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What is the ruling on falsely swearing to one's wife to avoid the destruction of the family, and is expiation (kaffarah) required for such an oath, and what should a person do if such a situation recurs?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Conversing with a foreign woman is Haram (unlawful) in Sharia until the marriage contract (Nikah) is concluded. Taking a false oath (Yamin Ghamus) has no expiation according to many scholars, but it is recommended to offer the expiation for an oath. If refraining from swearing would lead to harm, then it is permissible to swear falsely. The unlawful relationship with the woman must be severed until the marriage contract is concluded. Polygyny is permissible under certain conditions, and wisdom should be exercised in discussing this with the current wife, explaining its permissibility in Sharia.

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

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