What is the ruling on past oaths, and what should I do for Allah to forgive me, and is it obligatory to offer expiation for every oath when their number is unknown?
Oaths are divided into three types:
1. The deliberate oath (al- al-mun'aqidah): This is an oath intended for a future matter, and expiation () is obligatory upon breaking it (hanth), by scholarly consensus. 2. The vain oath (yamin al-laghw): This is an oath uttered without the intention of making an oath, and there is no expiation for it, such as a man saying "No, by Allah" or "Yes, by Allah." Also, if someone swore an oath regarding something he believed to be true, but it turned out to be otherwise, there is no expiation upon him according to the majority of scholars, and this is considered a vain oath. 3. The plungant oath (yamin al-ghamūs): This is swearing an oath about a past matter while lying, and it is one of the major sins. There is no expiation for it according to the majority of scholars because it is too grave to be expiated.
Therefore, for any deliberate oath (mun'aqidah) that was broken, expiation is incumbent. If one forgets the number of oaths, he should make an effort and offer expiations that he presumes will absolve him. If the deliberate oaths were for a single action or refraining from a single thing, then only one expiation is required.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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