The Ruling on Vows Made to the Graves of Prophets, Righteous People, and Others

Question:
O my brothers, in today’s session, we will address the first question received from the listener Abdul-Wahhab Ahmad from Iraq, Nineveh. In his first question, he says:
Three years ago, I made a vow for the sake of Allah the Exalted. I said: I have a vow to place one Iraqi dinar every month in the grave of the Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him), knowing that the amounts placed in the grave are taken. Is this vow valid and permissible, and should I continue to carry it out, or should I stop, or should I give it to the poor every month? What is the ruling if I stop placing it and do not give it to the poor? And what is the expiation for that?
Please advise us, may Allah reward you.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The scholars have agreed that a vow is not permissible for anyone other than Allah, whoever it may be; because it is an act of worship and a means of drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The one who makes the vow exalts the one to whom the vow is made by this vow. A vow made to the dead, whether prophets or non-prophets, is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). If one vows to offer dirhams, dinars, food, oil, or anything else to graves, idols, or other objects of worship other than Allah, it becomes an invalid vow and major shirk.
Therefore, it is obligatory for you in this matter to abandon this act; because it is an invalid vow. And you must repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The purpose of offering a vow to the grave of the Prophet Yunus is to draw near to him through this vow, or to seek closeness with him, or to seek his intercession, or to seek healing for the sick, or so on and so on. All of this is invalid, and a vow is not permissible except for Allah alone (Glorified and Exalted is He). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: Al-Bukhari narrated it in his Sahih from the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
And Allah says, the Exalted: [al-Baqarah: 270].
As for the lawful vow, Allah praised those who fulfill it, such as a vow to pray, fast, or give charity for the sake of Allah. This is a lawful vow. He said, the Exalted: [al-Insan: 7], praising the believers for this fulfillment.
As for vows made to graves, trees, stones, or idols, or to stars, or to jinn, or to prophets, or to the awliya (close friends of Allah), they are all invalid. They are all invalid vows; because they are acts of worship, and worship is for Allah alone. He said, the Exalted: [al-Isra: 23]. He said, the Exalted: [al-Bayyinah: 5]. He said (peace be upon him): [adh-Dhariyat: 56]. And He said, the Exalted: [al-Fatihah: 5]. So hasten to repent to Allah, and seek forgiveness from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Guard your wealth, and do not offer it except in something that pleases Allah, such as charity for the poor and needy, maintaining family ties, building mosques and the restrooms around them, and the like of what benefits the Muslims.
As for vows made to graves, or to jinn, or to idols, or to trees and stones, or to stars, they are all invalid vows. It is not permissible to carry them out at all. They are a means of drawing near to other than Allah, and worship of other than Allah, and shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). May Allah grant you and me guidance and insight, and bestow upon us and you sincere repentance. Indeed, He (Exalted and Majestic is He) is Generous and Bountiful.

The presenter: O Allah, amen. Regarding the authenticity of the location of the grave of Yunus (peace be upon him), is it actually in Iraq?

The Shaykh: As for Yunus, his grave is not known, and there is no authenticity to this. In fact, the graves of all the prophets are not known, except for the grave of our Prophet (may the prayers and blessings of Allah be upon him), which is known in his house in Madinah (may the prayers and blessings of Allah be upon him). And so is the grave of the intimate friend of Allah, Ibrahim, which is known in the cave there in Hebron in Palestine. As for the others, the scholars have clarified that their graves are not known. Whoever claims that this is the grave of so-and-so, or the grave of so-and-so, is lying without any basis or authenticity. The claim that the grave of Yunus is in Nineveh, and that it is the specific location, has no basis. This should be known.

The presenter: May Allah reward you.