Does the oath of one jesting become binding if it was uttered in the course of his speech and he did not intend it?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A jesting oath uttered unintentionally and without deliberate purpose is not binding. It carries no expiation or accountability because it falls under the category of a 'vain oath' (laghw al-). Ibn Qudamah and Al-Nawawi both indicated that the words of Aisha suggest that vain oaths are those made in argumentation, jesting, amusement, or casual conversation, where the heart does not intend to affirm or bind itself.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/116560
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 116560
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy