224- AND DO NOT LET THE OATH YOU SWEAR BY ALLAH PREVENT YOU FROM DOING GOOD,  ACTING RIGHTEOUSLY AND MAKING PEACE BETWEEN PEOPLE, AND ALLAH HEARS AND KNOWS ALL THINGS.

225- ALLAH DOES NOT HOLD YOU TO ACCOUNT FOR THE OATHS YOU DID NOT MEAN, BUT HOLDS YOU TO ACCOUNT FOR THE OATHS YOU INTENDED IN YOUR HEARTS, AND ALLAH IS MOST FORGIVING AND MOST FORBEARING.

Allah the Highest is giving us two instructions in these two Ayahs:

1-    Acting righteously is better than fulfilling an oath which leads us to act not righteously or less righteously or prevent us from making peace or have good relationship with people. 

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “By Allah and Allah permitting, whenever I swear an oath and find something else to be better, I shall do what is better and ransom my oath”  (B:Iman;1 & M:Iman;7 & Mal:Nozor;11 & A:5;61,62)

It is important to note that one can not make an oath concerning something he does not possess or have control of, nor involving committing a sin.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Neither Nazr nor Oath should be made concerning what the son of Adam does not own, disobeying Allah or breaking ties with blood relations”  (B:Iman;18,31 & D:Iman;21 & N:Iman;31)

Ransoming an Oath:

If a Muslim does not fulfill an oath he or she made or finds that doing something else is better, they should Ransom that oath and do what is better.  Ransoming the Oath is detailed in the following Ayah: “ALLAH DOES NOT HOLD YOU TO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR UNINTENDED OATHS, BUT HOLDS YOU TO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR SERIOUSLY INTENDED OATHS.  IT’S RANDOM IS TO FEED TEN POOR FROM THE AVERAGE THAT YOU FEED YOUR FAMILIES, OR CLOTHING THEM, OR FREEING A SLAVE.  THOSE WHO CAN NOT AFFORD IT, FASTING THREE DAYS.  THIS IS THE RANSOM OF YOU YOUR OATH, SHOULD YOU SWEAR AN OATH.  AND FULFIL YOUR OATH.  ALLAH MAKES HIS AYAHS CLEAR TO PEOPLE, SO THAT THEY MAY GIVE THANKS”.  (S: 5 A: 89)

It is better to Ransom the Oath if it leads to the person’s spouse of family being hurt or upset.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “For one of you to hurt his wife and family with his oath is more sinful than to give the ransom Allah prescribed”.  (M: Iman; 26)

If the Oath Involves Disobeying Allah the Highest, should it be Ransomed?

Some of Allah’s messenger companions, Imam Malek and Imam Shafae think that it does not have to be ransomed as it is not valid in the first place.  Others think that it should not be fulfilled, but still have to be ransomed.

One should not swear an oath concerning something he does not possess or control.  For example not to say that if something happens I shall kill one of my brother’s cows.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “No Nazr or Oath is to be sworn concerning what you do not possess”.  (D: Iman; 12 & N; Iman; 17)

A Muslim should make an oath only by Allah’s name, not be father or mother or any thing else, like food or honor etc.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Allah the Exalted in Power and the Majestic forbids you from swearing by your fathers.  He who swears an oath, he should swear by Allah, or not speak” (B: Iman; 4 & D: Iman; 4 & T: Nozor; 9)

Whenever one swears an Oath, one should also say “If Allah wills”.  Then one leaves the fulfillment of this oath to Allah as he conditioned it by His will.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Whoever swears an oath and says: ‘if Allah will’, he made it conditioned by Allah’s will.  Therefore there is no perjury for him (if he can not fulfill it)”.  (T: Nozor; 7 & D: Iman; 9, 17 & N: Iman; 18)

Also by saying “if Allah wills” when swearing an oath, is calling upon Allah the Highest to help to fulfill it.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Solomon the son of David, Allah’s prophet said: ‘Tonight, I shall go to seventy of my women, each of them will get pregnant and give birth to a boy who shall fight in the cause of Allah’.  An angel said to him: Say if Allah wills.  But he did not say it, he forgot.  None of them got pregnant except one who gave birth to half a boy.  Then Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Had he said: If Allah wills, he would not have perjured his oath and would have been helped to get what he wanted”.  (M: Iman; 23)

Every Muslim should always does his best to fulfill his oaths, if it is not in doing something forbidden, does not hurt others including his family, and if it is the best thing to do.  Allah the Highest said: “AND FULFILL YOUR OATH IF YOU SWEAR AN OATH”.  (S: 5 A: 89)

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi