Fatwa #1404816 March 2006United States of America
I had made these oaths by myself in my heart:1.Would I have to make Kaffara for this?
Question
I had made these oaths by myself in my heart:
***like once... I swear by Allah (in urdu like: Mein Allah Ki Kasam khata hoon) that I will not do this X thing. Then after
few days I broke the oath and again started doing it. Then again made the same oath(as above) for the same thing and then broke it again.
***When I saw that the first thing was working(for few days) I made another oath that by Allah(swt) I will do Y thing regulary
but could not do it continually for some days that means even this oath was broken.
Also presently I am in USA for couple of years and my parents/relatives are in India.
1.Would I have to make Kaffara for this? (While making the oath I was not aware that I have to make the kaffara but now I came to know that I should.)
2.Please let me know what would be the Kaffara for this if needed? I think I have to do Kaffara for 3 oaths, right?3.Can I make the kaffara in India by asking my parents to do it?
4.Would the Kaffara be made according to US values or I can do it in India values (for eg price of 1kg rice etc.)
***like once... I swear by Allah (in urdu like: Mein Allah Ki Kasam khata hoon) that I will not do this X thing. Then after
few days I broke the oath and again started doing it. Then again made the same oath(as above) for the same thing and then broke it again.
***When I saw that the first thing was working(for few days) I made another oath that by Allah(swt) I will do Y thing regulary
but could not do it continually for some days that means even this oath was broken.
Also presently I am in USA for couple of years and my parents/relatives are in India.
1.Would I have to make Kaffara for this? (While making the oath I was not aware that I have to make the kaffara but now I came to know that I should.)
2.Please let me know what would be the Kaffara for this if needed? I think I have to do Kaffara for 3 oaths, right?3.Can I make the kaffara in India by asking my parents to do it?
4.Would the Kaffara be made according to US values or I can do it in India values (for eg price of 1kg rice etc.)
Answer
An oath (Qasam) is only regarded as an oath in the Shari’ah if it is verbally utterred. If a person does not make the oath verbally, rather he says it to himself in his heart, it will not be regarded in the Shari’ah as an oath.
If he does something contrary to the oath he has made in his heart, he will not be regarded as Hanith, i.e. a person who has broken his oath. Hence, he will not have to give any Kaffaarah for the oath. (Raddul Muhtaar vol.2 pg.433; HM Saeed)
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai