Is swearing considered a lie requiring expiation, or is it an act of obedience to the employer with no consequences, when a guard is asked to tell inquirers that the employer is not present, even if he is, and is forced to swear to that effect?

Lying is forbidden (haram), and swearing an oath upon it is even more severely forbidden, known as "al-yameen al-ghamoos" (the immersive oath). Its expiation (kaffarah) is sincere repentance to Allah and increasing good deeds, which remove bad deeds. Some scholars are of the opinion that it is obligatory to offer the expiation for an oath (feeding or clothing ten poor people, or freeing a slave; or fasting three days if one cannot find these). It was possible to avoid the oath by using equivocation (tawriyah) and allusive speech (ta'reed).