Fatwa ID: 04137
Answered by: Maulana Muhammad Asadullah Anwar Adam
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Mufti Saahib,
I am a man full of sins. I am addicted to pornography. I am scared to meet Allah with all these sins I have so I have a question with regards to the breaking of oaths.
I have made a verbal oath that 'Whenever I watch pornography, I will give £100GBP to charity.' This sinner however has committed this sin 400 times. This would mean I now owe £40000.00 GBP and this is money I simply do not have. As a student, I know I won't have this money for a long time.
My question is:
– How many Kaffarah do I have to pay?
– How can I give Kaffarah for this?
الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم اللهِ بِسْمِ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
You will be required to give an expiation (kaffarah) for not fulfilling your vow, [1] which means that even though you said you'd give £100GBP you instead have to pay a specific Kaffarah
The Kaffrah (Expiation) of breaking an oath that you have to pay is mentioned in the Holy Quran Allah (SWA) says;
“……its expiation is to feed ten poor people at an average of what you feed your family with or to clothe them or to free a slave. And whoever finds none shall fast for three days. That is an expiation for your oaths when you have sworn…” [2] (Surah Maaidah v.89)
"Three options have been given here which one may choose at one's discretion (a)To feed 10 poor people two average meals (b)Clothe 10 poor people (sufficient to cover them i.e. an upper and lower garment) (c) free a slave" [3]
"In this verse the first expiation used in connection with Kaffarah of oaths is “itam” which could either mean ‘feed’ or ‘give food’ to someone, hence the jurists have said that the individuals can invite ten poor persons and feed them or he can give the food in their possession. In the first situation, it is necessary that he should feed ten poor persons two meals of the day to take their fill and in the second situation he should give to each of the ten poor persons at the rate of one fitrah per person, that is [3]
1. Approximately 1.6kg of wheat
2. Approximately 3.2kg of barley
3. Or the equivalent of the above in cash.
If a person is unable to feed the poor, then he would fast for three days consecutively according to the Hanafi Fiqh. [3]
The kaffarah is something paid against the broken oath and the oath is normally dropped off after breaking it once, however since you made your oath by saying "whenever" your oath remains but if you break it multiple times without paying its Kaffarah in between you only have to pay its Kaffarah once.
That said viewing pornography is a sin so you should try to refrain from it and ask for Allah’s forgiveness for what you have done before.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Muhammad Asadullah Anwar Adam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1](Mukhtasar Quduuri p.752)
[2](Surah Maaidah v.89)
[3](Maariful Quran p.244 v.3)
