If a person swears an oath about something while knowing that he is lying, and after swearing he says, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness and I repent to Him,” what is the ruling on that, and does he have to pay an expiation?
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The questioner : His second question says: If a person swears an oath about something while knowing that he is lying, and after swearing he says, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness and I repent to Him,” what is the ruling on that, and does he have to pay an expiation?
The Shaykh : If he swears an oath about something knowing that he is lying in it, he has incurred two sins. The first sin is lying, and the second sin is taking the oath lightly by swearing a lie. He is thus like those about whom Allah said:[Al-Mujadila 58:14] He must repent to Allah for this sin he committed, which contained two evils. He does not have to pay an expiation, because the expiation is only for swearing an oath about something in the future. As for swearing an oath about something in the past, it is either free of sin or sinful. If he knows that he is lying, or if he is mostly convinced that he is lying, it is sinful. If he knows that he is truthful, or if he is mostly convinced that he is truthful, it is not sinful.
As for the expiation, it is not obligatory for swearing an oath about a past matter, even if he was lying in it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : If he swears an oath about something knowing that he is lying in it, he has incurred two sins. The first sin is lying, and the second sin is taking the oath lightly by swearing a lie. He is thus like those about whom Allah said:
and they swear to untruth while they know [they are lying].
وَيَحلِفونَ عَلَى الكَذِبِ وَهُم يَعلَمونَAs for the expiation, it is not obligatory for swearing an oath about a past matter, even if he was lying in it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.