A woman vowed to slaughter a sacrificial animal for each of her children, ten in total, both male and female
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The questioner : She says that she vowed to slaughter a sacrificial animal for each of her children, ten in total, both male and female, knowing that their father had not slaughtered for them upon their birth in emulation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, she was unable to fulfill this vow, and her vow was based on her assumption that failing to slaughter for them was a sin and that it was not permissible. What must she do?
The Shaykh : If her vow was based on this assumption, namely her belief that the 'aqiqah is obligatory, then she is not required to fulfill the vow because it is built upon a premise that has been shown to be unfounded. If that is the case, then what is built upon what is not established is not established. However, if she vowed to perform the 'aqiqah for them without the vow being based on this assumption, then she should perform the 'aqiqah for them, but with the permission of their father, because the one addressed regarding the 'aqiqah is the father, not the mother. Then, I advise this woman and the other listeners to avoid making vows, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said:Sahih Muslim 1639c Often a person makes a vow and then wishes to be rid of it, but it does not happen for him. He finds hardship and difficulty in himself, and perhaps he abandons this vow and does not fulfill it. This is a great danger. If a person makes a conditional vow and the condition is met, but then he does not fulfill his vow, he is in great danger. Have you not seen His saying, the Exalted: [At-Tawbah 9:75-77] Thus, Allah made it clear that these people had covenanted with Allah that if He gave them of His bounty, they would give in charity and improve their conditions. But when He gave them of His bounty, they did not give in charity; rather, they were stingy. And they did not improve their conditions; rather, they turned away while they were averted. The result was that Allah caused hypocrisy to follow in their hearts until the Day they meet Him, meaning hypocrisy that remains in them until they die, and may Allah protect us from that. So I say that I advise my Muslim brothers to avoid vows because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them and informed that they do not bring good, but rather they only extract from the stingy. And success is from Allah.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The listener from Jeddah, N, says regarding the second question.
The Shaykh : If her vow was based on this assumption, namely her belief that the 'aqiqah is obligatory, then she is not required to fulfill the vow because it is built upon a premise that has been shown to be unfounded. If that is the case, then what is built upon what is not established is not established. However, if she vowed to perform the 'aqiqah for them without the vow being based on this assumption, then she should perform the 'aqiqah for them, but with the permission of their father, because the one addressed regarding the 'aqiqah is the father, not the mother. Then, I advise this woman and the other listeners to avoid making vows, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said:
It 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.
إنه لا يأتي بخير، وإنما يُستخرج 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.
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ ءاتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * فَلَمَّا ءاتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ * فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُ بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَThe questioner : May Allah bless you. The listener from Jeddah, N, says regarding the second question.