Oath to abandon a permissible matter
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The fifth question from Fatwa No. ( 18057 )
Q5: A person swore by Allah that he would not be under the same roof as a specific set of cushions, while the cushions are being sewn and prepared by the craftsman. He swore while wishing to complete the cushions, but to get rid of his wife’s insistence. He paid fifty riyals to a restaurant owner to feed ten poor people, where the restaurant owner stated that feeding one person costs five riyals, but the ten may not come at the same time. What is the ruling?
A5: One who swears to abandon a permissible matter, such as the cushions mentioned in the question, must expiate his oath and use them. The expiation is: feeding ten poor people, giving each poor person half a sa' of food, which is one and a half kilograms, or clothing ten poor people, giving each poor person a garment, or freeing a believing slave. If he is unable to do any of these, he must fast for three days. If the restaurant owner whom the aforementioned oath-taker entrusted has fulfilled the obligation
and fed ten poor people, that is sufficient, praise be to Allah. But it must be known that it is necessary in the expiation of an oath to feed ten poor people, and it is not sufficient to feed one person ten times or two people five times; because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, specified feeding ten poor people in His saying:[Al-Ma'idah 5:89] And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q5: A person swore by Allah that he would not be under the same roof as a specific set of cushions, while the cushions are being sewn and prepared by the craftsman. He swore while wishing to complete the cushions, but to get rid of his wife’s insistence. He paid fifty riyals to a restaurant owner to feed ten poor people, where the restaurant owner stated that feeding one person costs five riyals, but the ten may not come at the same time. What is the ruling?
A5: One who swears to abandon a permissible matter, such as the cushions mentioned in the question, must expiate his oath and use them. The expiation is: feeding ten poor people, giving each poor person half a sa' of food, which is one and a half kilograms, or clothing ten poor people, giving each poor person a garment, or freeing a believing slave. If he is unable to do any of these, he must fast for three days. If the restaurant owner whom the aforementioned oath-taker entrusted has fulfilled the obligation
and fed ten poor people, that is sufficient, praise be to Allah. But it must be known that it is necessary in the expiation of an oath to feed ten poor people, and it is not sufficient to feed one person ten times or two people five times; because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, specified feeding ten poor people in His saying:
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. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be grateful.
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 وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.