Oaths and Vows

This subtopic gathers questions on swearing by God and breaking an oath, with its expiation. It also holds vows, their binding force and expiation, and conditional oaths that are not divorce formulas.

Questions readers ask here:

Oaths sworn by divorce belong under Divorce Wording, Oaths and Conditions.

172 questions

Are vows made in the mind accompanied by a nod of the head or saying "yes," or uttering "I promise, O Lord" with the intention of fulfilling what is in mind, or swearing by Allah with the intention of fulfilling the vow that is in mind, considered binding vows? And is it obligatory to fulfill a vow of charity if it was not made with the intention of drawing closer to Allah?
Is returning to speak with the first young man after vowing to cut ties with him considered breaking the vow? And what is the expiation for a vow to pray a specific number of rak'ahs at a specific time if it is not fulfilled on time?
Is it permissible for someone who has vowed to Allah to abandon masturbation to engage in it if he fears falling into fornication, or does his vow prevent him from doing so?
What is the ruling on a woman who vowed to recite four thousand glorifications (tasbih) daily, but she is unable to fulfill this due to her busy schedule? Is she sinful, and how can she expiate for her vow?
What is the interpretation of "Many a disheveled, dust-covered person, if he were to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath," and does this mean that if I were to swear by Allah to fulfill something for me, He would do so? And is this permissible?
What is the ruling on someone who vowed to perform I'tikaf (spiritual retreat) for ten days in Makkah, but only performed it for five days and was unable to complete it? Is he obligated to complete the duration, or is an expiation (kaffarah) required of him?
How can I atone for the oaths I broke because of resisting evil whispers, knowing that I do not know their number?
What is the ruling regarding a woman who vowed to pray Salat al-Tasabih daily with the intention that her future husband would pray it with her, but then she was unable to fulfill this vow every day due to fatigue or weakness? Is expiation or making up for these missed days obligatory upon her, and is it permissible for her to also intend it as a Qiyam al-Layl prayer?
Is this covenant binding on the Muslim for life, despite Christianity's breach of the covenant's condition, or is he relieved of the obligation and nothing is incumbent upon him? And if there is an expiation, what is it?
What should a person do if he swore not to turn on the TV to a specific program, but then his family turned it on, or the time of the program coincided with his presence at home and he heard the sound of the program?
What is the ruling on a vow that mentions prayer, and is expiation obligatory for abandoning these emphasized Sunnah prayers during periods of travel and pregnancy, especially given that one of them was specifically the Sunnah of Dhuhr? Is it obligatory to fulfill the vow during travel or not, and if it is, how is it done? Is it obligatory to adhere to all Sunnah prayers during periods of pregnancy, and what is the number of rak'ahs for the Sunnah of Dhuhr that must be adhered to?
What is the expiation for one who swore falsely upon the Quran to deny a theft he committed?
What is the ruling on someone who made vows beyond her capability, namely: donating 25,0 riyals, slaughtering ten camels, and holding a large dinner banquet, but was unable to fulfill them except by fasting for two months?
Is expiation obligatory for someone who vowed to Allah to get rid of obsessive-compulsive disorder but then broke their vow, and is it permissible to make an exception to a vow to Allah, like an oath, and are the oaths of a person suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, who is on the verge of losing their mind, considered binding?
Is what I vowed – to teach my son Islamic knowledge and guide him to it – considered a vow, and is it permissible for me to teach him other sciences so that he may benefit Islam and Muslims, and what are the consequences for me if I am unable to fulfill this vow?
What is the ruling on this oath sworn by a cannabis addict, that he will be eternally in Hell and that no prayer, fasting, or any act of worship will be accepted from him if he returns to it, and will his repentance be accepted after he has returned to it several times, and what must he do for abandoning prayer due to a guilty conscience?
Must one fulfill a vow to build a mosque on land one owns if one comes to need the value of that land after acquiring it?
Is expiation (kaffarah) obligatory for one who broke his oath, while not remembering the type or wording of the oath, and is it permissible to give the monetary value of the expiation to charity funds?
Must I abide by the oath my mother forced upon me, or has my oath been dissolved, and do I owe a separate expiation for each day I used the phone for more than an hour?
Is expiation obligatory with doubt regarding the expiration of the oath's term, given that the swearer predominantly believes the term has expired?
Is expiation obligatory for one who swore, saying: "By Allah, no more playing," intending to frighten his son and encourage him to study, and not intending an oath?
Does the oath of one who swore not to masturbate—believing that masturbation is only sexual practice with the hand—include all types of masturbation?
Is expiation required for an oath sworn on the Qur'an during childhood not to reveal a secret, while not remembering whether it was revealed or not, and if it is required, what is its expiation?
Is it permissible to burn hair, bury it, or place it in flowing water to fulfill a vow made for a brother with autism who was cured?

Oaths and Vows

Is returning to speak with the first young man after vowing to cut ties with him considered breaking the vow? And what is the expiation for a vow to pray a specific number of rak'ahs at a specific time if it is not fulfilled on time?

Is it permissible for someone who has vowed to Allah to abandon masturbation to engage in it if he fears falling into fornication, or does his vow prevent him from doing so?

What is the ruling on a woman who vowed to recite four thousand glorifications (tasbih) daily, but she is unable to fulfill this due to her busy schedule? Is she sinful, and how can she expiate for her vow?

What is the interpretation of "Many a disheveled, dust-covered person, if he were to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath," and does this mean that if I were to swear by Allah to fulfill something for me, He would do so? And is this permissible?

What is the ruling on someone who vowed to perform I'tikaf (spiritual retreat) for ten days in Makkah, but only performed it for five days and was unable to complete it? Is he obligated to complete the duration, or is an expiation (kaffarah) required of him?

How can I atone for the oaths I broke because of resisting evil whispers, knowing that I do not know their number?

Is this covenant binding on the Muslim for life, despite Christianity's breach of the covenant's condition, or is he relieved of the obligation and nothing is incumbent upon him? And if there is an expiation, what is it?

What should a person do if he swore not to turn on the TV to a specific program, but then his family turned it on, or the time of the program coincided with his presence at home and he heard the sound of the program?

What is the expiation for one who swore falsely upon the Quran to deny a theft he committed?

What is the ruling on someone who made vows beyond her capability, namely: donating 25,0 riyals, slaughtering ten camels, and holding a large dinner banquet, but was unable to fulfill them except by fasting for two months?

Is what I vowed – to teach my son Islamic knowledge and guide him to it – considered a vow, and is it permissible for me to teach him other sciences so that he may benefit Islam and Muslims, and what are the consequences for me if I am unable to fulfill this vow?

Must one fulfill a vow to build a mosque on land one owns if one comes to need the value of that land after acquiring it?

Is expiation (kaffarah) obligatory for one who broke his oath, while not remembering the type or wording of the oath, and is it permissible to give the monetary value of the expiation to charity funds?

Must I abide by the oath my mother forced upon me, or has my oath been dissolved, and do I owe a separate expiation for each day I used the phone for more than an hour?

Is expiation obligatory with doubt regarding the expiration of the oath's term, given that the swearer predominantly believes the term has expired?

Is expiation obligatory for one who swore, saying: "By Allah, no more playing," intending to frighten his son and encourage him to study, and not intending an oath?

Does the oath of one who swore not to masturbate—believing that masturbation is only sexual practice with the hand—include all types of masturbation?

Is expiation required for an oath sworn on the Qur'an during childhood not to reveal a secret, while not remembering whether it was revealed or not, and if it is required, what is its expiation?

Is it permissible to burn hair, bury it, or place it in flowing water to fulfill a vow made for a brother with autism who was cured?