19. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Mahziyar from who has said the following: “‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad once wrote to abu al-Hassan عليه السلام, saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, certain ones of your followers think that if a man speaks the statement of al-Zihar, then expiation becomes due, violating the swearing or not. They say that its sinfulness and violation is in the very statement of al-Zihar and expiation is as penalty for such statement. Certain others think that expiation is not due unless swearing is violated in something about which he swears, and if he violates then expiation is due on him, otherwise, there is no expiation. He (the Imam) عليه السلام, signed the answer in his own handwriting that said, ‘Expiation does not become obligatory until violation of oath occurs.”’