What are the consequences of breaking the two aforementioned oaths, what is the ruling on fasting the three days that preceded the knowledge of the expiation, and is it permissible to delay the expiation while fearing death before performing it?
Violating an oath (al-hinth) is not forbidden unless the oath was to perform an obligation or avoid a forbidden act.
In summary, the rulings on violating and fulfilling an oath are: Whoever swears to perform a disliked act or abandon a recommended act: it is sunnah (recommended) to violate the oath and disliked to fulfill it. Whoever swears to perform a recommended act or abandon a disliked act: it is disliked to violate the oath and sunnah (recommended) to fulfill it. Whoever swears to perform an obligatory act or abandon a forbidden act: it is forbidden to violate the oath and obligatory to fulfill it. Whoever swears to perform a forbidden act or abandon an obligatory act: it is obligatory to violate the oath and forbidden to fulfill it. Whoever swears concerning a permissible act: they have the choice between violating or fulfilling the oath, but preserving the oath is more preferable in this case.
If multiple oaths are taken, but their consequence is the same, only one expiation (kaffarah) is required. This also applies if oaths are repeated for different actions before expiation is performed. Fasting is not sufficient for the expiation of an oath except when unable to free a slave, clothe, or feed. The standard for inability is that one does not have surplus from their and their family's food for the day and night that would be sufficient for expiation. It is not required for the feeding to be of cooked food; rather, what is obligatory is to give the poor person 750 grams of staple grains.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/188155