I swore by Allah that I would not marry after my wife’s death, and seven years after her death I married her sister. I now have three children from the second wife.
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The questioner : The listener from the news, M H M, says: I swore by Allah that I would not marry after my wife’s death, and seven years after her death I married her sister. I now have three children from the last wife. Is there an expiation for me in a case like this, O honorable Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Before answering this question, I say that his swearing that he would not marry a woman after his wife is a great error.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because marriage is among the sunnah (recommended practice) of the messengers and what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded, where he said:Mishkat al-Masabih 3080 Then, a person’s swearing that he would not marry after his wife’s death may be caused by dissatisfaction with the divine decree and destiny, akin to striking against this matter in protest against the decree. This may not be the reason, but the important thing is that it is a great error for a person to swear that he will not marry after his wife. Rather, what he should do is hasten to marry so that he protects his private parts and obtains the great benefits that are in marriage. Among the great benefits is increasing the offspring, meaning the offspring of the Islamic ummah (the Muslim community). It is obligatory for Muslims to increase their offspring as much as they can, in order to fulfill the desire of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), where he said: And so that the Islamic ummah becomes self-sufficient without others, and so that it is awe-inspiring before the world. The more the ummah increases, the more awe-inspiring it is to its enemies, and the more self-sufficient it is without others.
Then, after that, we say in the answer to the question.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This man who swore that he would not marry after his wife, and then married her sister after seven years, must perform the expiation, which is the expiation for an oath. It is a choice between three things: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave. If he does not find any of these three, he must fast three consecutive days, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:89]. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Before answering this question, I say that his swearing that he would not marry a woman after his wife is a great error.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because marriage is among the sunnah (recommended practice) of the messengers and what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded, where he said:
Young man, those of you who can support a wife should marry
يا معشر الشباب من استطاع منكم الباءة فليتزوّجMarry those who are loving and fertile
تزوّجوا الودود الولودThen, after that, we say in the answer to the question.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This man who swore that he would not marry after his wife, and then married her sister after seven years, must perform the expiation, which is the expiation for an oath. It is a choice between three things: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave. If he does not find any of these three, he must fast three consecutive days, based on 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. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be grateful.
لا يؤاخذكم الله باللغو في أيمانكم ولكن يؤاخذكم بما عقدتم الأيمان فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تُطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبة فمن لم يجد فصيام ثلاثة أيام ذلك كفارة أيمانكم إذا حلفتم واحفظوا أيمانكم كذلك يبيّن الله لكم ءاياته لعلكم تشكرونThe questioner : May Allah bless you.