What is the ruling on someone who has sworn multiple oaths not to travel to a certain place? Is a single expiation for an oath (kaffarat yameen) sufficient if they do not travel to the sworn-upon place and then wish to travel? Should they expiate first or travel? Is it sufficient to give the monetary value of the expiation (the price of one kilogram of rice multiplied by ten) to one person, or to more than ten people, or to six? And is giving double this value (the price of one kilogram of rice multiplied by twenty) more cautious?

Scholars have differed regarding one who swears multiple oaths concerning a single matter. The majority are of the opinion that a single expiation is due upon breaking the oath. They based this on what Abdur-Razzaq, Al-Bayhaqi, and Ibn Hazm narrated with an authentic chain from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: "If you swear repeatedly, then there is only one expiation." Accordingly, if a person travels to the place about which he swore an oath, then he owes only one expiation.

The principle is that he should travel first and then expiate, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "By Allah, if Allah wills, I will not swear an oath and then see something else better than it, except that I will do that which is better and release myself from it." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). There is no harm in expiating before his travel.

As for paying the value of the expiation, the majority of scholars hold that it is not permissible to give money in lieu of food, based on Allah's saying: "Its expiation is the feeding of ten poor persons" (Al-Ma'idah: 89). However, whoever gives the value, relying on the opinion that it is permissible, his expiation is valid. It is obligatory to distribute it among ten poor persons, though if he gives it to one poor person, it is sufficient according to some scholars.