Advice for One Who Frequently Swears by Allah the Exalted
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This questioner (M. Sh. 'A) says: My father swears by Allah frequently. For example, he swears that a person will eat with us, but that person makes excuses and leaves. For example, he swears that one of his sons will not go to the market, but the son wants to go to the market and does not fulfill this oath. What do you advise for people like this, Your Eminence?
Answer:
My advice to him and those like him is to guard his oath and not to multiply oaths; because if he multiplies them, he will not expiate for them, and in this is a type of laxity regarding Allah. And Allah says: [Al-Ma'idah: 89].
So what is prescribed for the believer is to guard his oath and not to swear except when there is a need. And if he swears and his oath is not fulfilled, he must expiate for it. So if he says, "By Allah, you will not go out," and he goes out, he owes an oath expiation. If he says, "By Allah, you will eat with us," and he does not eat, he owes an oath expiation. If he says, "By Allah, you will have dinner with us," and he does not have dinner, he owes an oath expiation, as mentioned in the saying of Allah—(Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Ma'idah: 89].
So he should not be lax with the oath. But when an oath occurs and is not fulfilled, it is obligatory for him to expiate for it by feeding ten poor people, each poor person receiving half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), which is one and a half kilograms, of the staple food of the land, or clothing that suffices him for prayer, or freeing a slave. So whoever is unable to do so fasts for three days. And if he makes them consecutive, that is better. Three days, and the best is that they be consecutive. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, Your Eminence.
This questioner (M. Sh. 'A) says: My father swears by Allah frequently. For example, he swears that a person will eat with us, but that person makes excuses and leaves. For example, he swears that one of his sons will not go to the market, but the son wants to go to the market and does not fulfill this oath. What do you advise for people like this, Your Eminence?
Answer:
My advice to him and those like him is to guard his oath and not to multiply oaths; because if he multiplies them, he will not expiate for them, and in this is a type of laxity regarding Allah. And Allah says:
And keep your oaths
وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْSo what is prescribed for the believer is to guard his oath and not to swear except when there is a need. And if he swears and his oath is not fulfilled, he must expiate for it. So if he says, "By Allah, you will not go out," and he goes out, he owes an oath expiation. If he says, "By Allah, you will eat with us," and he does not eat, he owes an oath expiation. If he says, "By Allah, you will have dinner with us," and he does not have dinner, he owes an oath expiation, as mentioned in the saying of Allah—(Exalted and Majestic is He):
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
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 حَلَفْتُمْSo he should not be lax with the oath. But when an oath occurs and is not fulfilled, it is obligatory for him to expiate for it by feeding ten poor people, each poor person receiving half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), which is one and a half kilograms, of the staple food of the land, or clothing that suffices him for prayer, or freeing a slave. So whoever is unable to do so fasts for three days. And if he makes them consecutive, that is better. Three days, and the best is that they be consecutive. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, Your Eminence.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.