What Is the Consequence of Breaking Oaths?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I have been extremely stressed out and anxious due to breaking oaths and promises and repeating sins over and over. I fear Allah and his punishment and I have wondered whether I became a disbeliever. I have tremendous peace in reading the Quran but despair of His mercy when I read the verses of punishment. What is the consequence of breaking oaths?

Answer

Thank you for your question. I empathize with your feelings of despair and upset. Please know that Allah’s mercy is unlimited and he forgives all sins other than making partners with Allah.

Despair

Please see these excellent articles on despair:

Hopelessness, Despair & the Abundance of Good, by Ustadh Amjad Tarsin

Also, see this link about giving in to desires repeatedly:

My Inability to Escape My Desires Fills Me With Despair – Is There Any Hope for Me?

Breaking oaths

You must understand what it is that you owe Allah in way of expiation for your oaths, so please see the details here:

What is the Difference Between a Promise, an Oath, and a Vow?

Steps

In addition to this, you must make yourself a simple daily routine to help ward off your doubts, try these steps:

-Ignore your dreams completely. My teacher taught me that one should only pay attention to dreams if one has removed all of the harams from one’s life.

-Pray on time and give zakat on time. Give charity when you are able to, even if only a little, for this does wonders for training the soul and removing problems from your life

-Do not make any more oaths. Instead, make a lot of du`a to Allah to help you fulfill your goals and to guide you to His good pleasure and to strengthen your resolve and faith.

-Do read some Qur’an every day with the meaning and don’t despair at the verses of punishment. Instead of feeling sad when you see those verses, stand up and do a good deed or repent for a bad deed. Translate all your feelings into action.

-Pray tahajjud and the Prayer of Need and ask Allah at that time when He is looking for du`as to answer.

Allah wants to be asked

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When half of the night or two-third of it is over, Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven and says: Is there any beggar, so that he be given? Is there any supplicator so that he be answered? Is there any beggar of forgiveness so that he be forgiven? (And Allah continues it saying) till it is daybreak.“ [Muslim]

May Allah give you the best in this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied Aqidah, Fiqh, Tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied Fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.