Answer to a difficulty: How does the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibit vows, while Allah the Exalted praises those who fulfill their vows, saying:
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The Shaykh : Now, [At-Tawbah 9:77] if someone were to ask: How does the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibit vows, while Allah praises those who fulfill their vows?
Pay attention to the question. It is being asked: How did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibit vows, while Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) praised those who fulfill their vows, saying (Exalted and Majestic is He)[Al-Insan 76:7-8]?
This doubt is raised often, but it is easy to answer for one to whom Allah the Exalted has granted knowledge and understanding.
We say, by Allah, there is no contradiction or conflict between the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and what is authentic from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). It is impossible to find any conflict between the speech of Allah and what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), ever, because all of it is truth, and truth does not contradict or conflict. So how is the reconciliation? We say: Reflect for a moment. Did the verse praise the vow-makers, or did it praise those who fulfill their vows? The latter, not the former? Those who fulfill their vows. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only prohibited the act of making a vow. There is a difference between the one who makes a vow and the one who fulfills it, is there not? Good.
If a person vows to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and he fulfills it, he is praised for fulfilling his vow. Yes, he is praised for fulfilling his vow, but he is not praised for the original act of making the vow. So it is now clear that there is a clear difference between the verse and the hadith. This is the first point.
Another answer is to say: We do not accept that the "vow" mentioned in the verse is the same vow that the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) prohibited. We do not accept this. Our first answer applies if we accept that the intended meaning of "vow" is what is mentioned in the hadith. Another answer is to say: We do not accept that the intended meaning of "vow" in the verse is the vow that the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) prohibited. Pay attention, my brother, why? Because in the Noble Qur'an, "vow" is intended to mean the obligatory, i.e., what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has made obligatory. The evidence is His saying (the Exalted) in the chapter of Hajj[Al-Hajj 22:29]. Did the pilgrims vow to perform Hajj?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : What is the answer? This is a cold answer.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, the pilgrim did not vow to perform Hajj. But because fulfilling Hajj is obligatory, Allah called it a vow. And on this basis, His saying "they fulfill their vows" means they fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon them, because when they embark upon what Allah has made obligatory upon them, it is as if they had vowed it.
So the reconciliation between the verse and the hadith is from two angles:
The first: That the hadith prohibits making a vow initially, while the verse is about fulfilling a vow that a person has made upon himself.
The second angle: That we do not accept that the intended meaning of "vow" is a person binding himself to something that Allah has not made obligatory upon him, but rather the intended meaning of "vow" is the obligatory.
because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie.
بما أخلفوا الله ما وعدوه وبما كانوا يكذبونPay attention to the question. It is being asked: How did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibit vows, while Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) praised those who fulfill their vows, saying (Exalted and Majestic is He)
(7) They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread. (8) And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,
يوفون بالنذر ويخافون يوما كان شره مستطيرا ويطعمون الطعام على حبه مسكينا ويتيما وأسيراThis doubt is raised often, but it is easy to answer for one to whom Allah the Exalted has granted knowledge and understanding.
We say, by Allah, there is no contradiction or conflict between the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and what is authentic from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). It is impossible to find any conflict between the speech of Allah and what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), ever, because all of it is truth, and truth does not contradict or conflict. So how is the reconciliation? We say: Reflect for a moment. Did the verse praise the vow-makers, or did it praise those who fulfill their vows? The latter, not the former? Those who fulfill their vows. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only prohibited the act of making a vow. There is a difference between the one who makes a vow and the one who fulfills it, is there not? Good.
If a person vows to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and he fulfills it, he is praised for fulfilling his vow. Yes, he is praised for fulfilling his vow, but he is not praised for the original act of making the vow. So it is now clear that there is a clear difference between the verse and the hadith. This is the first point.
Another answer is to say: We do not accept that the "vow" mentioned in the verse is the same vow that the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) prohibited. We do not accept this. Our first answer applies if we accept that the intended meaning of "vow" is what is mentioned in the hadith. Another answer is to say: We do not accept that the intended meaning of "vow" in the verse is the vow that the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) prohibited. Pay attention, my brother, why? Because in the Noble Qur'an, "vow" is intended to mean the obligatory, i.e., what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has made obligatory. The evidence is His saying (the Exalted) in the chapter of Hajj
Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows
ثم ليقضوا تفثهم وليوفوا نذورهمThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : What is the answer? This is a cold answer.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, the pilgrim did not vow to perform Hajj. But because fulfilling Hajj is obligatory, Allah called it a vow. And on this basis, His saying "they fulfill their vows" means they fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon them, because when they embark upon what Allah has made obligatory upon them, it is as if they had vowed it.
So the reconciliation between the verse and the hadith is from two angles:
The first: That the hadith prohibits making a vow initially, while the verse is about fulfilling a vow that a person has made upon himself.
The second angle: That we do not accept that the intended meaning of "vow" is a person binding himself to something that Allah has not made obligatory upon him, but rather the intended meaning of "vow" is the obligatory.