The Difference Between a Covenant and an Oath
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The first and second questions of Fatwa No. ( 17961 )
Q1: What is the difference between a covenant and an oath or swearing, and which is greater , what is the meaning of a covenant, does it have an expiation, what is it, and what is the penalty for one who breaks it, and if it has no expiation when broken, and the covenant was pronounced with this meaning:
I covenant with you by Allah that I will not do this with you again, and it was broken?
A1: If he says: (I covenant with you by Allah, or I swear, or I take an oath by Allah that you will do such and such), for example, then all of these are established oaths, and the expiation becomes obligatory if he breaks them; due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:89]
Q1: What is the difference between a covenant and an oath or swearing, and which is greater , what is the meaning of a covenant, does it have an expiation, what is it, and what is the penalty for one who breaks it, and if it has no expiation when broken, and the covenant was pronounced with this meaning:
I covenant with you by Allah that I will not do this with you again, and it was broken?
A1: If he says: (I covenant with you by Allah, or I swear, or I take an oath by Allah that you will do such and such), for example, then all of these are established oaths, and the expiation becomes obligatory if he breaks them; due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn
لاَ يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الأَيْمَانَ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.