بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

False Oaths and Breaking an Oath — In the Light of Hadith

Severe Prohibition of Deliberately Swearing a False Oath:

“Hazrat Ibn Mas‘ud رضي الله عنه narrates that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Whoever swears an oath in order to unlawfully take the wealth of a Muslim will meet Allah while He is غضب (angry) with him.’ The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited to us a verse from the Book of Allah confirming this meaning:
‘بے شک وہ لوگ جو اللہ کے عہد اور اپنی قسموں کے ذریعے سے تھوڑا سا مول لے لیتے ہیں، ان کا آخرت میں کوئی حصہ نہیں ہو گا اور نہ قیامت والے دن اللہ سے کلام کرے گا، نہ ان کی طرف نظر رحمت سے دیکھے گا۔ (آل عمران . ۷۷)’” (صحیح بخاری ، صحیح مسلم)

“Hazrat Abu Umamah Iyas ibn Tha‘labah al-Harith رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whoever, by means of a (false) oath, takes the right of a Muslim, Allah makes Jannah (Paradise) حرام (forbidden) upon him.’ A man asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, even if it is something small?’ He ﷺ replied: ‘Even if it is a twig of the peelu tree.’” (صحیح مسلم)

“Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As رضي الله عنه narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Among the gravest sins are: associating partners with Allah, disobedience to parents, unlawfully killing a soul, and swearing a false oath.’” (صحیح بخاری)

And in another narration in Bukhari, a Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What are the major sins?” He ﷺ said: “Associating partners with Allah.” He asked: “Then what?” He ﷺ said: “A false oath.” The narrator says: I asked, “What is a false oath?” He ﷺ replied: “It is that by which one takes the wealth of a Muslim—swearing while he is lying.” (صحیح بخاری)

If One Swears an Oath Not to Do a Good Deed or to Commit a Wrong, He Should Break the Oath and Offer Expiation (Kaffarah):

“Hazrat ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: ‘When you swear an oath regarding something, then later consider it better not to fulfill that oath, do what is better and offer expiation (Kaffarah) for your oath.’” (صحیح بخاری ، صحیح مسلم)

“Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whoever swears an oath to do something and then sees that something else is better, he should offer expiation for his oath and do what is better.’” (صحیح مسلم)

“Hazrat Abu Musa رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘By Allah! If Allah wills, I do not swear an oath regarding something and then see a better alternative except that I offer expiation for my oath and adopt what is better.’” (صحیح بخاری ، صحیح مسلم)

“Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said: ‘For one of you to persist in his oath regarding his family is more sinful in the sight of Allah than that he should offer the expiation which Allah has made obligatory upon him for breaking it.’” (صحیح بخاری ، صحیح مسلم)

That is, if a person sees goodness in not fulfilling his oath, he should not continue thinking: “I have sworn an oath, so whether it brings benefit or harm, I am compelled to act upon it (even if it goes against Shari‘ah).” Rather, the Shari‘ah has instructed that in such situations one should break the oath and offer its expiation.