QUESTION:
It was a conversation between three people. Person A told Person B that after they complete the Aalim course, they will go to Tanzania in Jamaat (Person B is from Tanzania). Person C then took a Qasm that he will join them. Person C was then advised not to take a Qasm. He then made Istighfaar. Will this be considered a broken oath?
ANSWER:
Generally, an oath is enacted by using any of the letters of Qasm together with the name of Allah Ta’ala. However, the jurists have written that oaths are based on ‘URF’ (common understanding amongst the people). Hence, if people commonly use a certain term to take a Qasm, then the Qasm will be enacted by using the stipulated term.
فَإِنَّ الْأَيْمَانَ مَبْنِيَّةٌ عَلَى الْعُرْفِ، فَمَا تُعُورِفَ الْحَلِفُ بِهِ فَيَمِينٌ وَمَا لَا فَلَا.
(لَا) يُقْسَمُ (بِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى كَالنَّبِيِّ وَالْقُرْآنِ وَالْكَعْبَةِ) قَالَ الْكَمَال: وَلَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ الْحَلِفَ بِالْقُرْآنِ الْآنَ مُتَعَارَفٌ فَيَكُونُ يَمِينًا (الدر المختار ص712 ج3)
وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْأَيْمَانُ مَبْنِيَّةٌ عَلَى الْعُرْفِ وَالْعَادَةِ فَمَا تَعَارَفَ النَّاسُ الْحَلِفَ بِهِ يَكُونُ يَمِينًا، وَمَا لَمْ يُتَعَارَفْ، الْحَلِفُ بِهِ لَا يَكُونُ يَمِينًا، (المبسوط للسرخسي ص133 ج8)
However, the books of Fiqh state that it is only permissible to take a vow of something that falls in the category of Ibaadat-e-Maqsoodah such as Salaah, fasting, Zakaat, etc. Since going out in the path of Allah does not fall in the category of Ibaadat-e-Maqsoodah, it will not be correct for you to take a vow to go out in the path of Allah to Tanzania. In conclusion, your oath is not binding. However, this in no way means that you should carelessly take oaths at any point and time without even thinking over the issue, in fact you should control yourself and refrain from taking oaths unnecessarily.
وفي البدائع: ومن شروطه ان يكون قربة مقصودة، فلا يصح النذر بعيادة المرضي وتشييع الجنازة والوضوء والاغتسال وان كانت قربا الا انها غير مقصودة (رد المحتار ج٥ص٥١٦) فتاوي عثمانية ج٩ص٦٠
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Ahmed Saeed
Date:- 29 Jumādal Ula 1445 / 13 December 2023
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
