Expiation of oaths whose number is unknown

16-1-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

In the past, whenever I felt angry, I used to say, "By Allaah, The Great, I will not do this." But I did not make expiation for breaking my oaths. I have forgotten the number of those oaths. What should I do? May Allaah Reward you.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

It is due on a Muslim to guard his tongue against frequently swearing by Allaah The Almighty because doing this takes the feeling of Allaah’s greatness and awe away from the heart. This is the most dangerous evil a slave may encounter because it leads him to easily fall into sins and neglect the acts of worship. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

·        {And do not make your oaths by Allaah an excuse...} [Quran 2:224]

·        {But guard your oaths...} [Quran 5:89]

Allaah The Almighty Joined excessive taking of oaths with ugly attributes as He Says (what means): {And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip – A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful…} [Quran 68:10-12]

It is due on you, my dear brother, to strive your utmost to know the number of those oaths you have broken in order to make expiation for all of them. If you fail to know the number with certainty, you should observe caution when counting them.

Allaah Knows best.