What is the expiation for a woman who vowed to slaughter one of her sons?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Oaths
Primary text
The expiation for a woman who vowed to slaughter one of her sons, while she possesses three sons, is the slaughtering of a ram (lamb) for each son, and she must offer the expiation for her oath. This is based on the ruling that the expiation for vowing to slaughter a son is the slaughter of a ram, and since the singular vow applies generally, a ram is required for each son. If her vow intended only one son, then only one ram is due, supported by the precedent of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, who only offered one ram as ransom for the one son he was commanded to slaughter. Similarly, Abdul Muttalib, when he vowed to slaughter one of his sons if he reached ten, only redeemed one. This applies whether the vow specified a particular son or one unspecified son.
Supporting text
The statement that she must offer the expiation for her oath may imply that the slaughter of the rams itself serves as the expiation for her oath, or it may imply that the vow was combined with an oath. Alternatively, another narration suggests that the expiation for an oath suffices for this matter.