If a person swears several oaths and does not know their number, is it sufficient for him to bring out a sack of rice and distribute it among ten poor people or more?
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The questioner : If a person swears several oaths and does not know their number, is it sufficient for him to bring out a sack of rice and distribute it among ten poor people or more?
The Shaykh : There is scholarly disagreement on this issue regarding whether the expiations multiply with the multiplication of the oaths.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or is one expiation sufficient for them? Some scholars said: No matter how many oaths there are, one expiation is sufficient for them, because the obligation is one. For example, if someone says: "By Allah, I will not wear this garment," "By Allah, I will not wear this headscarf," "By Allah, I will not leave the house," and "By Allah, I will not ride in so-and-so's car," these are four oaths. Some scholars say: If he breaks them, he is obligated to pay four expiations. Others say: He is only obligated to pay one expiation, because the obligation of these oaths is one thing. It is as if the states of ritual impurity multiplied; in that case, one ablution is sufficient. For example, if a person urinates, defecates, passes wind, sleeps, and eats camel meat, these are five states of ritual impurity, and one ablution is sufficient for them. They analogized the oaths to this and said: Even if the oaths multiply, their obligation is one, so one expiation is sufficient for them. According to this opinion, there is no difficulty in the questioner's issue.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because one expiation is sufficient for him, whether he knows the number of oaths or not, and whether they are few or many. However, there is another opinion which says: If the things sworn about multiply, he is obligated to pay expiations equal to the number of things sworn about, unless the oath is one. If he says: "By Allah, I will not wear this garment," "By Allah, I will not wear this headscarf," "By Allah, I will not leave the house," and "By Allah, I will not ride in this car," these are four oaths, and each oath has an expiation if he breaks it. According to this opinion, he is obligated to pay four expiations.
Based on this opinion, we say to the questioner: If you have multiple oaths and you do not know their number, then estimate. If you doubt whether they are ten or five, for example, take the lesser number, take five, because that is what you are certain of, and what is more is doubtful, so you are not obligated to pay an expiation for it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. This listener, who symbolized his name with M T 'A, says.
The Shaykh : There is scholarly disagreement on this issue regarding whether the expiations multiply with the multiplication of the oaths.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or is one expiation sufficient for them? Some scholars said: No matter how many oaths there are, one expiation is sufficient for them, because the obligation is one. For example, if someone says: "By Allah, I will not wear this garment," "By Allah, I will not wear this headscarf," "By Allah, I will not leave the house," and "By Allah, I will not ride in so-and-so's car," these are four oaths. Some scholars say: If he breaks them, he is obligated to pay four expiations. Others say: He is only obligated to pay one expiation, because the obligation of these oaths is one thing. It is as if the states of ritual impurity multiplied; in that case, one ablution is sufficient. For example, if a person urinates, defecates, passes wind, sleeps, and eats camel meat, these are five states of ritual impurity, and one ablution is sufficient for them. They analogized the oaths to this and said: Even if the oaths multiply, their obligation is one, so one expiation is sufficient for them. According to this opinion, there is no difficulty in the questioner's issue.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because one expiation is sufficient for him, whether he knows the number of oaths or not, and whether they are few or many. However, there is another opinion which says: If the things sworn about multiply, he is obligated to pay expiations equal to the number of things sworn about, unless the oath is one. If he says: "By Allah, I will not wear this garment," "By Allah, I will not wear this headscarf," "By Allah, I will not leave the house," and "By Allah, I will not ride in this car," these are four oaths, and each oath has an expiation if he breaks it. According to this opinion, he is obligated to pay four expiations.
Based on this opinion, we say to the questioner: If you have multiple oaths and you do not know their number, then estimate. If you doubt whether they are ten or five, for example, take the lesser number, take five, because that is what you are certain of, and what is more is doubtful, so you are not obligated to pay an expiation for it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. This listener, who symbolized his name with M T 'A, says.