Vows (Nadhr) – Definition, Types, Legitimacy, Prohibited Forms, and Sharʿi Rulings
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
1. Definition of Nadhr
- Linguistic meaning: Derived from nadhara–yandhuru (نذر–ينذر), meaning to make a vow and voluntarily obligate oneself to perform a non-obligatory act.
[Al-Muʿjam al-Wasīṭ, p. 912; Al-Munjid, p. 883; Lisān al-ʿArab 14/100] - Sharʿi definition: A commitment to perform an act of goodness.
[Al-Fiqh al-Islāmī wa Adillatuh 4/2552]
2. Legitimacy of Nadhr
Qur’anic Proofs:
① ﴿يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ﴾ [Al-Dahr: 7] – “They fulfill their vows.”
② ﴿وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ﴾ [Al-Ḥajj: 29] – “They should fulfill their vows.”
③ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ﴾ [Al-Māʾidah: 1] – “O you who believe, fulfill your contracts.”
④ ﴿وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا﴾ [Al-Isrāʾ: 34] – “Fulfill the covenant; indeed, the covenant will be questioned about.”
Prophetic Proof:
- Ḥaḍrat ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
“مَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يُطِيعَ اللَّهَ فَلْيُطِعْهُ، وَمَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَعْصِيَهُ فَلَا يَعْصِهِ“
“Whoever vows to obey Allah should obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Him should not disobey Him.”
[Al-Bukhārī: 6696; Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 2/476; Abū Dāwūd: 3289; Al-Tirmidhī: 1526]
3. Difference Between Encouraged and Discouraged Nadhr
- Some narrations prohibit Nadhr:
“نَهَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنِ النَّذْرِ، قَالَ: إِنَّهُ لَا يَرُدُّ شَيْئًا، إِنَّمَا يُسْتَخْرَجُ بِهِ مِنَ الْبَخِيلِ“
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade vows, saying: It does not prevent anything (from occurring), but it is a means of taking something from a miser.”
[Al-Bukhārī: 6608; Abū Dāwūd: 3287]
Reconciliation:
- Monetary vows are discouraged.
- Acts of worship like prayer and fasting, if vowed, are valid and rewarding, but making such vows is still considered makrūh by many scholars.
4. Prohibited Forms of Nadhr
- In acts of disobedience:
“لَا نَذْرَ فِي مَعْصِيَةٍ“ – “There is no vow in disobedience.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd: 2816]
Examples:
- Inequality among children in gifts.
- Vows made for graves, shrines, or saints.
- Vows for sinful purposes (e.g., supporting sinners in sin).
- Any vow for an act not legislated by Sharīʿah.
5. Nadhr Beyond One’s Ability
If a person vows to perform something not legislated or beyond his capacity, it is not binding.
Example: The man who vowed to stand in the sun, not sit, not seek shade, not speak, and fast — the Prophet ﷺ ordered him to speak, sit, take shade, and continue fasting.
[Al-Bukhārī: 6704]
6. Kaffārah (Expiation) for Invalid Nadhr
- If a vow is invalid (due to sin, impossibility, or non-specificity), one must pay the expiation of an oath (kaffārat al-yamīn).
Ḥadīth:
“كَفَّارَةُ النَّذْرِ كَفَّارَةُ الْيَمِينِ“
“The expiation for a vow is the same as the expiation for an oath.”
[Muslim: 1645; Abū Dāwūd: 3324]
7. Nadhr Made in Shirk, Then Accepting Islam
If one vowed something permissible before accepting Islam, he should fulfill it after becoming Muslim.
Example: ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) vowed in Jāhiliyyah to do iʿtikāf in Masjid al-Ḥarām — the Prophet ﷺ said:
“أَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ“ – “Fulfill your vow.”
[Al-Bukhārī: 2032; Muslim: 1656]
8. Fulfilling Nadhr After Death
- If the deceased had a valid vow, it should be fulfilled from one-third of his estate or by his heirs voluntarily.
- The Prophet ﷺ equated fulfilling a vow to repaying a debt to Allah.
[Al-Bukhārī: 6699; Muslim: 1638]
✅ Summary Ruling:
- Valid: Only in acts of obedience to Allah.
- Invalid: In sin, shirk-related practices, or non-legislated acts.
- Discouraged: Initiating vows, though fulfilling valid vows is obligatory.
- Kaffārah: Oath expiation for invalid vows.
- After Death: Fulfilled from the deceased’s estate or by heirs voluntarily.
