Is saying, “If Allah lets me witness such-and-such, I will certainly do such-and-such,” considered a vow?
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Question:
Is the statement of Anas ibn al-Nadr, “If Allah lets me witness the fighting of the polytheists...,” a vow?
Answer:
It is close to a vow, but it is not a clear vow. He did not say, “It is obligatory upon me for the sake of Allah”; rather, it was a statement of information in the sense of a promise and a covenant.
Q: When is an unconditional vow permissible?
The Shaykh: It is possible that it means: “May Allah show what I will do.” He did not say “upon me,” nor did he use the form of commitment. However, it was a promise, and a believer, when he makes a promise, fulfills it. For this reason, he fulfilled it (peace and blessings be upon him) and exerted himself on the day of Uhud.
Is the statement of Anas ibn al-Nadr, “If Allah lets me witness the fighting of the polytheists...,” a vow?
Answer:
It is close to a vow, but it is not a clear vow. He did not say, “It is obligatory upon me for the sake of Allah”; rather, it was a statement of information in the sense of a promise and a covenant.
Q: When is an unconditional vow permissible?
The Shaykh: It is possible that it means: “May Allah show what I will do.” He did not say “upon me,” nor did he use the form of commitment. However, it was a promise, and a believer, when he makes a promise, fulfills it. For this reason, he fulfilled it (peace and blessings be upon him) and exerted himself on the day of Uhud.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.