Allāh will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless1 in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation2 is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths.3 Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses [i.e., revealed law] that you may be grateful.
Translation: Saheeh International (English)
1 i.e., what is sworn to only out of habit of speech or what one utters carelessly without true intent.
2 i.e., that for a deliberate oath.
3 i.e., do not take oaths indiscriminately or swear to do that which is sinful, requiring expiation.
يُؤَاخِذُكُمُwill call you to accountyuākhidhukumu
ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
بِٱللَّغۡوِfor the thoughtless utterancesbil-laghwi
فِيٓinfī
أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡyour oathsaymānikum
وَلَٰكِنbutwalākin
يُؤَاخِذُكُمHe will call you to accountyuākhidhukum
بِمَاfor whatbimā
عَقَّدتُّمُyou contractedʿaqqadttumu
ٱلۡأَيۡمَٰنَۖ(of) the oathl-aymāna
فَكَفَّٰرَتُهُۥٓSo its expiationfakaffāratuhu
إِطۡعَامُ(is) feedingiṭ'ʿāmu
عَشَرَةِ(of) tenʿasharati
مَسَٰكِينَneedy peoplemasākīna
مِنۡofmin
أَوۡسَطِaverageawsaṭi
مَا(of) whatmā
تُطۡعِمُونَyou feedtuṭ'ʿimūna
أَهۡلِيكُمۡyour familiesahlīkum
أَوۡoraw
كِسۡوَتُهُمۡclothing themkis'watuhum
أَوۡoraw
تَحۡرِيرُfreeingtaḥrīru
رَقَبَةٖۖa slaveraqabatin
فَمَنBut whoeverfaman
لَّمۡ(does) notlam
يَجِدۡfindyajid
فَصِيَامُ(that), then fastingfaṣiyāmu
ثَلَٰثَةِ(for) threethalāthati
أَيَّامٖۚdaysayyāmin
ذَٰلِكَThatdhālika
كَفَّٰرَةُ(is the) expiationkaffāratu
أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ(of) your oathsaymānikum
إِذَاwhenidhā
حَلَفۡتُمۡۚyou have swornḥalaftum
وَٱحۡفَظُوٓاْAnd guardwa-iḥ'faẓū
أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡۚyour oathsaymānakum
كَذَٰلِكَThuskadhālika
يُبَيِّنُmakes clearyubayyinu
ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
لَكُمۡto youlakum
ءَايَٰتِهِۦHis Versesāyātihi
لَعَلَّكُمۡso that you maylaʿallakum
تَشۡكُرُونَ(be) gratefultashkurūna
Tafsir
Allah will not take you to account, O believers, for the oaths that you speak unintentionally. He will take you to account for those oaths that you break after making them with a firm intention in your hearts. The atonement for such oaths is one of three options: feeding ten poor people with the average food of your city, by giving each poor person half a ṣā‘ of food; or clothing them with what society considers to be a suit of clothing; or freeing a believing slave. If the person required to make atonement does not find any of these three things, then the required atonement is fasting for three days. That is the atonement of your oaths, O believers, when you break them. Guard your oaths from being taken falsely in Allah’s name and from breaking them, unless it is better to do so. If it is better to break your oath, then do so and give the atonement. Just as Allah has explained to you the atonement for oaths, He also explains to you His laws, which make clear what is lawful and what is unlawful, so that you might thank Allah for having taught you what you did not know.