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The question

Must all mentioned oaths and vows be fulfilled?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

What you have mentioned is either affirmed by an oath or a vow, or merely an intention.

First Case: Oath or Vow: If you swore an oath or made a vow to perform an act of obedience or abstain from a sin, fulfilling it becomes obligatory. If fulfilling an act of obedience becomes impossible (like someone who vowed to spend all his money and it would harm him), or if you did something you swore not to do (like someone who swore not to shave his beard then shaved it), or if you did not do something you swore to do (like someone who swore to buy books or give money but did not), then an expiation for breaking an oath (kaffarat yameen) becomes obligatory. The rule for oaths and vows is one: expiation is obligatory upon breaking them, even if there is an excuse. If you repeat an oath concerning a single matter and break it, then only one expiation is required of you. However, if you repeat oaths concerning multiple actions, then each oath requires an expiation. If you swore an oath concerning something and then found something better, do what is better and expiate for your oath.

Second Case: Mere Intention (without an oath or vow): If you did not swear an oath or make a vow, but merely intended to do something, then you are not required to pay expiation for an oath. However, you must repent for anything that violates Islamic law and adhere to truthfulness and fulfillment.

Note: If you were a minor who had not reached puberty, there is no expiation required of you, because a minor is not held accountable. However, he should be brought up to revere oaths.

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

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