The expiation for oaths on multiple items of the same kind is satisfied by a single expiation
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Question:
What is the expiation for an oath? Is the expiation to be performed in a specific order, or is there a choice? And if one swears an oath regarding something of the same kind multiple times, is a single expiation sufficient, or is there an expiation for each oath? Please inform us, and may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The expiation for an oath is: feeding ten poor people from the middle of what a person feeds his family, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever cannot find the means to do so must fast for three days.
There is a choice between feeding, clothing, and freeing a slave, but there is a required order between these three and fasting.
The obligatory amount for feeding is half a sa' by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), consisting of the staple food of the land, such as dates, wheat, barley, or others, which is approximately one and a half kilograms.
As for clothing: it is a shirt, or a lower garment and an upper garment that suffice for prayer. As for freeing a slave: it is freeing a believing slave.
If the oath is on multiple items of the same kind, a single expiation suffices. For example, if one says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," and repeats this many times, a single expiation suffices for him if he speaks to him.
However, if the things sworn upon are of different kinds, the expiation multiplies according to the number of kinds sworn upon. For example, if one says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not travel," and the like, then if he breaks his oath in any of these, he must perform expiations equal to the number of oaths. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat al-Ma'idah: [al-Ma'idah: 89].
It is better for the three days of fasting to be consecutive, in order to avoid the disagreement of those who made it obligatory. If he separates them, that suffices him, because Allah the Exalted mentioned fasting them without specifying that they must be consecutive. This is a favor from Allah the Exalted and a concession from Him to His servants, so to Him be praise and gratitude. And Allah grants success.
What is the expiation for an oath? Is the expiation to be performed in a specific order, or is there a choice? And if one swears an oath regarding something of the same kind multiple times, is a single expiation sufficient, or is there an expiation for each oath? Please inform us, and may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The expiation for an oath is: feeding ten poor people from the middle of what a person feeds his family, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever cannot find the means to do so must fast for three days.
There is a choice between feeding, clothing, and freeing a slave, but there is a required order between these three and fasting.
The obligatory amount for feeding is half a sa' by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), consisting of the staple food of the land, such as dates, wheat, barley, or others, which is approximately one and a half kilograms.
As for clothing: it is a shirt, or a lower garment and an upper garment that suffice for prayer. As for freeing a slave: it is freeing a believing slave.
If the oath is on multiple items of the same kind, a single expiation suffices. For example, if one says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," and repeats this many times, a single expiation suffices for him if he speaks to him.
However, if the things sworn upon are of different kinds, the expiation multiplies according to the number of kinds sworn upon. For example, if one says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not travel," and the like, then if he breaks his oath in any of these, he must perform expiations equal to the number of oaths. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat al-Ma'idah:
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.
لاَ يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الأَيْمَانَ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُواْ أَيْمَانَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَIt is better for the three days of fasting to be consecutive, in order to avoid the disagreement of those who made it obligatory. If he separates them, that suffices him, because Allah the Exalted mentioned fasting them without specifying that they must be consecutive. This is a favor from Allah the Exalted and a concession from Him to His servants, so to Him be praise and gratitude. And Allah grants success.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.