Breaking the oath recurs only if its wording suggests that

19-1-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

I swore an oath that if I commit a particular sin, I will fast one day. I committed that sin and fasted a day as I had sworn. Then, I committed that sin again and fasted another day. This happened with me five times (and each time I fasted a day). Then, on the sixth time, I committed the sin and broke my fasting two hours before Maghrib prayer, given that my intention when I swore that oath was to fast only once and not each time I commit that sin. What am I required to do?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If you swore an oath to fast one day if you commit that sin, then you committed it and fasted a day as you had sworn, you have not broken your oath and no expiation is due on you. You are not required to offer other expiations if you committed that sin again and did not fast. You should know that it is obligatory on a Muslim to avoid sins whether or not an oath was taken to that effect. Moreover, you should hasten to sincerely repent of that sin and all other misdeeds for sincere repentance expiates past sins. You should also strive to not commit that sin again and seek the Help of Allaah The Exalted. You should seek refuge in Allaah The Exalted and implore Him to safeguard you from the evils of the devil and your evil-enjoiner self.

 Allaah Knows best.