What is the ruling on one who vowed to Allah to quit smoking and then returned to it?

The questioner : The questioner says: A man swore he would not smoke, then he returned to it and paid the expiation for his oath. Then, another time, he held the mushaf and vowed to Allah, saying, "I vow to you, my Lord, that I will not return to it," and then he returned to it. Is this considered an oath for which he must pay expiation, or what is the ruling?

The Shaykh : The Shaykh says: For this brother whom Allah is trying to save from smoking, we ask Allah the Exalted to help him quit it, and to help all our brothers who have been afflicted with it to succeed in quitting it. This man first swore and then went back, so he paid the expiation. After that, he vowed to Allah. Vowing to Allah is a vow (nadhr). If a person vows to his Lord, this is considered a vow. He is required to fulfill his vow.
If he is unable to do so, and his soul urges him and he overcomes himself and smokes, then he must pay the expiation for what would be the expiation for an oath, because he went against it and broke his vow. However, regarding the phrase "I vow to Allah" over the mushaf, I say that swearing over the mushaf and vowing over the mushaf has no basis either, and it is not from the Sunnah. Rather, a person vows or swears without bringing the mushaf. This practice is an innovation from long ago, and people use vows and oaths over mushafs, but it has no basis in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or the time of his Rightly Guided Caliphs.