The Laghw (Unintentional) Vows
Allah said;
لااَّ يُوَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِيَ أَيْمَانِكُمْ
Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths,
This Ayah means, `Allah does not punish or hold you accountable for the Laghw (unintentional) vows that you make.'
The Laghw vows are unintentional and are just like the habitual statements that the tongue repeats, without really intending them. For instance, it is reported in the Two Sahihs that Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah's Messenger said;
مَنْ حَلَفَ فَقَالَ فِي حَلِفِهِ بِاللَّتِ وَالْعُزَّى فَلْيَقُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ الله
Whoever swore and (unintentionally) mentioned Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (two idols) in his vow, should then say, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah'.
The Messenger said this statement to some new Muslims whose tongues were, before Islam, used to vowing by their idol Al-Lat. Therefore, the Prophet ordered them to intentionally recite the slogan of Ikhlas, just as they mentioned these words by mistake, so that it (the word of Ikhlas) may eradicate the word (of Shirk). This is why Allah said;
...
وَلَكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ
...but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned.
and in another Ayah,
بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الاٌّيْمَـنَ
...for your deliberate oaths. (5;89)
Abu Dawud reported under Chapter;`The Laghw Vows' that Ata said that Aishah said that Allah's Messenger said;
اللَّغْوُ فِي الْيَمِينِ هُوَ كَلَمُ الرَّجُلِ فِي بَيْتِهِ كَلَّ وَاللهِ وَبَلَى وَالله
The Laghw in the vows includes what the man says in his house, such as, `No, by Allah,' and, `Yes, by Allah'.
Ibn Abu Hatim reported that Ibn Abbas said,
"The Laghw vow includes vowing while angry."
He also reported that Ibn Abbas said,
"The Laghw vow includes vowing to prohibit what Allah has allowed, and this type does not require a Kaffarah (expiation)."
Similar was said by Sa`id bin Jubayr.
In addition, Abu Dawud related under Chapter;`Vowing while Angry' that;
Sa`id bin Musayyib said that two Ansari brothers both received inheritance and one of them asked that the inheritance be divided. His brother said, "If you ask me about dividing the inheritance again, then all of what I have will be spent on the Ka`bah's door."
Umar said to him, "The Ka`bah does not need your money. So break your vow, pay the Kaffarah and come to terms with your brother. I heard Allah's Messenger saying;
لَاا يَمِينَ عَلَيْكَ وَلَاا نَذْرَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الرَّبِّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَفِي قَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِمِ وَفِيمَا لَاا تَمْلِك
Do not make a vow against yourself, nor to disobey the Lord, cut the relations of the womb or dispose of what you do not own."
Allah said;
...
وَلَكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ
...but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned,
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and several others said that;
this Ayah means swearing about a matter while knowing that he is lying.
Mujahid and others said this Ayah is similar to what Allah said;
وَلَـكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الاٌّيْمَـنَ
...but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths. (5;89)
Allah said,
...
وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ
And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Forbearing.
meaning, He is Oft-Forgiving to His servants and Most Forbearing with them.