Fatwa ID: 09088
Answered by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Question:
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, Respected Shaykh, My question is as follows:
- I had made a promise to Allah that whenever I look at a non-mahram with bad intention, I will keep fasts for each occurrence. I had specified that: If I look once, I will keep 3 fasts If I look twice, I will keep 6 fasts Meaning, for every single occurrence, 3 fasts become obligatory upon me
- Now the issue is that I have done this more than 500 times with bad intention. So, am I required to keep 3 fasts for each occurrence? In other words, do I have to keep a total of 1500 fasts?
- Or is it possible that I may offer the expiation (kaffārah) only once (for example, by keeping 3 fasts), and that would suffice for all of it?
- Furthermore, if I perform the expiation once, will this promise also be considered ended (cancelled), or will it still remain binding, given that I had set the condition of “every time”?
Kindly provide guidance regarding this matter. Jazākumullāhu khayran.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
If you were not yet Baligh at the time of making the oath, then your oath is invalid and may thus be ignored.[1]
On the other hand, if you were Baligh at the time, then first note that for a sane and mature Muslim to make such an oath to Allah ﷻ, knowing full well that it would be almost impossible to avoid breaking the oath and having no genuine intention to fulfil it, is both detestable and disgraceful.[2] One should repent sincerely for their carelessness and make a firm intention never to make such an oath again.
As for your oath, one must fulfil their oath as long as doing so remains possible.[3] From the first instance in which you looked at a non-Mahram inappropriately, you should have begun your fasts. Now these fasts have piled up immensely, and yet it would appear you have taken no real action to fulfil the oath you made to Allah ﷻ. The fulfilment of a promise to Allah ﷻ is of the utmost seriousness, and 1500 fasts is still within the realms of possibility, although it will require you to build a firm habit over a number of years.
Should the number of violations mean you are no longer able to reasonably fulfil the fasts required of you, then you may give Kaffarah as expiation for your oath.[4] One Kaffarah suffices for all of the violations of your oath that have passed.[5] Thus, you must either feed or clothe ten poor people.[6] If neither of these are possible, only then may you fast for three days, thus expiating you from your past violations of your oath.[7]
However, because of the phrasing of your oath, every time you look at a non-Mahram with evil intentions in the future, you will once again be similarly required to perform a fast or give Kaffarah.[8] You may find it expedient to include a clause in your will requesting your inheritors to pay Kaffarah on your behalf from your assets when you pass away.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
(وَأَمَّا شَرَائِطُهَا فِي الْيَمِينِ بِاَللَّهِ تَعَالَى) فَفِي الْحَلِفِ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَاقِلًا بَالِغًا، فَلَا يَصِحُّ يَمِينُ الْمَجْنُونِ، وَالصَّبِيِّ، وَإِنْ كَانَ عَاقِلًا
Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 2, pg. 51, Darul Fikr
[2]
{ وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ۞}
Surah Al-Qalam 10
[3]
{ لَّا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ ۞}
Surah Al-Baqarah 225
[4]
{ لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الْأَيْمَانَ ۖ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ۞}
Surah Al-Ma’idah 89
[5]
وَلَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ يَمِينَانِ فَكَسَا عَشَرَةَ مَسَاكِينَ كُلَّ مِسْكِينٍ ثَوْبَيْنِ عَنْهُمَا أَجْزَأَهُ عَنْ يَمِينٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فِي قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَأَبِي يُوسُفَ – رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى
Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 2, pg. 62, Darul Fikr
[6]
وَهِيَ أَحَدُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ إنْ قَدَرَ عِتْقَ رَقَبَةٍ يُجْزِئُ فِيهَا مَا يُجْزِئُ فِي الظِّهَارِ أَوْ كِسْوَةَ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ ثَوْبٌ فَمَا زَادَ وَأَدْنَاهُ مَا يَجُوزُ فِيهِ الصَّلَاةُ أَوْ إطْعَامَهُمْ وَالْإِطْعَامُ فِيهَا كَالْإِطْعَامِ فِي كَفَّارَةِ الظِّهَارِ
Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 2, pg. 61, Darul Fikr
[7]
فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى أَحَدِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ الثَّلَاثَةِ صَامَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مُتَتَابِعَاتٍ وَهَذِهِ كَفَّارَةُ الْمُعْسِرِ وَالْأَوْلَى كَفَّارَةُ الْمُوسِرِ وَحَدُّ الْيَسَارِ فِي كَفَّارَةِ الْيَمِينِ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ فَضْلٌ عَلَى كَفَافِهِ مِقْدَارَ مَا يُكَفِّرُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَهَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي مِلْكِهِ عَيْنُ الْمَنْصُوصِ عَلَيْهِ أَمَّا إذَا كَانَ فِي مِلْكِهِ عَيْنُ الْمَنْصُوصِ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي مِلْكِهِ عَبْدٌ أَوْ كِسْوَةٌ أَوْ طَعَامُ عَشَرَةٍ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَصُومَ
Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 2, pg. 61, Darul Fikr
[8]
وَبِالْيَمِينِ الثَّانِيَةِ كَلَّمَ مَعَهُ فَيَلْزَمُهُ جَزَاؤُهُ وَهُوَ دِرْهَمٌ وَبَقِيَتْ الْيَمِينُ مُنْعَقِدَةً بِحَالِهَا؛ لِأَنَّهَا عُقِدَتْ بِكَلِمَةِ كُلَّمَا
Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 2, pg. 110, Darul Fikr