She swore that she would not speak to her and she sent her a text message; has she broken her oath?
Question

                A Muslim woman swore that she would not speak to another Muslim woman because of a dispute that had arisen between them. Then the other woman sent her several text messages, repeatedly, so the first woman responded by a text message. Now the first woman is asking: do I have to offer expiation for breaking an oath or not? What should I do if I want to talk to her again?.
Praise be to Allah.
    If a person swears 
    that he will not speak to someone, then writes a message to him, there is a 
    difference of opinion among the fuqaha’ as to whether he has broken his 
    oath. The Hanafis and Shaafa‘is say that he has not broken his oath. 

    The Maalikis and 
    Hanbalis are of the view that he has broken his oath; they regard sending 
    messages and letters as coming under the same heading as speaking. 

    But the more 
    correct view is that writing is not regarded as speaking. However we should 
    examine the intention of the one who swore the oath and the motive that made 
    him swear that oath. If he intended only to prevent himself speaking 
    verbally, then he has not broken his oath. If he intended to prevent all 
    kinds of communication, or if the motive for swearing the oath was that he 
    did not want to communicate at all, then he has broken his oath by writing. 

    It says in 
    al-Mabsoot (9/23): If he wrote to him or sent a message, he has not 
    broken his oath because we stated that speaking can only be verbal. Do you 
    not see that none of us regards it as permissible to say “Allah spoke to 
    me”, although His Book and His Messenger have come to us? Rather we say that 
    Allah spoke to Moosa, because he heard His words without any intermediary. 
    End quote. 

    It says in 
    Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘ (6/259): If he swears not to speak to anyone, he 
    breaks his oath by speaking to any person, male or female, young or old, 
    sane or insane. If the one who swore the oath writes a letter or sends a 
    message with a messenger, he has broken his oath, because Allah, may He be 
    exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is not given to any 
    human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by Inspiration, or 
    from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger” [ash-Shoora 42:51]. 
    And ‘Aa’ishah said: What is between the covers of the Mushaf is the words of 
    Allah. And because this a means of communicating with people, so it is like 
    speaking. However, it says in ash-Sharh wa’l-Mubdi‘: The correct view is 
    that this is not speech. But if he intended not to communicate with him or 
    if the reason for his oath was the intention to shun him, then he has broken 
    his oath, unless the one who swore the oath intended not to speak verbally 
    to him, in which case he has not broken his oath by writing or sending a 
    message. End quote. 

    See: Mawaahib 
    al-Jaleel, 3/299; Mughni al-Muhtaaj, 6/218 

    Secondly: 

    If she did not 
    break her oath and there was something good to be attained by speaking to 
    this woman, then she should speak to her and offer expiation for breaking 
    her oath, because of the hadeeth of ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Samurah (may Allah 
    be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace 
    of Allah be upon him) said: “If you swear to do something then see that 
    something else is better than it, then do that which is better and offer 
    expiation for your oath.”

    Narrated by 
    al-Bukhaari, 6343; Muslim, 1652 

    It was narrated 
    that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of 
    Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever swears an 
    oath then sees that something else is better than it, let him do that and 
    offer expiation for his oath.”

    Narrated by 
    Muslim, 1650 

    But if the oath 
    was broken by writing to her – according to the details discussed above – 
    then she is no longer bound by her oath and she may speak to her, but she 
    has to offer expiation for breaking her oath. 

    And Allah knows 
    best.