If a person has several oaths, meaning he swore multiple times on several things, does expiating them suffice for all these oaths, or does each oath require a separate expiation?
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The questioner : He says: If a person has several oaths, meaning he swore multiple times on several things, does expiating them suffice for all these oaths, or does each oath require a separate expiation?
The Shaykh : These oaths, if they are regarding a single action.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then one expiation suffices for him, such as if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," and then some people tell him to speak to him, for boycotting is forbidden, and then he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to him," and then another person says to him, "How can you swear? Speak to him, he is your Muslim brother."
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So he says a third time, "By Allah, I will not speak to him." These are three oaths, but the thing sworn upon is one.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One expiation suffices for him because the thing sworn upon is one. However, if the things sworn upon are multiple, such as if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not enter this house," "By Allah, I will not eat this food," and the like of multiple types, and then he breaks his oath.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he does what he swore to leave off, then if he expiates for one of them, the expiation is obligatory for the others if he broke them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he does not expiate, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. Some said it is obligatory for him to have an expiation for each action.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And some said one expiation suffices for him. Those who said he needs an expiation for each action considered that the things sworn upon are multiple, and each thing sworn upon requires an expiation. Those who said one expiation suffices for him said that the multiplication of the things sworn upon is like the multiplication of the causes for ablution; a man may eat camel meat, may sleep, and may pass something from his two passages, and one ablution suffices for him. They said this is also like that; one expiation suffices for him. This is the well-known position in the school of Imam Ahmad: if he swore on multiple things and broke them and did not expiate, one expiation suffices for him for all of them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : These oaths, if they are regarding a single action.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then one expiation suffices for him, such as if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," and then some people tell him to speak to him, for boycotting is forbidden, and then he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to him," and then another person says to him, "How can you swear? Speak to him, he is your Muslim brother."
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So he says a third time, "By Allah, I will not speak to him." These are three oaths, but the thing sworn upon is one.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One expiation suffices for him because the thing sworn upon is one. However, if the things sworn upon are multiple, such as if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not enter this house," "By Allah, I will not eat this food," and the like of multiple types, and then he breaks his oath.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he does what he swore to leave off, then if he expiates for one of them, the expiation is obligatory for the others if he broke them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he does not expiate, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. Some said it is obligatory for him to have an expiation for each action.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And some said one expiation suffices for him. Those who said he needs an expiation for each action considered that the things sworn upon are multiple, and each thing sworn upon requires an expiation. Those who said one expiation suffices for him said that the multiplication of the things sworn upon is like the multiplication of the causes for ablution; a man may eat camel meat, may sleep, and may pass something from his two passages, and one ablution suffices for him. They said this is also like that; one expiation suffices for him. This is the well-known position in the school of Imam Ahmad: if he swore on multiple things and broke them and did not expiate, one expiation suffices for him for all of them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.