Oaths and Vows

Oaths (ayman) and vows (nudhur) are two distinct but related categories in Islamic law that involve invoking Allah's name or making a commitment before Him. Both are treated with great seriousness, and both have detailed rulings regarding their validity, effect, and the consequences of violation.

Oaths (Yamin): An oath in Islamic law is a statement in which one invokes the name of Allah — or one of His attributes — to affirm the truth of a statement or to commit to an action. The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade swearing by other than Allah: "Whoever swears, let him swear by Allah or remain silent" (Bukhari and Muslim). Swearing by other than Allah — such as by the Prophet, a prophet, the Kaaba, or one's life — is forbidden and may constitute shirk if one assigns the status of divinity to that thing.

Types of Oaths: (1) Yamin al-laghw (idle oath) — an oath taken unintentionally or out of habit without serious resolve, such as casually saying "by Allah, I will do this." There is no expiation for this and no sin. (2) Yamin al-ghamuus (perjurious oath) — deliberately swearing falsely about a past or present matter. This is a major sin (kabeerah) for which there is no expiation but sincere repentance and restitution. (3) Yamin al-mun'aqidah (binding oath) — a deliberate oath about a future action. This is the type that carries expiation (kaffarah) when broken.

Kaffarah for Breaking an Oath: Allah Most High prescribes: "Its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your own families, or clothing them, or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [such means] — then fasting for three days" (al-Ma'idah 5:89). The three options of feeding, clothing, and freeing a slave are alternatives; one performs any one of them. If unable to do any of the three, one fasts three days. Feeding ten poor people means giving each one the equivalent of a full meal or its monetary equivalent.

Vows (Nudhur): A vow (nadhr) is a commitment made to Allah to perform an act of worship that is not already obligatory. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Fulfill your vows, for fulfilling vows does not give the son of Adam anything that Allah has not decreed for him" (Bukhari). Making a vow is discouraged, but once made it becomes obligatory to fulfill. A vow must be for a lawful act of worship — a vow to do something sinful is not binding and should not be fulfilled. A vow may not be in an act of disobedience to Allah.

Expiation for Breaking a Vow: If a person makes a vow and is unable to fulfill it, or fulfills it partially, the kaffarah for breaking an oath applies, according to the Hanbali school.