How Do I Expiate for an Oath I Broke Multiple Times?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

If I vowed not to talk to women on Facebook and later broke it multiple times, do I fast once or for each instance?

Also, if I meet someone on Facebook and want to marry her, is the vow relevant to the validity of the marriage?

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 will only offer one expiation (kaffara). The reason is that you broke your oath by talking the first time. The other times are irrelevant.

The Expiation (Kaffara) for Breaking an Oath Is:

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) 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]

Meeting Someone on Facebook and Marrying

If you meet someone on Facebook and want to marry the person,  the vow is irrelevant to the validity of the marriage.

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

I would like you to read through the valuable answers and links below. In sha 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? – SeekersGuidance
• Vows and Oaths: Keep Repeating the Mistake. Do I have to keep repeating – IslamQA
• Can I Only Feed One Meal As Expiation for Breaking an Oath? – SeekersGuidance

Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course from the Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org)

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.