Expiation for a Broken Oath

Question:
I committed myself to an oath, but later, for some reason, had to break it. What is my atonement?

Response:
The Qur'an says:

"Allah will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth Allah make clear to you His signs, that ye may be grateful." (5:89)

So as for our casual undertakings, the Almighty will not hold us responsible for them. However, with committing to solemn oaths, we are expected to abide by them and to fulfill them. We must not break away unless there is a genuine reason. When we do break our oaths, as per the Qur'an, we may only expiate ourselves from the crime either be feeding ten persons (with the quality and quantity that we feed ourselves with normally), or clothe ten needy persons, or free a slave. If and only is you cannot handle either of the three for valid reasons, you are required to fast for three days instead.

In the case of feeding ten persons, they do not have to be beggars. You only need to look for persons who can benefit for your offering, since there are many people in our society who work hard and diligently to make ends meet, and yet, fall below our minimum acceptable standard of living. Many a times, one may even find ten persons of one family alone, which can be fed one proper meal (as we would have for our ownselves and our families).

If it is a lady who has broken her oath, she may call upon her man - whom she trusts - to look out for ten such people, for she may not always be in a position to go out and find ten genuinely poor persons.

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