What is the ruling on repeated oaths regarding the doing of a single thing
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Question:
I am a young man who swore by Allah more than three times that I would repent from a forbidden act. My question: Do I owe one expiation or three? And what is my expiation?
Answer:
You owe one expiation, which is: feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever does not find the means to do so must fast for three days, based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 89]. And so it is with every oath regarding a single act, or the leaving of a single thing; even if it is repeated, there is only one expiation, provided that he has not yet expiated for the first one. However, if he expiated for the first one and then repeated the oath, he owes a second expiation if he breaks it. And so if he repeats it a third time, and has already expiated for the second one, he owes a third expiation.
As for repeating oaths regarding multiple acts, or leaving multiple acts, he owes an expiation for every oath. For example, if he says: "By Allah, I will not talk to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not eat his food," "By Allah, I will not travel to such-and-such," or if he says: "By Allah, I will talk to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will hit him," and the like of that.
The obligatory amount in feeding is: for each poor person, half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the staple food of the country, which is approximately one and a half kilograms.
And in clothing, it is whatever suffices him for prayer; such as a shirt, or an izar and a rida'. If he invites them to dinner or lunch, that suffices; due to the generality of the noble verse mentioned earlier. And success is from Allah.
I am a young man who swore by Allah more than three times that I would repent from a forbidden act. My question: Do I owe one expiation or three? And what is my expiation?
Answer:
You owe one expiation, which is: feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever does not find the means to do so must fast for three 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
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 أَيْمَانَكُمْAs for repeating oaths regarding multiple acts, or leaving multiple acts, he owes an expiation for every oath. For example, if he says: "By Allah, I will not talk to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not eat his food," "By Allah, I will not travel to such-and-such," or if he says: "By Allah, I will talk to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will hit him," and the like of that.
The obligatory amount in feeding is: for each poor person, half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the staple food of the country, which is approximately one and a half kilograms.
And in clothing, it is whatever suffices him for prayer; such as a shirt, or an izar and a rida'. If he invites them to dinner or lunch, that suffices; due to the generality of the noble verse mentioned earlier. And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.