If one vows money to Allah, is it permissible for him to trade with it in the path of Allah?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.
The questioner : Noble Shaykh, a person vowed the value of a piece of land to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified.
The Shaykh : The value, not the land.
The questioner : The value of the land.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And he sold the land and obtained the value.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He sold the land and obtained the value.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Then, at the same time, he vowed that if he made a profit in trade, he would spend a portion of it in the path of Allah. This happened to him, so he collected the two amounts. Is it permissible for him to trade with them for Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, or must he spend the entire amount?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for one who vows something to hasten to fulfill it and not delay. If he vows that the value of this land be for a mosque, for example, or for charitable works, he must sell it immediately, even if it is worth only ten percent of its value, and then give it in charity. Yes, he spends it on the mosque or other things that assist. As for him saying, "I will trade with it, perhaps it will increase," this is forbidden for him because he has vowed it to Allah, and because he cannot be certain that he will not trade and lose, is that not so? Answer, O questioner.
Also, he cannot be certain that his stingy self, if it obtains a profit, will say, "Half is for me, or all of it is for me." Then he cannot be certain of death; he may die and the heirs may take it and not spend it. Therefore, it is obligatory that when a person vows to give charity or spend the value of this land on a mosque or a good deed, he should hasten to sell it and spend it on good deeds. Yes.
The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.
The questioner : Noble Shaykh, a person vowed the value of a piece of land to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified.
The Shaykh : The value, not the land.
The questioner : The value of the land.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And he sold the land and obtained the value.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He sold the land and obtained the value.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Then, at the same time, he vowed that if he made a profit in trade, he would spend a portion of it in the path of Allah. This happened to him, so he collected the two amounts. Is it permissible for him to trade with them for Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, or must he spend the entire amount?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for one who vows something to hasten to fulfill it and not delay. If he vows that the value of this land be for a mosque, for example, or for charitable works, he must sell it immediately, even if it is worth only ten percent of its value, and then give it in charity. Yes, he spends it on the mosque or other things that assist. As for him saying, "I will trade with it, perhaps it will increase," this is forbidden for him because he has vowed it to Allah, and because he cannot be certain that he will not trade and lose, is that not so? Answer, O questioner.
Also, he cannot be certain that his stingy self, if it obtains a profit, will say, "Half is for me, or all of it is for me." Then he cannot be certain of death; he may die and the heirs may take it and not spend it. Therefore, it is obligatory that when a person vows to give charity or spend the value of this land on a mosque or a good deed, he should hasten to sell it and spend it on good deeds. Yes.