Is this considered breaking an oath?

September 4, 2010

Question

If someone made a promise to Allah in a dua to never masturbate again, and he later breaks that promise, what is required of him?

Answered by: Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah the Inspirer of truth.

From the apparent wording of your question it seems as though this was not an oath, hence, what is required is sincere repentance to Allah and a resolution not to do it again. No kaffara is required.

However, if any of the following or similar expression were used when the du’a was made: “By Allah I will not do this again, or “I swear by Allah….”, or “I make this action haram upon myself…”, then even though the action is already haram it will be considered an oath as well. By committing that unlawful act the person will then be sinful as well as have broken an oath, so have to pay the kaffara. (See al-Durr al-Mukhtar 3:46)

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

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Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf

Dr. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera is a British Muslim scholar educated in both the Islamic and Western traditions. He memorised the Qur’an by heart and graduated from the Darul Uloom seminary Bury, UK, and later earned a specialised licence to issue fatwa (legal responses) at Mazahir ‘Ulum Saharanpur, India. He earned his BA from the University of Johannesburg and completed his MA and PhD in Islamic Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He holds an honorary fellowship at The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman has the unique experience of serving as an imam in Muslim communities on both sides of the Atlantic, eight years in Southern California and over five in the great city of London—and his continued work as an international speaker and lecturer enables him to address and offer pertinent advice on current challenges that face Muslims in the West. He is the founder of Whitethread Institute, a post-graduate insititute for Islamic scholars. He is an avid traveller and continues to teach hadith and work on scholarly publications through White Thread Press (www.whitethreadpress.com). Many of his lectures are available on www.zamzamacademy.com and his courses through Rayyan Institute (www.rayyaninstitute.com).