The Ruling on Punishing Oneself with Fasting or Charity for Sins

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: Sometimes I punish myself when I commit certain sins by fasting for a number of days or by giving a specific amount in charity. Is this considered a vow?

Answer:
No, a vow is when you say, "It is upon me for the sake of Allah," meaning it is obligatory for you to give charity or pray. That is a vow. But if you give charity or pray without saying, "It is upon me for the sake of Allah," that is an act of obedience. However, tying your worship to this—meaning, making it a condition that you must pray or give charity—is not necessary. Repentance to Allah the Exalted and Majestic is sufficient. If you sometimes give some charity or do something else, that is good, but it should not be tied to a specific condition. It is not as if this is linked to the repentance, and that the repentance is not valid unless you pray or give charity. That is not the case.