Is saying, "I swear by God that if I don't do what I say, everything between us will end," considered an oath, and is it permissible to break it, and what is required of the one who says it if he is unable to abide by it?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
What is apparent is that an oath is not established merely by writing without intention, and that writing an oath is considered a metonymy (kinayah). So, if an oath by Allah is written without intending it, it is not established. The evidence for this is that uttering the oath is a condition, and the Shafi’is hold that explicit writing is considered a metonymy, and an oath by Allah is not established by metonymy. Therefore, as long as the intention is absent when writing, no expiation is required upon violating it. In addition, it is not permissible for a man and a woman to establish a friendly relationship.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/119227
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 119227
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy