Do I Need to Expiate for My Unfulfilled Promise to Allah?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

I promised Allah that I would not read ebooks till passing my exams, but I broke the promise many times. Now I know I have to compensate for it, but shall I keep that promise till I compensate? Because I need time for it.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Your promising Allah Most High not to read ebooks till your exams are over is not considered an oath or a vow.

Only the Breaking of Oaths and Vows Necessitates Expiation

Even though your promise does not require expiation, you should still seek forgiveness for this action. Also, refraining from making such promises in the future may prove best.

Review the following links for more clarity.

Failing to fulfill a promise to Allah
Should I Fast If I Fail to Fulfill a Promise to Allah?

The Difference between an oath, a vow, and a promise
What is the Difference Between a Promise, an Oath, and a Vow?

The obligation of fulfilling promises
Is It Obligatory to Fulfill My Promises?

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.