Question 2076: I swore that every Friday I would perform two rak'ahs of prayer with Surah Yasin and Surah As-Saffat. Is there an atonement (kaffarah) if I fail to do it?
Answer
✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَن عَبْدالرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (علیه السلام) یَقُولُ لَیْسَ کُلُّ یَمِینٍ فِیهَا کَفَّارَةٌ أَمَّا مَا کَانَ مِنْهَا مِمَّا أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ عَلَیْکَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَهُ فَحَلَفْتَ أَنْ لَا تَفْعَلَهُ فَفَعَلْتَ فَلَیْسَ عَلَیْکَ فِیهَا الْکَفَّارَةُ وَ أَمَّا مَا لَمْ یَکُنْ مِمَّا أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ عَلَیْکَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَهُ فَحَلَفْتَ أَنْ لَا تَفْعَلَهُ فَفَعَلْتَهُ فَإِنَّ عَلَیْکَ فِیهِ الْکَفَّارَةَ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 7, p. 445
Abd al-Rahman ibn Hajjaj says: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) saying: There is no atonement for every oath! But in cases where you swear not to do something that Allah has made obligatory for you, and then you do it, there is no atonement upon you!
But in cases where Allah has not made something obligatory for you to do, and you swear not to do it, but you do it, then there is an atonement upon you!
2 عن حمران قال: قُلْتُ لِأَبِی جَعْفَرٍ و أَبِی عَبْداللَّهِ الْیَمِینُ الَّتِی تَلْزَمُنِی فِیهَا الْکَفَّارَةُ فَقَالا مَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَیْهِ مِمَّا لِلَّهِ فِیهِ طَاعَةٌ أَنْ تَفْعَلَهُ فَلَمْ تَفْعَلْهُ فَعَلَیْکَ فِیهِ الْکَفَّارَةُ وَ مَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَیْهِ مِمَّا لِلَّهِ فِیهِ الْمَعْصِیَةُ فَکَفَّارَتُهُ تَرْکُهُ وَ مَا لَمْ یَکُنْ فِیهِ مَعْصِیَةٌ وَ لَا طَاعَةٌ فَلَیْسَ هُوَ بِشَیْءٍ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 7, p. 446
Humran says: I said to Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them): What kind of oath requires atonement? The Imam said: That which is an act of obedience to God and you swear to do it, but you do not, then atonement is upon you. And that which is an act of disobedience to God and you swear to do it, the atonement is to abandon it. And that which is neither an act of obedience nor disobedience, there is nothing (no atonement)!
3 عن زرارة قال: قُلْتُ لِأَبِی عَبْداللَّهِ أَیُّ شَیْءٍ الَّذِی فِیهِ الْکَفَّارَةُ مِنَ الْأَیْمَانِ فَقَالَ مَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَیْهِ مِمَّا فِیهِ الْبِرُّ فَعَلَیْکَ الْکَفَّارَةُ إِذَا لَمْ تَفِ بِهِ وَ مَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَیْهِ مِمَّا فِیهِ الْمَعْصِیَةُ فَلَیْسَ عَلَیْکَ فِیهِ الْکَفَّارَةُ إِذَا رَجَعْتَ عَنْهُ وَ مَا کَانَ سِوَی ذَلِکَ مِمَّا لَیْسَ فِیهِ بِرٌّ وَ لَا مَعْصِیَةٌ فَلَیْسَ بِشَیْءٍ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 7, p. 446
Zurarah says: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Which oaths require atonement? The Imam said: That which is a good deed and you swear to do it, if you do not fulfill it, atonement is upon you. And that which involves disobedience and you swear to do it, if you turn back from it, there is no atonement upon you. And that which is neither a good deed nor a sin, there is nothing!
4 عن الحلبی عن أبی عبدالله فی کَفَّارَةِ الْیَمِینِ یُطْعِمُ عَشَرَةَ مَسَاکِینَ لِکُلِّ مِسْکِینٍ مُدٌّ مِنْ حِنْطَةٍ أَوْ مُدٌّ مِنْ دَقِیقٍ و حَفْنَةٌ أَوْ کِسْوَتُهُمْ لِکُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ ثَوْبَانِ أَوْ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ و هُوَ فی ذَلِکَ بِالْخِیَارِ أَیَّ ذَلِکَ شَاءَ صَنَعَ فَإِنْ لَمْ یَقْدِرْ عَلَی وَاحِدَةٍ مِنَ الثَّلَاثِ فَالصِّیَامُ عَلَیْهِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَیَّامٍ
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 7, p. 452
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about the atonement for an oath (kaffarat al-yamin): He should feed ten poor people, for each a mudd (about 875 grams) of wheat, or a mudd and a handful of flour, or clothe ten poor people, for each two garments (an izar and a rida = trousers and a shirt), or free a slave. The person has the choice to do any of these three. If he is not able to do any of the three (optional) actions, then he must fast for three days!
5 عن عَبْداللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْداللَّه قَالَ کُلُّ صَوْمٍ یُفَرَّقُ إِلَّا ثَلَاثَةَ أَیَّامٍ فِی کَفَّارَةِ الْیَمِین
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 140
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Every fast is performed separately, except for the three days of fasting for the atonement of an oath (kaffarat al-yamin).
✅ Based on the above narrations and others, if someone swears by the names of God to perform a righteous act but fails to do it, the atonement for the oath is upon him.
Therefore, if someone has sworn to perform a specific prayer on Fridays, and he fails to do it, he must pay its atonement according to narration 4.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ و آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ و عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ و الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر