I went through a period when I used to do something wrong, which was that if I was confused between two matters, I would swear that I would not do one of them so that I could escape this confusion, and sometimes I broke a lot of the oaths. There were many of them are of various types and I cannot remember how many they were. Now I want to offer expiation for them. How can I do that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
You are right in describing what you did as being wrong,
because the Muslim should regard the matter of oaths as something serious
and not make many of them. Allah condemns those who make oaths a great
deal, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (O Muhammad صلى الله
عليه وسلم) obey you not everyone Hallaaf Maheen (the one who swears
much and is a liar or is worthless)”
[al-Qalam 68:14]
“And make not Allaah’s (Name) an excuse in your oaths
against your doing good and acting piously, and making peace among mankind.
And Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (i.e. do not swear much and if you have
sworn against doing something good then give an expiation for the oath and
do good)”
[al-Baqarah 2:224].
Abu Bakr al-Jassaas said in Ahkaam al-Qur’aan (1/483):
It is as if the meaning is: Allah forbids you from swearing oaths a great
deal and being disrspectful towards Allah, may He be exalted, because that
is contrary to righteousness and piety; so be righteous and pious. End
quote.
The scholars have clearly stated that it is not right to
swear oaths a great deal. Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (9/386):
It is not right to be heedless in swearing by Allah (i.e., to
do so a great deal), because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (O Muhammad صلى الله
عليه وسلم) obey you not everyone Hallaaf Maheen (the one who swears
much and is a liar or is worthless)”
[al-Qalam 68:14].
This is a criticism of it which implies that it is not right
to do it. End quote.
So long as you swore numerous oaths concerning various
matters, you have to offer kafaarat yameen (expiation for breaking an oath)
for everything that you swore to do and did not do. Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah
have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (9/406): If he swore oaths of
various kinds, and said: By Allah I will not eat…, by Allah I will not
drink…, by Allah I will not wear…, and he broke all these oaths, then he has
to offer expiation for each oath. This is the view of the majority of the
scholars. End quote.
So you have to try hard to work out the number of oaths that
you broke, and whatever you think is most likely the number of oaths that
you swore and broke, you should offer expiation for them. This is what is
stated in a fatwa of the scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing
Fatwas, as we have stated in the answer to question no.
34730
And Allah knows best.
