What Is the Ruling If Someone Makes an Oath Not to Make Any Oaths, Vows, and Promises to Allah?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
What if someone makes an oath not to make any oaths, vows, and promises to Allah?
Does that oath need to be expiated, or can they choose not to break it? Is that a haram oath to make?
If it has to be expiated, do they need to break that oath by making another oath and then later offering expiation?
For the expiation of an oath, can we donate money to a Muslim charity organization?
If we can donate money to a Muslim charity organization for breaking an oath, what is the ruling on donating haram money? Is it acceptable to expiate the oath?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are well. Thank you for your question.
In your case, if you verbally pronounced, By Allah, that you will not make any oaths, vows, and promises, you have enacted an oath (yamin munaqida). If you were to break it, i.e., swear that you will do or not do something, or make a vow, or promise to Allah most, then you will have to give an expiation (kaffara).
If you choose not to do the above, it is also acceptable.
It is not a haram oath to make. However, it would be unnecessary and burdening oneself not to do something one is allowed to do. [Maydani, Al Lubab Fi Sharh al-Kitab; Nahlawi, al-Durar al-Mubaha]
The Enacted Oath (yamin mun’aqida), is to swear to do or not do something in the future. If one breaks this type of oath, expiation is due.
The expiation is to feed ten poor persons (2 meals each), or to clothe them (1 garment each), or to give them the equivalent monetary value. One must fast for three consecutive days if one cannot do that.
Yes, you can donate to a Muslim charity.
No, one’s expiations (kaffara) will not be valid with haram money. Haram money has to be returned to its original owner or donated to charity without expecting any reward.
Read the links below for a deeper understanding.
Is There a Difference Between Breaking an Oath and Breaking a Promise? – SeekersGuidance
Is There a Difference Between Breaking an Oath and Breaking a Promise? – SeekersGuidance
Can I Pay the Expiation for Breaking an Oath in Advance? – SeekersGuidance
promises Archives – SeekersGuidance
How to Expiate for Broken Oath and Unpaid Transaction? (seekersguidance.org)
Types of Charity – Ummah Welfare Trust (uwt.org)
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance?
SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)
I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
