مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ قَالَ كَتَبَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلام ) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ بَعْضَ مَوَالِيكَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا تَكَلَّمَ بِالظِّهَارِ وَجَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْكَفَّارَةُ حَنِثَ أَوْ لَمْ يَحْنَثْ وَ يَقُولُ حِنْثُهُ كَلَامُهُ بِالظِّهَارِ وَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْكَفَّارَةُ عُقُوبَةً لِكَلَامٍ وَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الْكَفَّارَةَ لَا تَلْزَمُهُ حَتَّى يَحْنَثَ فِي الشَّيْ‏ءِ الَّذِي حَلَفَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ حَنِثَ وَجَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْكَفَّارَةُ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا كَفَّارَةَ عَلَيْهِ فَوَقَّعَ ( عليه السلام ) بِخَطِّهِ لَا تَجِبُ الْكَفَّارَةُ حَتَّى يَجِبَ الْحِنْثُ .
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 , 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) , signed the answer in his own handwriting that said, ‘Expiation does not become obligatory until violation of oath occurs.”’ 