What is the expiation required from someone who swore many oaths using the phrase "By God Almighty" that he would not return to a specific action, but then returned to it many times, knowing that he does not remember the number of these oaths, and that the subject of the oath varies with different topics and times?

The ruling on matters of oaths varies according to their formulations. Taking an oath and swearing are synonymous, both being a form of oath. If a person takes an oath or makes a vow multiple times not to return to a specific action, and then returns to it, he owes a single expiation, which is feeding ten poor people or clothing them. Similarly, for every oath concerning a single action or refraining from a single thing, even if the violation is repeated, there is only one expiation. However, if he offered expiation for the first violation and then swore and violated the oath again, he owes another expiation.

If he takes multiple oaths on different things (e.g., "By Allah, I will not eat this food," "By Allah, I will not wear this garment," "By Allah, I will not go to such-and-such a place"), and violates all of them, he must offer expiation three times. If he violates only one, he offers expiation once. This is the view of the majority of scholars. It was also said that he offers a single expiation as long as he has not expiated before, and this is the view of Ishaq and some Hanbalis.

If the oath is a single oath encompassing different categories (e.g., "By Allah, I will neither eat, nor drink, nor wear"), and he violates all of them, there is a single expiation by agreement, because the oath is one and the violation is one.

However, if the oaths are multiple concerning different categories (e.g., "By Allah, I will not eat," "By Allah, I will not drink," "By Allah, I will not wear"), then if he violates one of them, he owes an expiation. If he offers it and then violates another oath, another expiation becomes due. If he violates all of them before offering expiation, he owes an expiation for each oath, and this is the preponderant view among the majority of scholars, while others have held that a single expiation suffices.