The Expiation for an Oath and the Conditions for Feeding in It
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Question:
A questioner says: I swore not to do something, but I will do it, if Allah wills. In the case of feeding, is it obligatory for me to provide one meal or three meals? Is it required that they be in one house, or in different houses? And is it required that they all be Muslims?
Answer:
If the thing you swore about is not a sin, then there is no harm in expiating your oath and doing what you swore to leave off, provided it is permissible. If it is recommended or obligatory, then it is recommended for you to do the recommended act, and it is obligatory for you to do the obligatory act. Do not let the oath be a barrier for you. Allah the Exalted said:
[Al-Baqarah 2:224] meaning, do not let your oaths prevent you from doing good, maintaining family ties, and making peace between people. Rather, expiate your oaths and do what is better, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Ibn Hibban 20:21 Sahih al-Bukhari 6622. In another narration: "Do what is better" Sunan an-Nasa'i 3789Sahih (Darussalam).
The kaffarah for an oath is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave, at your choice. If you do not find the means, then you fast for three days. As for the poor people, whether they are in one house or in scattered houses, there is no harm. The important thing is that you complete the ten, whether gathered together or scattered, and every oath has its own kaffarah.
If there are multiple oaths, and they were about one single thing before the expiation, then one kaffarah is sufficient for them because they overlap. However, if the oaths were about multiple things, then every oath has its own kaffarah and they do not overlap. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
A questioner says: I swore not to do something, but I will do it, if Allah wills. In the case of feeding, is it obligatory for me to provide one meal or three meals? Is it required that they be in one house, or in different houses? And is it required that they all be Muslims?
Answer:
If the thing you swore about is not a sin, then there is no harm in expiating your oath and doing what you swore to leave off, provided it is permissible. If it is recommended or obligatory, then it is recommended for you to do the recommended act, and it is obligatory for you to do the obligatory act. Do not let the oath be a barrier for you. Allah the Exalted said:
And do not make [your oath by] Allah an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allah and making peace among people
وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِّأَيْمَانِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَتُصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ النَّاسِIf you swore an oath and you see something better than it
إذا حلفت على يمين ورأيت غيرها خيرا منهاthen do the better one and make expiation for your oath
فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌthen do that which is better and offer expiation for your oath
الذي هو خير وكفر عن يمينكThe kaffarah for an oath is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave, at your choice. If you do not find the means, then you fast for three days. As for the poor people, whether they are in one house or in scattered houses, there is no harm. The important thing is that you complete the ten, whether gathered together or scattered, and every oath has its own kaffarah.
If there are multiple oaths, and they were about one single thing before the expiation, then one kaffarah is sufficient for them because they overlap. However, if the oaths were about multiple things, then every oath has its own kaffarah and they do not overlap. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-027-الرقية الشرعية أحكام وضوابط|صالح الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (44:46)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.