The Chapters on Expiation

كتاب الكفارات

Chapter 7: One who swears an oath and then sees that something else is better

It was narrated from Abul-Ahwas 'Awf bin Malik Al- Jushami that his father said

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my cousin comes to me and I swear that I will not give him anything or uphold the ties of kinship with him.' He said: 'Offer expiation for what you swore about.'"

Chapter 8: Those who say that the expiation is to not fulfill it

It was narrated from 'Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"Whoever takes an oath to cut off the ties of kinship, or to do something that is not right, the fulfillment of his vow is not to do that."

It was narrated from 'Amr bin Shu'aib, from his father, that his grandfather said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said

"Whoever swears an oath then sees that something else is better than it, let him not do it, and his leaving it is the expiation for it. "

Chapter 9: How much food should be given when atoning for what one swore about?

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered expiation of a Sa' of dates, and he enjoined the people to do likewise. Whoever does not have that (must give) half a Sa' of wheat."

Chapter 10: (Expiation should be) with (the average) food that you feed your families

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said

"A man would give his family food that was abundant and another would give his family food that was barely sufficient, then the following was revealed: 'With the Awsat of that with which you feed your families...’”(2)

Chapter 11: Prohibition of a man insisting on what he swore about, and not offering expiation

It was narrated that Hammam heard Abu Hurairah saying that 'Abul-Qasim (ﷺ) said

"If anyone of you insists on fulfilling what he swore to (after learning that it is wrong) then it is more sinful before Allah than (breaking the oath for which) the expiation that has been enjoined upon him."

Chapter 12: Helping others fulfill their oaths

It was narrated that Bara' bin 'Azib said

'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to help fulfill the oath."

It was narrated from Mujahid, that 'Abdur-Rahman bin Safwan, or Safwan bin 'Abdur- Rahman Al-Qurashi said

"On the Day of the conquest of Makkah, he came with his father and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, give my father a share of Hijrah.' He said: 'There is no Hijrah.' Then he went away and entered upon 'Abbas and said: 'Do you know who I am?' He said: 'Yes.' Then 'Abbas went out, wearing a shirt and no upper wrap, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, do you know so-and-so with whom we have friendly ties? He brought his father to swear an oath of allegiance (i.e., promise) to emigrate.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'There is no Hijrah.'" 'Abbas said: 'I adjure you to do it.' The Prophet (ﷺ) stretched forth his hand and touched his hand, and said: 'I have fulfilled the oath of my uncle, but there is no Hijrah."' (Da'if)Another chain with similar wording. Yazid bin Abu Ziyad said: "Meaning: There is no Hijrah from a land whose people have accepted Islam."

Chapter 13: Prohibition on saying: “What Allah wills and you will”

It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

'When anyone of you swears an oath, let him not say: 'What Allah wills and what you will.' Rather let him say: 'What Allah wills and then what you will.'

It was narrated from Hudhaifah bin Yaman that

a Muslim man saw in a dream that he met a man from among the People of the Book, who said: "What good people you would be if only you were not committing Shirk. For you say: 'What Allah wills and Muhammad wills."' He mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: "By Allah, I am aware of that. Say: 'What Allah wills then what Muhammad wills."'Another chain from Tufail bin Sakhbarah, the brother of 'Aishah by her mother, from the Prophet (ﷺ), with similar wording.

Chapter 14: One who uses ambiguous words in his oath

It was narrated that Suwaid bin Hanzalah said

"We went out looking for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Wa'il bin Hujr was with us. An enemy of his seized him and the people were reluctant to swear an oath but I swore that he was my brother, so they set him free. We came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I told him that the people had been reluctant to swear an oath, but I had sworn that he was my brother. He said: 'You told the truth. The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim.' "

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"The oath is only according to the intention of the one who requests the oath to be taken."'

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"Your oath is as your companion understands it to be."

Chapter 15: The prohibition of vows

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade vows and said: 'They are just a means of taking wealth from the miserly."'

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"Vows do not bring the son of Adam anything unless it has been decreed for him. But he is dominated by Divine preordainment, and will get what is decreed for him. And (vows) are a means of making the miser give something, so what he desires becomes obtainable for him, which was not obtainable before his vow. And Allah says: 'Spend, I will spend on you.'

Chapter 16: Vows for disobedience

It was narrated from 'Imran bin Husain that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"[There is no vow to commit disobedience and] no vow concerning that which the son of Adam does not possess."

It was narrated from 'Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"There is no vow to commit disobedience, and the expiation (for such a vow) is the expiation for breaking an oath."

It was narrated from 'Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him. "

Chapter 17: One who makes a vow but does not state it specifically

It was narrated from 'Uqbah bin 'Amit Al-Juhani that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

"Whoever makes a vow and does not state it specifically, the expiation (for such a vow) is the expiation for breaking an oath. "

lt was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet (ﷺ) said

"Whoever makes a vow and does not state it specifically, the expiation (for such a vow) is the expiation for breaking an oath. Whoever makes a vow and is not able to fulfill it, the expiation for that is the expiation for breaking an oath. Whoever makes a vow and is able to fulfill it, let him do so."