purchased thereby a paltry price], he will have no share in the Hereafter; Allah will not speak to him on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify him, and he will have a painful punishment.

However, the Lawgiver knew that one who swears an oath that he will or will not do something does not intend, in invoking Allah’s name, to treat its sanctity lightly, unlike one who swears a perjurious oath. He therefore prescribed expiation for him for undoing this bond, whereas He waived it for an unintentional oath, because his heart had formed no intention of [offending] against his faith; hence, no expiation is needed.

Once it is clear that the necessary effect of an oath is to bind the act by this [oath]—which is his faith in Allah—then, if the act does not occur, [its implication] would be the absence of his faith. This would be so were it not for the expiation Allah has prescribed. Likewise, the necessary implication of saying, “If I do such-and-such, then such-and-such becomes obligatory for me,” is that, upon swearing, that act would become obligatory, were it not for the prescribed expiation.

This is clarified by the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who said: “Whoever swears [falsely] by a religion other than Islam is as he has said.” It is recorded in both Sahīhs. Thus, the perjurious oath expressed in the words, “He is a Jew or a Christian if he does such-and-such,” is treated like the perjurious oath expressed in the words, “By Allah, I did not do such-and-such,” for in both cases he has severed his covenant