A man vowed that if Allah completes a matter for him, he will slaughter an animal for the poor and needy, and he did not specify the place where the slaughter is to take place; is he permitted to slaughter it?
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The questioner : He says that he vowed that if Allah completes a matter for him, he will slaughter an animal for the poor and needy, and he did not specify the place where the slaughter is to take place; is he permitted to slaughter it in his own country, where, as he says, he knows there are poor and needy people?
The Shaykh : Yes, first: it must be known that a vow, in its least severe state, is disliked, and some scholars have forbidden it. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 3801Sahih (Darussalam), and he said: .
A vow is not what brings good to a person, nor is it what repels harm from him:Sunan Abi Dawud 3287Sahih (Al-Albani), as stated in the hadith. For this reason, a large group of scholars have forbidden vows. How many are those who ask about vows, only to be found making vows and then delaying in fulfilling them, or perhaps being lenient and not fulfilling them? These people are in great danger, due to the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) regarding the hypocrites: [At-Tawbah 9:75-77].
So I repeat to my Muslim brothers the prohibition of vows, meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited them. I say: Beware of vows, beware of them, and:Sahih al-Bukhari 6696.
This man vowed to slaughter an animal for the poor upon the occurrence of a certain matter, and this is a vow of obedience. There is no difference between fulfilling it in his own country or in another country, unless he specified the country, in which case he must fulfill it in the one he specified.
The Shaykh : Yes, first: it must be known that a vow, in its least severe state, is disliked, and some scholars have forbidden it. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said:
They do not bring any good
إنه لا يأتي بخيرIt does not avert a decree.
إنه لا يرد قضاءًA vow is not what brings good to a person, nor is it what repels harm from him:
it is only from the miserly that it is means by which something is extracted
وإنما يستخرج به من البخيل(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 آتاهم من فضله بخلوا به وتولوا وهم معرضون ، فأعقبهم نفاقا في قلوبهم إلى يوم يلقونه بما أخلفوا الله ما وعدوه وبما كانوا يكذبونSo I repeat to my Muslim brothers the prohibition of vows, meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited them. I say: Beware of vows, beware of them, and:
Whoever vows that he will be obedient to Allah, should remain obedient to Him
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعهThis man vowed to slaughter an animal for the poor upon the occurrence of a certain matter, and this is a vow of obedience. There is no difference between fulfilling it in his own country or in another country, unless he specified the country, in which case he must fulfill it in the one he specified.