Does the phrase: "I pledge to Allah to pray Qiyam al-Layl daily forever" necessitate repeated expiation (kaffarah), and what is the wording that indicates its repetition? Is it permissible to intend to break the pledge before paying the expiation, and does the pledge remain binding as long as its expiation has not been paid?

The phrase "I covenant with Allah to perform Qiyam (definition) al-Layl daily forever" does not signify repetition; rather, it implies generalization or absolute commitment. Thus, if one misses Qiyam al-Layl for even a single night, they have broken their oath. What signifies repetition is the word "whenever" (كلما). Other tools like "if" (إن), "if" (إذا), "never" (أبدًا), and "when" (متى) signify conditionality without repetition.

Therefore, if a person breaks their oath more than once (for example, if they swear to fast every Thursday but break it multiple times), they are only required to offer a single expiation for all instances of breaking the oath, unless they offered expiation for the first instance and then broke the oath again afterward. The expiation for an oath may be performed before breaking it, according to the majority of scholars.