What do you do about the oaths you have sworn, such as swearing not to speak to your mother and then speaking to her, and swearing to expose your sister and then not doing so, knowing that you regret swearing so much?

Allah Almighty commanded the preservation of oaths and not to rush into them. Scholars divided that which is sworn upon into five categories: known to be true, known to be false, presumed to be true, presumed to be false, and doubtful. It is only permissible to swear an oath upon that which is known to be true. An oath sworn upon that which is known to be true is a righteous oath, and such oaths are found in the words of Allah Almighty, as in His saying: "So by the Lord of the heaven and earth, indeed, it is the truth."

The questioner must only swear oaths upon that which is certain and must continue her regret and repentance for false oaths. Her oath not to speak to her mother and to expose her sister are oaths that should not have been taken, nor should they be fulfilled, due to the disobedience and harm to Muslims involved. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Do not harm the servants of Allah, nor shame them, nor seek out their faults."

Her not fulfilling what she swore upon is the prescribed action, and she is obligated to offer expiation for each oath, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "If you swear an oath and then see that something else is better than it, then offer expiation for your oath and do that which is better." The expiation for an oath is: feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave; and whoever cannot find [means to do so], then fasting three days for each oath.