What is the ruling if a person makes a covenant with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) not to perform a specific act that he dislikes, which contains no disobedience to Allah at all, but then he returns to this act?
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The Shaykh : Here there are two questions. The first question, after your greeting of peace and mercy upon you, and we say, and upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The question is: If a person makes a covenant with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) not to perform a specific act that he dislikes or is not pleased with, which contains no disobedience to Allah at all, but then he returns to this act out of forgetfulness, and then he repeats the act intentionally after feeling that his covenant has been broken, what is the expiation for that, and what is the punishment for this sin?
This question involves two scenarios. The first scenario is forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is lifted, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:286] and as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: Sunan Ibn Majah 2045Sahih (Darussalam) So, the one who swore an oath and covenanted with Allah not to do a disliked act, if he forgets it, there is no harm on him.
But the questioner said later: "Then he repeated his act intentionally after feeling that his covenant had been broken. What is the expiation for that, and what is the punishment for this sin?"
We say: There is no punishment, if Allah wills, for this sin, except that he must pay the expiation for an oath. Because if a Muslim covenants with Allah, Lord of the Worlds, not to do an act, and then he does that act, he must pay the expiation. The expiation is feeding ten poor people, as is well known, if he is able to do so; otherwise, he must fast for three days. This is the expiation for the one who covenanted with Allah not to do a disliked act and then intentionally did it. But if he did it out of forgetfulness, it is dropped and he owes nothing. But as long as he did it intentionally after the forgetfulness, the expiation became obligatory upon him.
The questioner: I have a question regarding this topic.
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The question is: If a person makes a covenant with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) not to perform a specific act that he dislikes or is not pleased with, which contains no disobedience to Allah at all, but then he returns to this act out of forgetfulness, and then he repeats the act intentionally after feeling that his covenant has been broken, what is the expiation for that, and what is the punishment for this sin?
This question involves two scenarios. The first scenario is forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is lifted, as Allah the Exalted said:
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
ربنا لا تؤاخذنا إن نسينا أو أخطأناAllah has forgiven my nation for mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do.
وضع عن أمتي الخطأ والنسيان وما استكرهوا عليهBut the questioner said later: "Then he repeated his act intentionally after feeling that his covenant had been broken. What is the expiation for that, and what is the punishment for this sin?"
We say: There is no punishment, if Allah wills, for this sin, except that he must pay the expiation for an oath. Because if a Muslim covenants with Allah, Lord of the Worlds, not to do an act, and then he does that act, he must pay the expiation. The expiation is feeding ten poor people, as is well known, if he is able to do so; otherwise, he must fast for three days. This is the expiation for the one who covenanted with Allah not to do a disliked act and then intentionally did it. But if he did it out of forgetfulness, it is dropped and he owes nothing. But as long as he did it intentionally after the forgetfulness, the expiation became obligatory upon him.
The questioner: I have a question regarding this topic.
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.