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The question

Is expiation obligatory for one who swore an oath out of anger, intending thereby to instill fear and intimidation, while knowing the impossibility of fulfilling the oath?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Frequent swearing is blameworthy in Islamic law, based on the Almighty’s saying: "And do not make [your oath by] Allah an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allah and making peace among people." If an oath is made with intention and purpose, it is binding and requires expiation upon breaking it, even if made in a state of anger that does not incapacitate the mind, or concerning something difficult to fulfill. It is preferable to break such oaths—like not forgiving someone or not speaking to someone—especially if it leads to severing kinship ties or an unlawful boycott of a Muslim, based on the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "If one of you takes an oath and then sees something better than it, let him offer expiation for it and do that which is better."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

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Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
126847
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
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