Choice and Order in the Expiation for an Oath
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The questioner says: We hear about the expiation for an oath. Is it done in a specific order? And if one is unable to pay this expiation—may Allah preserve the Shaykh—is it dropped from him?
Answer:
The expiation for an oath involves both order and choice. There is a choice among three options: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave. This is a matter of choice. If he breaks his oath, he may, if he wishes, feed ten poor people, giving each poor person half a sa' (approximately one and a half kilograms), or clothe them by giving each one a shirt, or an izar (lower garment) and a rida' (upper garment), or free a slave. He has the choice.
If he is unable to do any of these three, he must fast for three days, based on His saying—(Exalted and Majestic is He)—in Surat al-Ma'idah: [al-Ma'idah: 89]. Thus, He (Glorified and Exalted is He) made it clear that he has a choice among the three, indicated by the word "or." If he is unable to do them, he moves to fasting. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
The questioner says: We hear about the expiation for an oath. Is it done in a specific order? And if one is unable to pay this expiation—may Allah preserve the Shaykh—is it dropped from him?
Answer:
The expiation for an oath involves both order and choice. There is a choice among three options: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave. This is a matter of choice. If he breaks his oath, he may, if he wishes, feed ten poor people, giving each poor person half a sa' (approximately one and a half kilograms), or clothe them by giving each one a shirt, or an izar (lower garment) and a rida' (upper garment), or free a slave. He has the choice.
If he is unable to do any of these three, he must fast for three days, based on His saying—(Exalted and Majestic is He)—in Surat al-Ma'idah:
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
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 أَيْمَانَكُمْThe presenter: May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.