What is the ruling on repeating an oath regarding a single matter?
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Question:
This is a message sent by one of the listening brothers. He says: Khawlah Jum'ah Ahmad, from Iraq, has a long question that he wrote on two pages.
The summary of this question is:
That he swore more than once regarding a specific matter, then did not fulfill that oath. At that point, he asks Your Eminence what is required of him? Does he have to fast, or is there another expiation?
May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
Repeating an oath regarding a single matter requires only one expiation, no matter how many times it is repeated. If he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," even a hundred times, there is only one expiation. Likewise, if he says, "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," or "By Allah, I will not travel," "By Allah, I will not travel," "By Allah, I will not travel," and then he travels and visits, there is only one expiation. This is based on the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Al-Ma'idah: 89].
This is an oath made regarding a single thing, so he owes only one expiation, even if he repeats it many times at different times. However, if he expiates for the first one and then returns to the speech, he expiates for the second. For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," and then speaks to him, he expiates. Then if he returns and says, "By Allah, I will not speak to him," he owes another expiation for this second oath, because he repeated the oath after the expiation. As for if the actions are multiple, then each action has its own expiation. If he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not eat food," "By Allah, I will not travel," then he is obligated to pay an expiation for each oath if he breaks it, because they are multiple oaths regarding multiple actions, so each oath has an expiation.
It is prescribed for the believer to guard his oath, because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: [Al-Ma'idah: 89]. It is prescribed for the believer not to multiply oaths and to strive to reduce them, because multiplying them involves taking them lightly, and because multiplying them is a means to neglecting the expiation.
It is prescribed for the believing man and woman to be careful to keep their oaths few, and not to swear except when there is a need or benefit. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
This is a message sent by one of the listening brothers. He says: Khawlah Jum'ah Ahmad, from Iraq, has a long question that he wrote on two pages.
The summary of this question is:
That he swore more than once regarding a specific matter, then did not fulfill that oath. At that point, he asks Your Eminence what is required of him? Does he have to fast, or is there another expiation?
May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
Repeating an oath regarding a single matter requires only one expiation, no matter how many times it is repeated. If he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," even a hundred times, there is only one expiation. Likewise, if he says, "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not visit so-and-so," or "By Allah, I will not travel," "By Allah, I will not travel," "By Allah, I will not travel," and then he travels and visits, there is only one expiation. This is based on the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
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
لا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الأَيْمَانَThis is an oath made regarding a single thing, so he owes only one expiation, even if he repeats it many times at different times. However, if he expiates for the first one and then returns to the speech, he expiates for the second. For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," and then speaks to him, he expiates. Then if he returns and says, "By Allah, I will not speak to him," he owes another expiation for this second oath, because he repeated the oath after the expiation. As for if the actions are multiple, then each action has its own expiation. If he says, "By Allah, I will not speak to so-and-so," "By Allah, I will not eat food," "By Allah, I will not travel," then he is obligated to pay an expiation for each oath if he breaks it, because they are multiple oaths regarding multiple actions, so each oath has an expiation.
It is prescribed for the believer to guard his oath, because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says:
And keep your oaths
وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْIt is prescribed for the believing man and woman to be careful to keep their oaths few, and not to swear except when there is a need or benefit. 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.