I vowed that if I succeed this year, I will pray two rak'ahs every day, and honestly, I do not keep up with it. What is the ruling, and will I be sinful?
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The questioner : You say: I vowed that if I succeed this year, I will pray two rak'ahs every day, and honestly, I do not keep up with it. What is the ruling, and will I be sinful?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for a person who vows obedience to Allah the Exalted to fulfill his vow, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 6696 If a person does not fulfill a conditional vow of obedience, he is in great danger. For example, if he says, "If Allah heals my sick person, or heals me, I have a vow to Allah to pray ten rak'ahs," and Allah heals him or his companion, but he does not fulfill his vow, he is in great danger, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [At-Tawbah 9:75-77] Look at this great punishment: that Allah followed up their hypocrisy in their hearts until they die.
The matter is serious, and we say to this man who vowed to pray two rak'ahs: it is obligatory for him to pray two rak'ahs every day as he vowed. Since Allah the Exalted has fulfilled his vow, he must fulfill his vow to Allah the Exalted. On this occasion, I inform my Muslim brothers that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said:Sahih Muslim 1639c He also informed (peace and blessings be upon him) that a vow does not avert divine decree, and that what Allah the Exalted has decreed will happen.
If a person is sick and vows that if Allah the Exalted heals him, he will do such and such acts of obedience, it is not he who brings the healing. Rather, if Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, wills to heal him, He will heal him without a vow. And if He wills to destroy him, He will destroy him even if he made a vow. So, O brothers, we must say: "We hear and obey the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)," and we must never make vows as long as our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden them. He (peace and blessings be upon him) is merciful and compassionate to the believers, and concerned for his Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him). So how do we contradict him and make vows?
I advise my Muslim brothers against making vows, and I clarify to them that many people make a vow and then go to the door of every scholar wanting to get rid of what they vowed. This indicates that vows do not bring good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. And you, O Muslim brother, if Allah wills evil for you, a vow will not benefit you. And if He wills mercy for you, it will not depend on a vow; it will happen without a vow.
The questioner : May Allah thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit people through you.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for a person who vows obedience to Allah the Exalted to fulfill his vow, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever vows that he will be obedient to Allah, should remain obedient to Him
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه(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 it and turned away while they refused. (77) So 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.
ومنهم من عاهد الله لئن آتانا من فضله لنصدقن ولنكونن من الصالحين فلما أتاهم من فضله بخلوا به وتولوا وهم معرضون فأعقبهم نفاقاً في قلوبهم إلى يوم يلقونه بما أخلفوا الله ما وعدوه وبما كانوا يكذبونThe matter is serious, and we say to this man who vowed to pray two rak'ahs: it is obligatory for him to pray two rak'ahs every day as he vowed. Since Allah the Exalted has fulfilled his vow, he must fulfill his vow to Allah the Exalted. On this occasion, I inform my Muslim brothers that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vows and said:
It 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.
إنه لا يأتي بخير وإنما يستخرج به من البخيلIf a person is sick and vows that if Allah the Exalted heals him, he will do such and such acts of obedience, it is not he who brings the healing. Rather, if Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, wills to heal him, He will heal him without a vow. And if He wills to destroy him, He will destroy him even if he made a vow. So, O brothers, we must say: "We hear and obey the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)," and we must never make vows as long as our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden them. He (peace and blessings be upon him) is merciful and compassionate to the believers, and concerned for his Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him). So how do we contradict him and make vows?
I advise my Muslim brothers against making vows, and I clarify to them that many people make a vow and then go to the door of every scholar wanting to get rid of what they vowed. This indicates that vows do not bring good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. And you, O Muslim brother, if Allah wills evil for you, a vow will not benefit you. And if He wills mercy for you, it will not depend on a vow; it will happen without a vow.
The questioner : May Allah thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit people through you.