A vow to fast on Mondays and Thursdays as long as one is alive: what should one do if these days fall during Hajj or the festivals?
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The questioner:
Our brother says: I am a young man, thirty years old. I pledged to my Lord that I would fast on Mondays and Thursdays as long as I am alive. I ask: if a Monday or Thursday falls on the days of Hajj, 'Umrah, or the festivals, what should I do? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
This matter: you pledged to your Lord to fast on Mondays and Thursdays as long as you are alive. This is an oath; you swore to fast on Mondays and Thursdays for Allah the Exalted. It also carries the ruling of a vow; it is an oath and carries the ruling of a vow. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 6696 It is an act of obedience, confirmed by an oath and a pledge to Allah the Exalted. So it is a vow confirmed by an oath. It is obligatory for you to fulfill it by fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. As for the state of travel and the other situations you mentioned, that depends on your intention. If you made an exception and said, "except in the case of travel" or "except in such and such a case," then you are excused for what you excepted, whether you voiced it or intended it in your heart. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 1 So if you excepted in your heart or with your tongue that you would not fast on Mondays and Thursdays in certain situations, you are excused for what you excepted. But if you did not make an exception, it is obligatory for you to fast on Mondays and Thursdays of every week as long as you are able to do so, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 6696 As for if you are unable to do so, Allah the Exalted does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner:
Why, Shaykh Salih, does a person bind himself with such oaths, vows, and pledges?
The Shaykh:
Yes, one should not enter into a vow. In fact, some scholars forbid a person from making a vow. As long as he is in good health, he should not make a vow. Some scholars forbid vows altogether; they are only used to extract charity from the miserly. This indicates that a person should not entangle himself with a vow as long as he has not made one. In a narration, it says, "Do not make vows," which is a prohibition against making vows. The minimum ruling for a prohibition is that it is disliked. However, if one has made a vow, and it is a vow of obedience, it is obligatory for him to fulfill it. He said, "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him." Allah the Exalted said, "They fulfill their vows." Allah the Exalted said, "And they fulfill their vows." And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:270]
So if a person enters into a vow, it is obligatory for him to fulfill it if it is a vow of obedience. But before entering into it, he should refrain and not make a vow. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Our brother says: I am a young man, thirty years old. I pledged to my Lord that I would fast on Mondays and Thursdays as long as I am alive. I ask: if a Monday or Thursday falls on the days of Hajj, 'Umrah, or the festivals, what should I do? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
This matter: you pledged to your Lord to fast on Mondays and Thursdays as long as you are alive. This is an oath; you swore to fast on Mondays and Thursdays for Allah the Exalted. It also carries the ruling of a vow; it is an oath and carries the ruling of a vow. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever vows that he will be obedient to Allah, should remain obedient to Him
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه فهذا نذرThe reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوىWhoever vows that he will be obedient to Allah, should remain obedient to Him
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه،The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner:
Why, Shaykh Salih, does a person bind himself with such oaths, vows, and pledges?
The Shaykh:
Yes, one should not enter into a vow. In fact, some scholars forbid a person from making a vow. As long as he is in good health, he should not make a vow. Some scholars forbid vows altogether; they are only used to extract charity from the miserly. This indicates that a person should not entangle himself with a vow as long as he has not made one. In a narration, it says, "Do not make vows," which is a prohibition against making vows. The minimum ruling for a prohibition is that it is disliked. However, if one has made a vow, and it is a vow of obedience, it is obligatory for him to fulfill it. He said, "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him." Allah the Exalted said, "They fulfill their vows." Allah the Exalted said, "And they fulfill their vows." And Allah the Exalted said:
And whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows - indeed, Allah knows of it
وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُهُSo if a person enters into a vow, it is obligatory for him to fulfill it if it is a vow of obedience. But before entering into it, he should refrain and not make a vow. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، نذر أن يصوم الاثنين والخميس مادام حياً فماذا يفعل إذا صادفت هذه الأيام في الحج أو الأعياد؟ الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.