What is the ruling on one who swore an oath to stop touching pimples, then returned to doing so? Is expiation required of him? And is his action considered unlawful as a form of self-harm, knowing that he finds comfort in it and it might be a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The phrase "I covenant with Allah to do such-and-such" constitutes an oath and a vow if one commits to it as an act of drawing closer to Allah (qurbah) and obedience (ta'ah). It is considered an oath only if one commits to it in matters that are not acts of drawing closer to Allah. Whatever is a vow must be fulfilled. Whatever is an oath, one has the choice between proceeding with it or offering expiation (). It is not permissible to harm oneself unless the questioner is overwhelmed by her circumstances.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/98423
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 98423
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy