If a person has more than one oath, is it sufficient for him to feed ten poor people or fast for three days just once, given that he cannot determine the number of oaths he has broken?
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The questioner : He says:The questioner : If a person has more than one oath, is it sufficient for him to feed ten poor people or fast for three days just once, given that he cannot determine the number of oaths he has broken?
The Shaykh : First, we must know what the expiation for an oath is? Is the question directed to you?
The student: The expiation for an oath is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave...
The Shaykh : Okay, that means there are four categories: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever cannot find the means to do so must fast for three days. The first three types are a matter of choice. If a person swears multiple oaths, and the matter sworn about is one single thing, then he only owes one expiation. For example, he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so." Then a sincere man comes to him and says, "So-and-so, you swore not to speak to so-and-so, and this is not permissible." He says, "I say it a second time: By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so." Then a third man comes and advises him, saying, "How can you swear not to speak to so-and-so?" He says, "Then I will say, By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so a third time." How many oaths is that?
The student: Three.
The Shaykh : And what is the matter sworn about?
The student: One.
The Shaykh : One single thing. This is sufficient for him with one expiation. Now, if the matter sworn about is multiple but the oath is one? In that case, he is only required to pay one expiation. For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not eat at so-and-so's house, nor drink there, nor enter his house, nor speak to him." How many is that? Four. But the oath is one. This is also sufficient for him with one expiation because the oath is one. Now, if the oaths are multiple and the matters sworn about are multiple, such as if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not enter his house," "By Allah, I will not eat his food." How many is that?
The student: Three.
The Shaykh : Three things and three oaths. In that case, he must pay an expiation for each oath. So, when does the expiation become multiple? When the matters sworn about are multiple. It becomes one when the matter sworn about is one single thing, whether the oaths are multiple or not. Likewise, the expiation becomes multiple when the oaths are multiple and the matters sworn about are multiple. Now, this is the stronger opinion among the scholars' views. Some scholars said that one expiation is sufficient for him, even if the matters sworn about are multiple and the oaths are multiple. They analogized this to a person who commits multiple types of acts that break wudu; one wudu is sufficient for him. If a man urinates, defecates, passes wind, eats camel meat, and sleeps deeply, these are five things that break wudu, and one wudu is sufficient for them. They said that likewise, if the oaths are multiple and the matters sworn about are multiple, one expiation is sufficient for him, just as one wudu is sufficient when the things breaking wudu are multiple. But the more apparent opinion is what we said first: that the expiation becomes multiple when the matters sworn about are multiple, unless it is one single oath, in which case it does not become multiple. It remains to be said: if a person does not know how many oaths he has broken, do we tell him to estimate and act according to the lesser or the greater?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Which certainty?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, the lesser. If he is in doubt whether he broke ten oaths or eight, we make it eight, because the original state regarding what exceeds that is that it did not occur. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. He says:The questioner : A merchant whose trade is in foodstuffs, and during the annual inventory...
The Shaykh : What? Repeat.
The Shaykh : First, we must know what the expiation for an oath is? Is the question directed to you?
The student: The expiation for an oath is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave...
The Shaykh : Okay, that means there are four categories: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever cannot find the means to do so must fast for three days. The first three types are a matter of choice. If a person swears multiple oaths, and the matter sworn about is one single thing, then he only owes one expiation. For example, he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so." Then a sincere man comes to him and says, "So-and-so, you swore not to speak to so-and-so, and this is not permissible." He says, "I say it a second time: By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so." Then a third man comes and advises him, saying, "How can you swear not to speak to so-and-so?" He says, "Then I will say, By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so a third time." How many oaths is that?
The student: Three.
The Shaykh : And what is the matter sworn about?
The student: One.
The Shaykh : One single thing. This is sufficient for him with one expiation. Now, if the matter sworn about is multiple but the oath is one? In that case, he is only required to pay one expiation. For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not eat at so-and-so's house, nor drink there, nor enter his house, nor speak to him." How many is that? Four. But the oath is one. This is also sufficient for him with one expiation because the oath is one. Now, if the oaths are multiple and the matters sworn about are multiple, such as if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not enter his house," "By Allah, I will not eat his food." How many is that?
The student: Three.
The Shaykh : Three things and three oaths. In that case, he must pay an expiation for each oath. So, when does the expiation become multiple? When the matters sworn about are multiple. It becomes one when the matter sworn about is one single thing, whether the oaths are multiple or not. Likewise, the expiation becomes multiple when the oaths are multiple and the matters sworn about are multiple. Now, this is the stronger opinion among the scholars' views. Some scholars said that one expiation is sufficient for him, even if the matters sworn about are multiple and the oaths are multiple. They analogized this to a person who commits multiple types of acts that break wudu; one wudu is sufficient for him. If a man urinates, defecates, passes wind, eats camel meat, and sleeps deeply, these are five things that break wudu, and one wudu is sufficient for them. They said that likewise, if the oaths are multiple and the matters sworn about are multiple, one expiation is sufficient for him, just as one wudu is sufficient when the things breaking wudu are multiple. But the more apparent opinion is what we said first: that the expiation becomes multiple when the matters sworn about are multiple, unless it is one single oath, in which case it does not become multiple. It remains to be said: if a person does not know how many oaths he has broken, do we tell him to estimate and act according to the lesser or the greater?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Which certainty?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, the lesser. If he is in doubt whether he broke ten oaths or eight, we make it eight, because the original state regarding what exceeds that is that it did not occur. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. He says:The questioner : A merchant whose trade is in foodstuffs, and during the annual inventory...
The Shaykh : What? Repeat.