Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
Is it necessary to fulfill an oath (qasam)?
If a person swears an oath regarding a particular matter, and later realizes that doing something else would be better, then he should do what is better and offer the expiation (kaffārah) for breaking the oath.
In such a case, it is not necessary for him to fulfill the oath.
❀ Sayyidunā Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ، فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا، إِلَّا أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ، وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا"
“I do not swear an oath and then see something else as better, except that I do what is better and expiate for the oath.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3133 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1649
❀ Sayyidunā ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Samurah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"إِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ، فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا، فَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ، وَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ"
“When you swear an oath to do something, and then you see something else to be better, then do what is better and offer the kaffārah for your oath.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6722 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1652
❀ He said:
“A proposal for my sister's marriage came to me. My cousin also proposed, and I gave her in marriage to him. He later issued a revocable divorce (ṭalāq rajʿī), and after her ʿiddah ended, he sent a new marriage proposal.
I said, ‘By Allah! I will never marry her to him again.’
Then this verse was revealed concerning my situation:
﴿وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾
“And when you divorce women and they have reached the end of their waiting period, do not prevent them from remarrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree in a fair manner.”
(Sūrah al-Baqarah: 232)
After that, I offered kaffārah for my oath and remarried her to him.
Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2087 – Chain is ḥasan (sound)
① If a person takes an oath, but later discovers that doing something else is better, he should:
✔ Perform the better action
✔ Pay the kaffārah for breaking the oath
② In such a case, fulfilling the oath is not obligatory.
③ This ruling is established through authentic narrations from the Prophet ﷺ and the practice of his Companions رضي الله عنهم.
❖ Question:
Is it necessary to fulfill an oath (qasam)?
✿ Answer:
If a person swears an oath regarding a particular matter, and later realizes that doing something else would be better, then he should do what is better and offer the expiation (kaffārah) for breaking the oath.
In such a case, it is not necessary for him to fulfill the oath.
❖ Evidences from the Sunnah:
❀ Sayyidunā Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ، فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا، إِلَّا أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ، وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا"
“I do not swear an oath and then see something else as better, except that I do what is better and expiate for the oath.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3133 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1649❀ Sayyidunā ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Samurah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"إِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ، فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا، فَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ، وَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ"
“When you swear an oath to do something, and then you see something else to be better, then do what is better and offer the kaffārah for your oath.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6722 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1652❖ Incident of Sayyidunā Maʿqil bin Yasār رضي الله عنه:
❀ He said:
“A proposal for my sister's marriage came to me. My cousin also proposed, and I gave her in marriage to him. He later issued a revocable divorce (ṭalāq rajʿī), and after her ʿiddah ended, he sent a new marriage proposal.
I said, ‘By Allah! I will never marry her to him again.’
Then this verse was revealed concerning my situation:
﴿وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾
“And when you divorce women and they have reached the end of their waiting period, do not prevent them from remarrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree in a fair manner.”
(Sūrah al-Baqarah: 232)After that, I offered kaffārah for my oath and remarried her to him.
Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2087 – Chain is ḥasan (sound)
Conclusion:
① If a person takes an oath, but later discovers that doing something else is better, he should:
✔ Perform the better action
✔ Pay the kaffārah for breaking the oath
② In such a case, fulfilling the oath is not obligatory.
③ This ruling is established through authentic narrations from the Prophet ﷺ and the practice of his Companions رضي الله عنهم.
