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Does the absence of expiation for an oath sworn falsely (yamin al-ghamūs) mean there is no repentance from this sin, and does Allah forgive all sins if the repentance is sound and sincere?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

An-Nisa al-Ghamus (the perjured oath) is a false oath by which the swearer seizes another's property. It is called such because it plunges its taker into sin, and then into the Hellfire. Scholars differed on whether expiation is obligatory for it. The majority of them (Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali schools) hold that it is not obligatory, while the Shafi'i school maintains its obligation.

The correct view among the sayings of scholars is that it is one of the major sins and does not require expiation. Rather, it necessitates repentance and seeking forgiveness, as expiation does not atone for its sin. An-Nisa al-Ghamus, like other sins, is expiated by sincere repentance, for Allah forgives all sins for whoever repents from them, in accordance with His saying: (Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by committing sins], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.") Az-Zumar/53.

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

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