the recommended act, and he must offer expiation for his oath. This is exactly what the Prophet meant when he said, “If you swear an oath and then see that something else is better, make expiation for your oath and do what is better.”

3 – Al-Rawd al-Murbiʿ and its marginal commentary state:
“For expiation to become obligatory when a person swears by Allah, three conditions must be fulfilled:
First: The swearer must intend to bind the oath to a possible future matter. If he swears falsely about something in the past, that is a yamin ghamus (an immersing oath).
If the words merely slip from his tongue without intent, even concerning a future matter, it is a laghw al-yamin (an idle oath) and no expiation is required, as indicated by the verse.
Second: He must take the oath of his own free will; if he is compelled to swear, the oath does not take effect.
Third: He must actually break the oath—either by doing what he swore to leave, or by omitting what he swore to do—while remembering the oath and acting voluntarily. In that case he has broken it and expiation is due.”

4 – Al-Wazir said: “There is unanimous agreement that a binding, deliberate oath is one in which a person swears by Allah concerning a future act that he will do or will not do. If he then violates it, expiation becomes obligatory, because a binding oath concerns the future, not the past.”

Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Allah will not call you to account for what is frivolous in your oaths, but He will hold you accountable for what you have sworn in earnest.” [Al-Maʾidah 5:89]