A person fell seriously ill and made a vow that if Allah cured him, he would slaughter an animal every year. In fact, Allah cured him, and he fulfilled the vow for several years, and then came...
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The questioner : He has another question, O honorable Shaykh. He says: A person fell seriously ill and made a vow that if Allah cured him, he would slaughter an animal every year. In fact, Allah cured him, and he fulfilled the vow for several years. Then, last year, he delayed the slaughter for the celebration of one of his children’s weddings, so he slaughtered it on the day of the celebration. The question is: What is the ruling on this vow, a vow for a lifetime, and what is the ruling on such a vow? Also, I ask and say: What is the ruling on delaying the slaughter from its appointed time by a month until the wedding of one of the children? Does the slaughtered animal benefit in the celebration? And is it considered here... and is it considered to take the place of the wedding feast? Does the slaughtered animal suffice for the vow? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : First, I say to this questioner and to others who listen to our words that a vow is disliked. It is disliked for a person to make a vow of anything, whether it is conditional on something else or not. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and saidSunan an-Nasa'i 3801Sahih (Darussalam). So a vow is not what brings good, and a vow is not the cause of a sick person’s recovery, and a vow is not the cause of a missing person’s return, and so on. Rather, it is as the Messenger (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1639c.
Then, the one who makes a vow obligates himself to do something he has no need for, which Allah has made permissible for him to leave. So the poor man obligates himself to do something that perhaps he can afford today but will not be able to afford tomorrow, and he remains in difficulty. Then, a vow regarding a thing may create an incorrect belief in the heart, namely that the vow is the cause of achieving the desired outcome and averting the disliked outcome. This is not the case. So I advise this man, the questioner, and others who listen to our words. I advise them against making vows. I say: If you are sick, ask Allah for healing and use what the Shari'ah has commanded of supplications and permissible medicines. Do not take the vow as a cause for that. And if something is lost from you, ask Allah, the Exalted, to return it to you without a vow.
As for the second point, which relates to the answer to this question, the questioner did not clarify whether he vowed to slaughter this animal as an 'Id sacrifice or merely as a slaughter for eating. If it is the former, meaning he vowed to slaughter an animal as an 'Id al-Adha sacrifice, then the vow becomes a form of worship that he must fulfill at its time, and it is not permissible for him to delay it beyond that time. If he delays it, then an expiation for an oath is required of him for delaying the vow from its time, and he must make it up.
And if the vow was merely for the enjoyment of eating it, then it is a permissible vow. If he wishes, he may fulfill it at any time, provided he did not restrict it to a specific time. And if he wishes, he may not fulfill it, but in this case, he must pay the expiation for an oath.
The expiation for an oath is freeing a slave, or feeding six poor people, or clothing them. He has a choice in this. The feeding is either gathering the poor people for lunch or dinner, or distributing food to them such that a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) is for four people. It is good to include with it something from the condiments that improve it.
The clothing is a garment, a headscarf, and a cap, according to what is customary and called clothing. Freeing a slave is well known. If he does not find, meaning he does not find the money to obtain the food, clothing, and freeing of a slave, or if he finds it but does not find poor people or a slave, then he must fast for three consecutive days. Fasting does not suffice if one has the ability to feed and clothe, because Allah, the Exalted, mentioned all three and then said:[Al-Baqarah 2:196]. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : First, I say to this questioner and to others who listen to our words that a vow is disliked. It is disliked for a person to make a vow of anything, whether it is conditional on something else or not. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said
They do not bring any good
إنه لا يأتي بخيرIt 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.
لا يأتي بخير وإنما يُستخرج به من البخيلThen, the one who makes a vow obligates himself to do something he has no need for, which Allah has made permissible for him to leave. So the poor man obligates himself to do something that perhaps he can afford today but will not be able to afford tomorrow, and he remains in difficulty. Then, a vow regarding a thing may create an incorrect belief in the heart, namely that the vow is the cause of achieving the desired outcome and averting the disliked outcome. This is not the case. So I advise this man, the questioner, and others who listen to our words. I advise them against making vows. I say: If you are sick, ask Allah for healing and use what the Shari'ah has commanded of supplications and permissible medicines. Do not take the vow as a cause for that. And if something is lost from you, ask Allah, the Exalted, to return it to you without a vow.
As for the second point, which relates to the answer to this question, the questioner did not clarify whether he vowed to slaughter this animal as an 'Id sacrifice or merely as a slaughter for eating. If it is the former, meaning he vowed to slaughter an animal as an 'Id al-Adha sacrifice, then the vow becomes a form of worship that he must fulfill at its time, and it is not permissible for him to delay it beyond that time. If he delays it, then an expiation for an oath is required of him for delaying the vow from its time, and he must make it up.
And if the vow was merely for the enjoyment of eating it, then it is a permissible vow. If he wishes, he may fulfill it at any time, provided he did not restrict it to a specific time. And if he wishes, he may not fulfill it, but in this case, he must pay the expiation for an oath.
The expiation for an oath is freeing a slave, or feeding six poor people, or clothing them. He has a choice in this. The feeding is either gathering the poor people for lunch or dinner, or distributing food to them such that a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) is for four people. It is good to include with it something from the condiments that improve it.
The clothing is a garment, a headscarf, and a cap, according to what is customary and called clothing. Freeing a slave is well known. If he does not find, meaning he does not find the money to obtain the food, clothing, and freeing of a slave, or if he finds it but does not find poor people or a slave, then he must fast for three consecutive days. Fasting does not suffice if one has the ability to feed and clothe, because Allah, the Exalted, mentioned all three and then said:
And whoever cannot find [or afford such an animal] - then a fast of three days
فمن لم يجد فصيام ثلاثة أيامThe questioner : May Allah bless you.