A person vowed to fast on Mondays and Thursdays permanently; is he obligated to fulfill it, and if he breaks his fast, does he have to make it up or pay an expiation?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: A person vowed to fast on Mondays and Thursdays forever. Is he obligated to fulfill the vow, and if he breaks his fast, does he have to make it up or pay an expiation?

The Shaykh : First, let me inform you: This prohibition, according to some scholars, is for dislike, and according to others, it is for prohibition. And whoever knows the hardship and difficulty that befalls the one who makes a vow, the stronger opinion is that the prohibition is for prohibition. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Pay attention to the words of the Messenger: The miser is the one who says, "I have a vow upon me to Allah to give such and such in charity, and were it not for the vow, I would not have given charity." This means the vow compels him to give charity. He also informed that making up the vow is not required. The one who makes a vow sometimes ties his vow to recovery from illness, either for himself or for someone he loves. This also does not require making up the vow if Allah the Exalted intended for this sick person to remain ill or to die, for the vow does not change the divine decree. Thus, there is no benefit in the vow; rather, it is only hardship and difficulty. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him), Ibn Taymiyyah, leaned toward prohibiting the vow. He may distinguish between a severe vow and a light vow, saying that the light vow is disliked and the heavy one is forbidden. This is the ruling on vows. Therefore, I warn my brothers from vows, and I say that the vow is severe, and you are in good health, so why do you oblige yourself with what Allah has not obligated upon you, when this vow brings no good and does not change the divine decree? How many people have made a vow and then gone to the doors of scholars, knocking on them from every side to try to get rid of the vow, but how can they do so? If the vow is an act of obedience, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Now we come to the answer to the questioner. The questioner says: He vowed to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Is this vow disobedience or obedience? It is obedience. Therefore, he is obligated to fulfill it. He is obligated to fast every Monday and Thursday, unless he is afflicted with illness, in which case he is excused. But in good health, he is obligated to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, even if he is traveling, because he did not make an exception. If he does not do so, he is sinful and in great danger. Listen to the danger of those who do not fulfill their vows. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: The vow is a covenant. The vow is a covenant between you and Allah. So what is the punishment? A great punishment. He made hypocrisy follow in their hearts, which will not be removed from their hearts forever until the Day they meet Him, meaning until death. We ask Allah for well-being and safety. So, my brother, you must avoid vows. If you are sick, ask Allah for healing. If you are a miser, ask Allah to make you among the generous. If you have someone absent, ask Allah to return him to you, and so on. But to oblige yourself with something Allah has not obligated upon you is an error and a sin against yourself. Yes.