What is the ruling on excessive oath-taking with God regarding permissible matters such as committing to a diet or studying, and will God hold one accountable for breaking this covenant after atoning for it?
The (religious legal opinion) we adopt states that making a covenant with Allah to perform or abstain from a permissible act is akin to an oath. Whoever breaks their covenant with Allah in such a matter must offer an expiation for an oath (kaffarat ). The expiation for an oath is obligatory for one who breaks their covenant with Allah, based on the saying of Ibn Qudamah: "If one swears by a covenant, or says: 'And by the covenant of Allah, and His guarantee,' then that is an oath, and its expiation becomes obligatory if one breaks it." As for frequently swearing by Allah, it is blameworthy and disliked, based on the Almighty's saying: {And do not obey every frequent swearer, contemptible} (Quran 68:10), and His saying: {And do not make Allah an object for your oaths} (Quran 2:224). If what you covenanted with Allah upon was a permissible matter with no prohibition in it, then you have the choice between fulfilling it or breaking it.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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