What is a vow, and is it disliked or forbidden? What is its expiation, and does a vow made under the control of fear count or not?
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The questioner : The questioner says: What is a vow? Is it disliked or forbidden? I am asking about the expiation? And does a vow made under the control of fear count or not? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : A vow is when a person commits himself to his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, to an act of obedience or otherwise. It is called a covenant, as per the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[At-Tawbah 9:75-77] It is disliked in the beginning, meaning that initiating it is disliked, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it and informed Sahih Muslim 1639c and informed that it does not avert divine decree, meaning it does not lift the decree. Rather, it is forcing oneself to do what is not obligatory upon them. How many are there who make vows and then regret it, and how many are there who make vows and then do not fulfill them. For this reason, some scholars have gone to the ruling that vows are forbidden and that it is not permissible for a person to obligate himself to something from which Allah has exempted him. In any case, if a person vows obedience to Allah, it is obligatory for him to fulfill his vow. If a person vows disobedience, it is not permissible for him to fulfill his vow. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 2126Sahih (Darussalam) An example of obedience is if someone says: "I have a vow to Allah to fast next Monday." This is a vow of obedience, and it is said to him: It is obligatory for you to fulfill your vow and fast on Monday. An example of disobedience is if a person vows to steal money from another person. Here we say to him: It is not permissible for you to do what you vowed, but you must pay the expiation for an oath, which is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. Whoever cannot find the means to do so must fast for three consecutive days. As for the vow of a permissible act, a person is given the choice between fulfilling it or paying the expiation for an oath. For example, if someone says: "I have a vow to Allah to wear this garment." We say to him: This is a vow of a permissible act. If you wish, fulfill your vow and wear the garment. If you wish, do not fulfill your vow, but you must pay the expiation for an oath. I warn my Muslim brothers against all vows, due to the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and because a person is in well-being, so he should not impose hardship on himself. And because a vow does not avert divine decree. Some people, when something becomes difficult for them or they despair of something, go and vow: "I have a vow to Allah that if such and such happens, I will do such and such." We say: O my brother, if Allah decrees it, your vow has no effect, neither in bringing the thing into existence nor in removing it. But ask Allah for well-being and ask Him for what you need, as your Lord, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Ghafir 40:60].
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : A vow is when a person commits himself to his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, to an act of obedience or otherwise. It is called a covenant, as per the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
(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.
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ * فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُ بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَIt does not (necessarily) bring good (in the form of substantial, and tangible results), but it is the meant whereby something is extracted from the miserly persons.
أنه لا يأتي بخير، وإنما يستخرج به من البخيلWhoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه، ومن نذر أن يعصي الله فلا يعصهAnd your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.