He reported God’s Messenger as saying, "I swear by God that it is more sinful in God’s sight for one of you to persist in his oath regarding his family than to give for it the atonement God has imposed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
Oaths and Vows - Mishkat al-Masabih 3414
This noble hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim addresses the gravity of persisting in oaths concerning one's family. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) swears by God Himself to emphasize the severity of this matter, indicating its tremendous importance in the divine scale.
The Sin of Persisting in Oaths
The phrase "more sinful in God's sight" demonstrates that clinging to an oath that causes harm to one's family constitutes a major sin. Scholars explain that when an oath leads to the neglect of marital rights, family obligations, or causes hardship to household members, persisting in such an oath becomes disobedience to God's mercy.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments that the oath referred to here is what is known as "yamin al-ghamūs" - the oath that plunges one into sin, particularly when it involves severing relations with family or withholding what is rightfully due to them.
The Preferability of Atonement
The hadith clearly establishes that paying the prescribed kaffarah (atonement) is far better than maintaining an oath that brings harm. The atonement for breaking an oath is detailed in Surah al-Ma'idah (5:89): feeding ten needy persons, clothing them, or freeing a slave, with fasting three days as an alternative for those unable to perform these acts.
Al-Nawawi explains that this teaching reflects Islam's flexibility and mercy. God has made the path of atonement easy so that Muslims need not burden themselves or their families with unnecessary restrictions born from momentary oaths.
Practical Application
This hadith teaches us to prioritize family harmony over rigid adherence to oaths. When an oath causes difficulty or harm to family members, the wiser and more pious course is to break the oath and perform the prescribed expiation.
Scholars emphasize that this principle extends beyond literal family members to include anyone under one's care or for whom one bears responsibility. The essence is that maintaining good relations and fulfilling obligations takes precedence over upholding oaths that contradict these higher objectives of Shariah.