The Permissible Vow and Its Ruling
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The Shaykh : The fourth category: A permissible vow. One makes a specific vow, but it is permissible. What is a specific permissible vow? For example, if someone says: "I have vowed to Allah that I will wear my garment today," and he specifies the garment. Let us suppose he has a black garment and a white garment, and he says, "I have vowed to Allah that I will wear my white garment today." This is a permissible vow, not a vow of obedience.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Good, it is not a vow of disobedience, nor a vow of obedience; it is a vow for something permissible. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) say that in this category of vows, a person is given the choice between fulfilling it and paying the expiation for an oath. They make its ruling exactly the same as that of an oath. I hope you pay attention. A man said, "I have vowed to Allah that I will wear my white garment today," but he chose to wear the black one. Is it permissible for him to wear the black one, or is it not permissible? Because it is an oath, but he expiates it if he wears the white one he vowed to wear. If he wears the white one he vowed to wear, he owes nothing. If he does not wear it, he must pay the expiation for an oath. So, the ruling of this vow is exactly the ruling of an oath. The criterion is that a person vows to do something permissible, and its ruling is exactly the ruling of an oath. That means a person is given the choice between fulfilling it and what? And the expiation for an oath. How much is this? Four.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Good, it is not a vow of disobedience, nor a vow of obedience; it is a vow for something permissible. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) say that in this category of vows, a person is given the choice between fulfilling it and paying the expiation for an oath. They make its ruling exactly the same as that of an oath. I hope you pay attention. A man said, "I have vowed to Allah that I will wear my white garment today," but he chose to wear the black one. Is it permissible for him to wear the black one, or is it not permissible? Because it is an oath, but he expiates it if he wears the white one he vowed to wear. If he wears the white one he vowed to wear, he owes nothing. If he does not wear it, he must pay the expiation for an oath. So, the ruling of this vow is exactly the ruling of an oath. The criterion is that a person vows to do something permissible, and its ruling is exactly the ruling of an oath. That means a person is given the choice between fulfilling it and what? And the expiation for an oath. How much is this? Four.