or "abstention, charity, or a beneficent practice" (2:196). In 2:229, the wife ransoms herself from the bond by what she gives back.

On the last day, the same substitution is refused. Those who disown would wish to give as ransom all that is on the earth, and as much again (5:36, 10:54, 13:18, 39:47), "the whole earth filled with gold" (3:91); the severed one would wish to hand over his sons, his consort and his brother (70:11). The answer is closed: "So today no ransom will be taken from you" (57:15).

The form of reciprocity, فَادَى, names exchange: to give one against the other. When the war is over, the fate of the captives is "either grace freely, or exchange of captives" (47:4). In 2:85, the reproach falls on those who exchange captives while their expulsion, the act that made them captives, was prohibited to them.

Distinctions

• غفر — to forgive: to cover the fault without counterpart, whereas فدى always supposes one thing given in place of another
• بدل — to replace one thing by another, which takes its place; فدى gives one thing to free another

See also

اسر (the captive) · ذبح (the sacrifice that ransoms)