Fatwa ID: 06706

 

Answered by: Mufti Mohammed Dilwar Hussain

 

Question:

 

A long time ago before doing a medical test for a disease I said something like, O Allah, I am taking a qasam that, if you make the test result return negative, I will never play a specific mobile game again. The test result came negative. But now I really want to play that game. I don’t know whether my promise was a promise, a vow or an oath. If I play that game again will I receive sin for breaking the promise every time I play that game? Or would I receive sin for breaking that promise only the first time I play that game? And do I then have to offer any expiation? Or do I have to abide by this promise for the rest of my life?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Vows/oaths can be broken down into a few types;

 

• Those which must be fulfilled (i.e., in the obeyance of Allāh Ta’ālā)
• Those which must be broken (i.e., in relation to a sinful act)
• Those which it is better to break the oath (e.g., vow to sever a family tie)
• Those which it is equal whether the oath is kept or broken

 

Allāh Ta’ālā says “Allāh does not hold you accountable for your laghw (ineffectual) oaths, but He does hold you accountable for the oath with which you have bound yourself. Its expiation is to feed ten poor persons at an average of what you feed your family with, or to clothe them, or to free a slave. However, if someone cannot afford it, he has to fast for three days. That is expiation for the oaths that you have sworn. Take care of your oaths. That is how Allāh makes His signs clear to you, so that you may be grateful. [Surah Al-Mā’idah; 5:8 ] [1]

 

From this verse, we understand the process of expiating one’s vow. The process should be exacted in the order which has come in the verse. The first would be to feed ten people two meals a day, the amount that we would eat ourselves. Alternatively, the same person can be fed for ten days. If one is unable to do this, then the second option would be to clothe ten people. The minimum criteria of the garment would be that which suffices for one to perform Sālah in, that could be a single garment or multiple garments. If one is unable to do this, then the third option is to free a slave. This is nigh impossible to fulfil today. The final option is, if one is unable to fulfil any of the three options above, one must fast for three consecutive days.

 

 

This is the method of expiating a single vow.

 

From what you have described of your situation, it seems that your oath would fall under the fourth category (those in which it is equal whether the oath is kept or broke).

 

 

It should also be understood that the playing of games is something which is not promoted in Islam. The reason for this is as follows,

 

“And from among the people, there is he who buys the distracting amusement of things, so that he, being devoid of knowledge, may mislead (people) from the Way of Allāh and make a mockery of it. Such people are the ones for whom there is a disgraceful punishment.” [Surah Luqman, 31;6] [2]

 

Any activity which takes us away from the path of Allāh Ta’ālā or distracts us from His worship would be considered impermissible. Games have this effect. They are of no sound benefit, neither educational nor otherwise. They bring about no benefit and squander time which could have otherwise been spent in more beneficial ways. Many times, there are impermissible music and images being listened to or viewed.

 

Overall, we find that if you find it essential to break your oath, then the expiation for it will be as described above. However, in this instance, it would not be advisable to break it for such a reason as we see very little to no benefit in playing games.

 

 

Only Allāh knows best.

Written by Mufti Mohammed Dilwar Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

}[1]لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغۡوِ فِيٓ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلۡأَيۡمَٰنَۖ فَكَفَّٰرَتُهُۥٓ إِطۡعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَٰكِينَ مِنۡ أَوۡسَطِ مَا تُطۡعِمُونَ أَهۡلِيكُمۡ أَوۡ كِسۡوَتُهُمۡ أَوۡ تَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَة فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّام ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّٰرَةُ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ إِذَا حَلَفۡتُمۡۚ وَٱحۡفَظُوٓاْ أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ{

 

 

}[2]وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن یَشۡتَرِی لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِیثِ لِیُضِلَّ عَن سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمࣲ وَیَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًاۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابࣱ مُّهِینࣱ {