A man swore falsely on the mushaf; what is his ruling, and does he owe an expiation?

The questioner : A man swore falsely on the mushaf, both inside the mosque and outside the mosque!

The Shaykh : I seek refuge in Allah!

The questioner : He wants to know the ruling of Islam in this matter!

The Shaykh : This is a grave oath (yamin ghumus). We ask Allah for safety. It plunges its owner into the Fire of Hell. I seek refuge in Allah. This is a great misfortune; it is a major deviation!

The questioner : A major deviation, but what is its ruling?

The Shaykh : He owes nothing but repentance. Peace be upon you, how are you?

The questioner : But is there no expiation?

The Shaykh : No, there is not. There is no expiation for the grave oath (yamin ghumus). For the grave oath, there is only sincere repentance, regret, and meaning a good return to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Anything other than that is not acceptable. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The grave oath is when one swears and lies in what he swears to, knowing that he is lying. This is the grave oath. As for the oath for which there is an expiation: one swears to do something and does not do it, or swears to something he believed to be true in his own mind, but it was not so. This, Allah knows best.

The questioner : Well, the apparent meaning of the verse and the apparent meaning of the hadith and its interpretation!

The Shaykh : That is not acceptable. That is not acceptable. One must know the words of the scholars of knowledge and the scholars of language, and then look at the extent of agreement with the Shari'ah text or the evidence between these. Anything other than this is not acceptable.

The questioner : Of course, it is not permissible?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt.