Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (Allah does not hold you accountable for idle oaths). The verse
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Question:
Allah the Exalted said: [al-Baqarah:225]. My question: What is the meaning of idle oaths in this verse?
Answer:
The verse is clear; Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :[Al-Baqarah 2:225] the verse, and in the other verse He said, Exalted is He: [Al-Ma'idah: 89].
And the acquisition of the hearts: their intention and purpose; faith in Allah, love for Allah, fear of Allah, and hope in Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); all of this is from the acquisition of the hearts. Likewise, the intention and purpose of the one who swears an oath regarding the oath, and his turning toward it, this is from the acquisition of the hearts.
As for when there is no oath; because he speaks with an oath without intention, rather it slips from his tongue without intention, such as: "By Allah, I will not stand up," "By Allah, I will not speak," "By Allah, I will not go to such and such..." and so on, and he did not intend it, rather it slipped from his tongue but without intention; that is, forming the oath regarding this matter without the heart intending to do this thing. This is the idle oath; the man saying: "No, by Allah," as came in this meaning from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and others regarding idle oaths.
But if he intends the oath with his heart that he will not speak to him, or: "No, by Allah, I will not visit him," or: "No, by Allah, I will not do such and such," or: "I will not smoke," or: "By Allah, I will not drink intoxicants," then upon him is the expiation of an oath if he breaks his oath. And it is: feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. If he is unable to do the three, he fasts three days; because of His saying (Mighty and Majestic):[Al-Ma'idah 5:89].
And the point is: that the idle oaths are those that are not intended, rather they slip from the tongue without intention. These are the idle oaths, and they are not a formed oath, and they are not from the acquisition of the hearts. But if he forms it intending it with his heart, then this is from the acquisition of the hearts, and this is from the formation of oaths. So upon the owner of this oath, if he contradicts it, is to expiate with the expiation of the oath as mentioned before.
So if he says: "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," intending it with his heart, and then he speaks to him, then upon him is the expiation of an oath. Or if he says: "By Allah, I will not visit him," and then he visits him, then upon him is the expiation of an oath. Unlike if the oath passes over his tongue without intention, he did not intend it, then there is nothing upon him.
Allah the Exalted said:
Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned
لاَّ يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِيَ أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْAnswer:
The verse is clear; Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned
لاَّ يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِيَ أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْbut He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths
وَلَكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الأَيْمَانَAnd the acquisition of the hearts: their intention and purpose; faith in Allah, love for Allah, fear of Allah, and hope in Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); all of this is from the acquisition of the hearts. Likewise, the intention and purpose of the one who swears an oath regarding the oath, and his turning toward it, this is from the acquisition of the hearts.
As for when there is no oath; because he speaks with an oath without intention, rather it slips from his tongue without intention, such as: "By Allah, I will not stand up," "By Allah, I will not speak," "By Allah, I will not go to such and such..." and so on, and he did not intend it, rather it slipped from his tongue but without intention; that is, forming the oath regarding this matter without the heart intending to do this thing. This is the idle oath; the man saying: "No, by Allah," as came in this meaning from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and others regarding idle oaths.
But if he intends the oath with his heart that he will not speak to him, or: "No, by Allah, I will not visit him," or: "No, by Allah, I will not do such and such," or: "I will not smoke," or: "By Allah, I will not drink intoxicants," then upon him is the expiation of an oath if he breaks his oath. And it is: feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. If he is unable to do the three, he fasts three days; because of His saying (Mighty and Majestic):
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
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 أَيْمَانَكُمْAnd the point is: that the idle oaths are those that are not intended, rather they slip from the tongue without intention. These are the idle oaths, and they are not a formed oath, and they are not from the acquisition of the hearts. But if he forms it intending it with his heart, then this is from the acquisition of the hearts, and this is from the formation of oaths. So upon the owner of this oath, if he contradicts it, is to expiate with the expiation of the oath as mentioned before.
So if he says: "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," intending it with his heart, and then he speaks to him, then upon him is the expiation of an oath. Or if he says: "By Allah, I will not visit him," and then he visits him, then upon him is the expiation of an oath. Unlike if the oath passes over his tongue without intention, he did not intend it, then there is nothing upon him.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.