Must I Offer Expiation for Breaking a Conditional Oath?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I swore not to speak to a friend if Allah hid a secret of mine, but I later revealed the secret. Can I now speak to my friend, and do I need to offer expiation for the oath?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

You have broken your oath by revealing the secret. You will now have to offer an expiation (kaffara).

The Expiation (Kaffara) For Breaking an Oath

1. Free a slave (not applicable in these times) or
2. Feed ten poor people (Muslim)  an average of two meals, or
3. Clothe ten poor people ( Muslim) with enough clothes to cover most of their bodies.

Since feeding the poor is the most viable option today, if you choose to feed the poor, you may either provide ten people with an average of two meals or feed one person twice a day for the next ten days.

If, for some reason, one cannot feed the poor, nor can one clothe them, then one should fast for three consecutive days [‘Ala’uddin Ibn ‘Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya]

You can search for answers related to this topic on SeekersGuidance.com.

I would like you to read through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.

Related

• Oaths Archives – SeekersGuidance
• Expiation for a Broken Oath – SeekersGuidance
• What Are the Words Which Make an Oath Binding?
• Vows and Oaths: Keep Repeating the Mistake. Do I have to keep repeating
• Can I Only Feed One Meal As an Expiation for Breaking an Oath?

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.