What is the ruling on one who is unable to fulfill his vow?
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Question:
If a person makes a vow regarding a matter out of fear of illness or fear of a calamity befalling him, and after making this vow, he keeps increasing it each time until he reaches a stage where he cannot fulfill the vow; he vowed to fast two consecutive months in addition to giving one thousand sacrificial animals in charity out of fear of an illness befalling him?
Answer:
This is from ignorance. A vow is not among the causes of well-being. Vowing is prohibited. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited vowing, saying:Sunan an-Nasa'i 3801Sahih (Darussalam), and a vow is not among the causes of well-being. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1639c, but if one vows an act of obedience, he is obligated to fulfill it according to his capacity. It remains a debt in his liability until he is able to pay it.
Q: And if he is unable to fulfill this debt?
The Shaykh: If it is decreed that he is in the state of one who is unable, it becomes the expiation for an oath if he vowed something that cannot be done.
If a person makes a vow regarding a matter out of fear of illness or fear of a calamity befalling him, and after making this vow, he keeps increasing it each time until he reaches a stage where he cannot fulfill the vow; he vowed to fast two consecutive months in addition to giving one thousand sacrificial animals in charity out of fear of an illness befalling him?
Answer:
This is from ignorance. A vow is not among the causes of well-being. Vowing is prohibited. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited vowing, saying:
They do not bring any good
إنه لا يأتي بخيرIt 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.
لا يأتي بخير، وإنما يُسْتَخْرَج به من البخيلQ: And if he is unable to fulfill this debt?
The Shaykh: If it is decreed that he is in the state of one who is unable, it becomes the expiation for an oath if he vowed something that cannot be done.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.