For years, I asked Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that if I gave birth safely and the child lived, I would fast every Monday and Thursday. I have not fasted until now, except last year.
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The questioner : For years, O honorable Shaykh, I asked Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that if I gave birth safely and the child lived, I would fast every Monday and Thursday. I have not fasted until now, except last year when I fasted for one month only. My question is: Is there a sin on me for delaying the fasting? And do I have to make up the days and past years? What must I do?
The Shaykh : Her statement: “I asked Allah” could mean that she vowed to Allah to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. It could also mean that she asked Allah, i.e., she sought His help to do so.
If it is the latter, meaning she asked Allah to help her with it, then she owes nothing. Because a person may supplicate to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and it may be wise that Allah does not answer him, so that He reserves for him a reward and recompense on the Day of Resurrection, or so that He averts from him evil equivalent to that supplication.
As for if she intended a vow, then her question requires two things:
The first thing: The ruling on vows in Islam. A vow in Islam, at its minimum, is disliked, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said: Many people fear that a thing will happen to them, and you find them making a vow, thinking that the vow will bring it about. This is a mistake. If Allah the Exalted brings good, nothing can avert it, and if it is evil, nothing can avert it.
Based on this, I advise my Muslim brothers listening to this program to make vows, meaning I advise them to leave off vows and not to make them. If they are concerned about a thing, let them ask Allah to make it easy and facilitate it. If he is sick, there is no need to say: “If Allah heals me, I have a vow to Allah to do such and such.” Rather, he should say: “O Allah, heal me. O Allah, grant me well-being,” and the like. Supplication averts destiny by the permission of Allah, but a vow does not avert destiny and does not bring good.
Many people make a vow, and when they get what they wanted, they delay in fulfilling the vow and do not keep it, like this questioner. If a person vows something for a condition, and the condition is met, but he does not fulfill the vow, then the outcome will be severe. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:[At-Tawbah 9:75-76] So they did not give charity [At-Tawbah 9:76] So they were not among the righteous [At-Tawbah 9:77].
So they broke their promise to Allah and lied. They were not among the righteous, and they did not fulfill what they vowed. So Allah made hypocrisy follow in their hearts until death, until the day they meet Him, which is their death. This is the result of such a thing. It should never be done, and it is not fitting for a person of intellect to do it. This is one of the things required by the woman’s question.
As for the second thing, it is the answer to her question. We say: If the meaning of her statement: “I asked Allah by a vow”, then it is obligatory for her to fulfill the vow. She should fast on Mondays and Thursdays. This will not harm, if Allah wills, because they are two days in the week. As for what has passed, she must make it up and expiate with the expiation of an oath for the time she designated. If forty Mondays and forty Thursdays have passed, she must make up eighty days along with the expiation of an oath for the lapse of the time she designated. Then she should resume her practice and fast every Monday and Thursday.
The Shaykh : Her statement: “I asked Allah” could mean that she vowed to Allah to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. It could also mean that she asked Allah, i.e., she sought His help to do so.
If it is the latter, meaning she asked Allah to help her with it, then she owes nothing. Because a person may supplicate to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and it may be wise that Allah does not answer him, so that He reserves for him a reward and recompense on the Day of Resurrection, or so that He averts from him evil equivalent to that supplication.
As for if she intended a vow, then her question requires two things:
The first thing: The ruling on vows in Islam. A vow in Islam, at its minimum, is disliked, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said:
It does not bring good and does not avert destiny
إنه لا يأتي بخير ولا يرد قضاءBased on this, I advise my Muslim brothers listening to this program to make vows, meaning I advise them to leave off vows and not to make them. If they are concerned about a thing, let them ask Allah to make it easy and facilitate it. If he is sick, there is no need to say: “If Allah heals me, I have a vow to Allah to do such and such.” Rather, he should say: “O Allah, heal me. O Allah, grant me well-being,” and the like. Supplication averts destiny by the permission of Allah, but a vow does not avert destiny and does not bring good.
Many people make a vow, and when they get what they wanted, they delay in fulfilling the vow and do not keep it, like this questioner. If a person vows something for a condition, and the condition is met, but he does not fulfill the vow, then the outcome will be severe. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:
(75) And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous." (76) But when he gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِand turned away while they refused.
وَتَوَلَّوا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَSo He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him - because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie.
فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقاً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُ بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكَذِبُونَSo they broke their promise to Allah and lied. They were not among the righteous, and they did not fulfill what they vowed. So Allah made hypocrisy follow in their hearts until death, until the day they meet Him, which is their death. This is the result of such a thing. It should never be done, and it is not fitting for a person of intellect to do it. This is one of the things required by the woman’s question.
As for the second thing, it is the answer to her question. We say: If the meaning of her statement: “I asked Allah by a vow”, then it is obligatory for her to fulfill the vow. She should fast on Mondays and Thursdays. This will not harm, if Allah wills, because they are two days in the week. As for what has passed, she must make it up and expiate with the expiation of an oath for the time she designated. If forty Mondays and forty Thursdays have passed, she must make up eighty days along with the expiation of an oath for the lapse of the time she designated. Then she should resume her practice and fast every Monday and Thursday.