The ruling on the vow to fast two consecutive months by one who does not know the meaning of a vow

The questioner : The questioner says: This question concerns my elderly grandmother. She says that fifty-five years ago, she was struck by a severe illness and remained bedridden for nearly three months, in a state known only to Allah, until she was on the verge of death. One day she recovered, and in her joy, she said, "A charity and a vow," and said, "I will fast two consecutive months." She says that at the time, she did not know what a vow meant or what obligations it entailed. She says the world went on, and everyone was preoccupied with making a living. Now, praise be to Allah, I listen to the radio and the fatwas of the scholars, so I have become aware and remembered those days. I said I must ask: What should she do about the fasting she vowed to fast for two consecutive months without knowing what a vow meant or what it entailed?

The Shaykh : It appears to me that this woman owes nothing, because as long as she did not know what a vow is, she is not bound by something whose meaning she did not know. However, in my opinion, something must have occurred in her heart; otherwise, her words would have been mere idle talk. In other words, when she said, "I have a vow upon me to Allah," something must have occurred in her heart. Why else would she say, "I have a vow upon me to Allah"? So we say: if something did occur in her heart at that moment, then what occurred in her heart is what is obligatory for her, because the criterion is the intention.
As for if nothing occurred in her heart and she did not know the meaning at all, nor the meaning of a vow, it appears to me that she owes nothing. However, if she fasts, it is more cautious and safer for her conscience. Regarding her statement that it is two consecutive months, we say: if she becomes ill and breaks her fast due to illness, or menstruation, or Ramadan arrives, or the festivals, or she travels and breaks her fast, this does not harm her and does not break the consecutiveness. Yes.