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Fatwa CenterIs a single expiation due for several oaths?
Question
It is common that everybody swears several times every day, intentionally and unintentionally. Is it permissible for such a person to make a single expiation for these oaths? Noting that he has repented of doing this. May Allaah Reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
Swearing frequently is dispraised according to Sharee‘ah and custom. Allaah The Almighty Commands us to guard our oaths, Saying (what means): {But guard your oaths.} [Quran 5:89] In another verse, He Says (what means): {And do not make [your oath by] Allaah an excuse against being righteous.} [Quran 2:224] He also Says (what means): {And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer.} [Quran 68:10] Therefore, not all people swear a lot.
If a person takes an oath intentionally and resolvedly and then breaks it, he is required to expiate for it. In case he repeats the oath before breaking it, and that upon which he swears is the same thing, then one expiation is enough. Likewise, one expiation is enough if that upon which he swears is various things and the oath is only one.
However, if a person takes several oaths on several things and breaks all his oaths, he is required to expiate for every broken oath. If he breaks only one oath, he has to expiate for it. According to another opinion, such a person may make one expiation for the broken oaths, unless he has previously expiated for one of them.
The preponderant opinion according to Imaam Ahmad's school of Fiqh is that one expiation is enough for all the broken oaths unless the person has made an expiation for the first broken one.
As for the unintentional oaths that are frequently uttered by people, no expiation is required for them, as revealed in the verse that reads (what means): {Allaah Will not Impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He Will Impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths.} [Quran 5:89]
Allaah Knows best.
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