Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: {Allah does not hold you accountable for idle oaths, but He holds you accountable for what your hearts have earned}
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Question:
After this, a message from one of the listening brothers. He says, Abdullah Hamid Saleh, our brother, has a collection of questions. He says: Explain to us the saying of the Truth, (Blessed and Exalted is He): [Al-Ma'idah: 89] to the end of the verse? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
He, the Exalted, says in Surat al-Ma'idah: [Al-Ma'idah: 89] the verse, and He, the Exalted, says in Surat al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah: 225].
The meaning is that oaths that pass through a person without intention are not held against him, and there is no expiation for them. They run off his tongue without the intention of making them, in the course of his speech: "By Allah! It did not happen so," or "By Allah! It happened so." He speaks without the intention of swearing an oath. This is the idle oath, as Aisha and a group of the Salaf said. The idle oath is when a man says, "No, by Allah," or "Yes, by Allah," in the course of his speech.
As for when he intends it with his heart, meaning his heart earns it by it, i.e., he intends with his heart to swear an oath that he will not do such-and-such, or that he will leave such-and-such; then he is held accountable for it if he breaks it, and the expiation is upon him. Because Allah said: [Al-Baqarah: 225] And in the verse of Al-Ma'idah: [Al-Ma'idah: 89] meaning: by what you intended in making it, and you desired that. So if he says, "By Allah! I will not speak to so-and-so," intending it, and then he speaks to him; then the expiation for the oath is upon him: feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. If he is unable and cannot do so; he fasts three days.
Or if he says, "By Allah! I will not visit so-and-so," and then he visits him; the expiation for the oath is upon him. Or if he says to his wife, "By Allah! I will not speak to so-and-so," or "By Allah! You will not leave the house today," or "this night," or "ever," or the like of that. If she leaves; the expiation for the oath is upon him.
And so on, and the like of that; because these are intended oaths, which the heart has earned and their owner has made; so the expiation is in them. And the expiation—as you heard in the noble verse—is feeding ten poor people from the middle of what you feed your families, meaning: middle food. Dates with rice, with wheat, if there is a side dish with it, that is better. And so on, if he cooks food for them and invites them to the house, or the restaurant, for lunch, or dinner, one meal is sufficient, one meal.
Or clothing them, he clothes them... or a lower garment and an upper garment for each one, meaning: a shirt or a lower garment and an upper garment. Or he frees a male or female slave. If he cannot do these three; he moves to fasting. He fasts three days, and it is better that they be consecutive. Three days, and it is better that they be consecutive. And some of the scholars of knowledge said: it is obligatory that they be consecutive. So it is better for the believer to make these three consecutive, in the case of inability to feed, clothe, and free. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
After this, a message from one of the listening brothers. He says, Abdullah Hamid Saleh, our brother, has a collection of questions. He says: Explain to us the saying of the Truth, (Blessed and Exalted is He):
Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths
لا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْAnswer:
He, the Exalted, says 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
لا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الأَيْمَانَ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْAllah 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. And Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.
لا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌThe meaning is that oaths that pass through a person without intention are not held against him, and there is no expiation for them. They run off his tongue without the intention of making them, in the course of his speech: "By Allah! It did not happen so," or "By Allah! It happened so." He speaks without the intention of swearing an oath. This is the idle oath, as Aisha and a group of the Salaf said. The idle oath is when a man says, "No, by Allah," or "Yes, by Allah," in the course of his speech.
As for when he intends it with his heart, meaning his heart earns it by it, i.e., he intends with his heart to swear an oath that he will not do such-and-such, or that he will leave such-and-such; then he is held accountable for it if he breaks it, and the expiation is upon him. Because Allah said:
but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned
وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ[breaking] what you intended of oaths
بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الأَيْمَانَOr if he says, "By Allah! I will not visit so-and-so," and then he visits him; the expiation for the oath is upon him. Or if he says to his wife, "By Allah! I will not speak to so-and-so," or "By Allah! You will not leave the house today," or "this night," or "ever," or the like of that. If she leaves; the expiation for the oath is upon him.
And so on, and the like of that; because these are intended oaths, which the heart has earned and their owner has made; so the expiation is in them. And the expiation—as you heard in the noble verse—is feeding ten poor people from the middle of what you feed your families, meaning: middle food. Dates with rice, with wheat, if there is a side dish with it, that is better. And so on, if he cooks food for them and invites them to the house, or the restaurant, for lunch, or dinner, one meal is sufficient, one meal.
Or clothing them, he clothes them... or a lower garment and an upper garment for each one, meaning: a shirt or a lower garment and an upper garment. Or he frees a male or female slave. If he cannot do these three; he moves to fasting. He fasts three days, and it is better that they be consecutive. Three days, and it is better that they be consecutive. And some of the scholars of knowledge said: it is obligatory that they be consecutive. So it is better for the believer to make these three consecutive, in the case of inability to feed, clothe, and free. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.