Does a vow apply to one who says: "I have vowed to fast tomorrow if so-and-so comes"? Does the vow apply to him if that man does not come?
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The questioner : Does a vow apply to one who says: "I have vowed to fast tomorrow if so-and-so comes"? Does the vow apply to him if that man does not come?
The Shaykh : First, I advise my brothers, the questioner and others who are listening, to avoid making vows. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them and said: Many people make vows and then regret them because they obligated themselves to do what Allah did not obligate them to do. Many people vow to fast for a month, ten days, or less or more if they succeed. Many people vow that if Allah heals their sick person, they will slaughter... or slaughter sheep or give charity. Then, when that happens, they delay fulfilling their promise to their Lord and do not fulfill what they vowed to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This matter is very serious. Allah said: [At-Tawbah 9:75-77] Consider this great punishment: that Allah the Exalted placed hypocrisy in their hearts, continuous hypocrisy until death, hypocrisy in their hearts [At-Tawbah 9:77]. They broke their promise to Allah because they covenanted with Allah, and a vow is a covenant. They covenanted with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to give charity and be among the righteous, and they lied in that.
The indication of the dislike of vows is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:53] This is advice I direct to you, my brothers who are listening. I say: Beware of vows, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden them. And you know what hardship or punishment results if you break what you promised Allah (Exalted is He).
As for the questionThe questioner : about his having vowed to fast tomorrow if so-and-so arrived, and so-and-so did not arrive, he is not obligated to fast. This is because he only vowed to fast conditioned on so-and-so coming tomorrow. Since he did not arrive, the condition failed. When the condition fails, the conditioned act fails. He owes nothing regarding that vow because the condition he set for its obligation was not fulfilled.
The Shaykh : First, I advise my brothers, the questioner and others who are listening, to avoid making vows. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them and said:
It does not bring good, but rather it is used to extract from the stingy.
إنه لا يأتي بخير وإنما يستخرج به من البخيل(75) And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous." (76) But when he gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused. (77) So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him - because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie.
ومنهم من عاهد الله لئن آتانا من فضله لنصدقن ولنكونن من الصالحين فلما آتاهم من فضله بخلوا به وتولوا وهم معرضون فأعقبهم نفاقاً في قلوبهم إلى يوم يلقونه بما أخلفوا الله ما وعدوه وبما كانوا يكذبونuntil the Day they will meet Him - because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie.
إلى يوم يلقونه بما أخلفو الله ما وعدوه وبما كانوا يكذبونThe indication of the dislike of vows is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that if you ordered them, they would go forth [in Allah 's cause]. Say, "Do not swear. [Such] obedience is known
وأقسموا بالله جهد أيمانهم لئن أمرتهم ليخرجن قل لا تقسموا طاعة معروفةAs for the questionThe questioner : about his having vowed to fast tomorrow if so-and-so arrived, and so-and-so did not arrive, he is not obligated to fast. This is because he only vowed to fast conditioned on so-and-so coming tomorrow. Since he did not arrive, the condition failed. When the condition fails, the conditioned act fails. He owes nothing regarding that vow because the condition he set for its obligation was not fulfilled.