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Is expiation obligatory upon one who has sworn many oaths and then broken them due to compulsive obsessive disorder (waswas)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Severe obsessive doubt (waswasa) has been mentioned by scholars as a reason for alleviation (takhfif). The person afflicted by waswasa is one who doubts in acts of worship and frequently experiences this doubt. Such a person should not pay attention to the waswasa; rather, they should proceed based on what they genuinely believe. An oath you make under the influence of waswasa, without intention or will, does not require expiation (kaffarah) from you, because Allah Almighty does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. It is obligatory to avoid uttering oaths as much as possible. As for the oath that necessitates expiation, it is one that you make with intention, purpose, and certainty.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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