Conditions and Eligibility of the Person Making a Vow
A vow (nadhr) is making binding upon oneself an act that is not obligatory.
Therefore, the conditions of eligibility for the person making a vow are the same as the conditions for a person who is accountable (mukallaf) for worship, namely:
٭Sanity ——
٭Puberty——
٭Islam ——
٭If the vow concerns wealth, its condition is also “freedom,” because a slave has no independent authority over property.
➊ If a minor or an insane person makes a vow, fulfilling the vow is not obligatory upon them.
➋ A vow is made with any words that indicate obligation, such as:
٭ It is obligatory upon me for Allah to do this act.
٭ I make a vow (mannat) or I make a nadhr.
٭ It is my promise to Allah that I will do such-and-such act.
Conditions of a Vow
➊ The act vowed to must be voluntary (nafl) or recommended (mustahabb).
➋ The act vowed to must not be obligatory. For example:
* The five obligatory prayers,
* The fasts of Ramadan,
* Serving one’s parents, etc.
➌ The act vowed to must not be prohibited or forbidden (haram) in Islamic law.
➍ The ability and capacity to perform the act vowed to must be present within oneself.
A Vow Is a Promise Made to Allah
A vow (nadhr or mannat) is a promise made to Allah Most High. Therefore, fulfilling this promise is more important and deserving of priority than all other promises. Whatever the covenant may be, it is obligatory for a Muslim to fulfil it.
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ ۚ
“O you who believe! Fulfil your covenants.”
وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ ۖ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا ﴿٣٤﴾
“And fulfil the covenant, for indeed the covenant will be questioned about.”
Making a vow implicitly includes the meaning of taking an oath, so it is a promise about which an oath is sworn that it will certainly be fulfilled.
Failing to Fulfil a Vow Is a Grave Sin
◈ Sayyidina Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
خيركم قرني ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم الذين يلونهم
“The best of you are my generation (i.e., the Companions), then those who follow them, then those who follow them.”
Sayyidina Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he does not remember whether the Prophet ﷺ said ثم الذين يلونهم twice or three times. Then he said: ثم يجي قوم ينذرون ولا يفون ويخنون ولا يوتمنون، ويشهدون ولا يستشهدون ويظهر فيهم السمن
“Then there will come people who make vows but do not fulfil them, who betray and cannot be trusted, who give testimony without being asked to testify, and in whom obesity will spread (due to consuming unlawful wealth).”
Vow (Mannat): Obligatory or Voluntary:
Making a vow is, like the following, an act of worship:
٭ Giving charity,
٭ Sacrificing an animal,
٭ Keeping voluntary fasts,
٭ Offering voluntary prayers, etc., are acts of worship.
Allah says:
وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُهُ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ
“Whatever you spend in charity or whatever vow you make, indeed Allah knows it.”
Making a vow is not obligatory, but once a person has made a vow, it becomes obligatory for them to fulfil it.
Allah says:
يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ
“They fulfil their vows.”
وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ
“And that they may fulfil their vows.”
Vowing to Perform an Obligatory Act:
Making a vow to do an act that is already obligatory upon a person is not valid, such as:
٭ The five daily prayers,
٭ The fasts of Ramadan,
٭ Or performing Hajj when one has the ability,
٭ And paying Zakat, etc.
Because Allah the Exalted has greater power and greater right to make an matter obligatory than the obligation a person imposes upon himself.
Moreover, making an obligation of what Allah has made obligatory by vowing it upon oneself is a futile act.
Capacity to Fulfil a Vow
The person making a vow (mannat) should vow only to do an act that they have the capacity to fulfil.
If a vow is made to do an act that cannot be fulfilled, or for which one lacks the capacity, then fulfilling such a vow is not obligatory.
For example, if someone vows that they will give away their entire wealth in charity. Doing so is neither permissible in the Shariah, nor is it possible for any person, since wealth includes house, property, vehicles, clothing, household items, jewellery and cash, all of it. If that person gives all of this in charity, where will they live themselves? What will they eat? What will they wear?
It should be remembered that the Shariah has not permitted anyone to give away all their wealth in charity, because in that case there is a fear of them becoming dependent on others themselves. As for the matter that Sayyidina Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) also gave away all his wealth in charity for the Battle of Tabuk, the reality is that he did not give away his house or the clothes he was wearing in charity.
◈ Abdullah bin Ka’b, who used to lead his father after his father became blind, narrates that his father, Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), said (when his repentance was accepted): “O Messenger of Allah! As thanks for my repentance, I will give all my wealth in charity in the way of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Keep some of your wealth with you, it is better for you.” He said: “I will keep my share that is in Khaybar with me.”
◈ In another narration, it is reported that Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard him say he would give away all his wealth in charity, he said: “No.” Ka’b said: I said: “Half of it?” He said: “No.” I submitted: “A third of it.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Yes.” I submitted: “I will keep my share in Khaybar (and give the rest in charity).”
Making a Vow to Do Something Impermissible:
◈ Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever vows (makes a nadhr) to obey Allah, let him obey Him; and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him (and let him abandon the vow).”
◈ Sayyidina Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a man who was walking supported between his sons (by their shoulders). He asked about him, and Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that the man had vowed to walk on foot. Upon this, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah is free of need from a person tormenting himself.” Then the Prophet ﷺ ordered him to ride. In one narration, that elderly man had vowed to perform Hajj on foot.
◈ In a narration from Sayyidina Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that mentions a woman who had vowed to go on foot to the House of Allah (Ka’bah), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about her. He said: “Allah is free of need from her walking; let her be ordered to ride.”
◈ Once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering a sermon. A man was standing in the sun. The Prophet ﷺ asked the Companions about him, and in reply they said: “He (Abu Isra’il) has vowed that he will stand in the sun, will not sit, will not enter shade, will not speak to anyone, and will fast, meaning he will not eat anything.” He said: “Tell him to speak, enter the shade, and sit down, but complete his fast.” A vow is only in that matter in which the pleasure of Allah the Exalted is intended.
◈ Qays ibn Hazim said that Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) went to a woman of the Ahmas tribe named Zaynab. Qays ibn Hazim said that Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) saw that the woman was not speaking. People informed him that this woman had intended to perform Hajj while keeping silent. Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) told her to speak, saying that this (performing Hajj by remaining silent) is not lawful but is among the actions of the Jahiliyyah. The narrator said that the woman then began to speak. This woman asked Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him): “Who are you?” He said: “I am a man from the Muhajirin.” She asked: “Which of the Muhajirin?” He answered: “From the Muhajirin of Quraysh.” She asked: “Which Muhajirin are you?” Sayyidina Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “You ask too many questions. I am Abu Bakr.” The woman said: “How long will we remain upon the right state that Allah brought after the Jahiliyyah?” He said: “As long as your leaders remain upright and correct with you.” She said: “Which leaders?” He said: “Are there not the chiefs and nobles of your people, who give them orders and whose words they obey?” The woman said: “Of course.” He said: “They will be like them for the people.”
◈ Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ was performing Tawaf of the House of Allah. He passed by a man who was being led along with a rope tied around his nose by another person. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ broke the rope with his own hand and ordered him to hold the man’s hand and walk with him.
◈ A man vowed that he would not eat with his orphaned nephews, so Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered him: go and eat with them.
Conclusion:
➊ One should benefit from the blessings of Allah, and to make a vow and declare them forbidden is ingratitude to Allah.
➋ The authority to declare something forbidden rests with Allah.
➌ Whether an act of worship is obligatory or voluntary, its method cannot be devised by oneself.
➌ No partial (even a slight) or complete change in any act of worship is permissible.
➍ Changing the method of worship is called bid’ah (innovation), and bid’ah is something that leads to Hell. (For details, see: What is Bid’ah)
➎ Like dervishes, monks, yogis and others:
٭Standing in the sun ——
٭Not sitting in the shade ——
٭Standing continuously in water ——
٭Observing a chilla (a forty-day seclusion) ——
٭Going on foot for Hajj while transport is available is forbidden.
➏ Imitating disbelievers is forbidden.
◈ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever imitates a people is one of them.
➐ One should fulfil the permissible part of a vow, and it is necessary to abandon its impermissible part.
➑ Going on foot to Hajj is a cause of showing off (riya’). It is correct only if the residence is in the same area.
➒ Going on foot to Hajj is contrary to taqwa.
➓ Observing a fast of silence is forbidden.
⓫ Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), during his caliphate, took care of the common people and would go to every tribe to ask about their condition.
⓬ This incident by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) took place during Hajj.
⓭ The woman had vowed to perform Hajj in silence, which is impermissible.
⓮ The woman immediately accepted the word of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). One should accept the word of a scholar greater than oneself, provided he orders something permissible.
⓯ Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) did not consider it appropriate to reveal his real name. The rightly-guided caliphs and the Companions considered themselves ordinary people and did not overawe others by announcing their positions.
⓰ It is the duty of the ruler to advise the people to do good.
⓱ As long as the elders remain upright, society remains upright.
⓲ Vowing not to eat with someone is also forbidden.
⓳ Putting a halter on a person is contrary to human dignity, so doing so is not permissible.
⓴ The Prophet ﷺ was sent to save people from the affairs of ignorance.
As Allah says:
وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ
“And he relieves them of their burdens and the shackles that were upon them.”
Vowing to do the following is also not permissible.
➊ Swearing an oath or vowing not to speak to someone
➋ Vowing not to visit someone who is ill, offer condolences, or meet them
➌ Acting like animals ——
٭Eating or drinking like animals without using the hands ——
٭Sitting like animals ——
٭Going naked like animals ——
٭Urinating while standing (permissible if there is necessity)
Vowing over something one does not own:
◈ The Meccan polytheists raided the grazing camels of Madinah and also took away al-Adba’, the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Along with this, they also captured a woman from among the Muslims and took her with them. At night they would leave their camels in their pens. One night sleep was made to overcome them, and the woman got up (in order to escape). Whichever camel she touched would start groaning. Eventually she came to al-Adba’, as if she had come to a gentle and well-trained she-camel, and it did not groan. The woman mounted it. Then she vowed for herself that if Allah saved her, she would surely slaughter this she-camel. When she reached Madinah, this she-camel (al-Adba’) was recognised as belonging to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ was informed of it, and he sent for her; it (the she-camel) was brought into his presence and he was also told about her vow. The Prophet ﷺ said: She gave it a very bad reward. Or he addressed the woman and said: You gave it a very bad reward. Allah saved her through this she-camel, and she goes to slaughter it. There is no vow in an act involving disobedience to Allah, or in something a person does not own.
Lesson:
➊ It is not permissible to vow over something one does not own.
➋ Something that benefits a person in a difficult situation should be given a good reward, not a bad reward, nor should it be destroyed.
Expiation for a vow (nadhr) to do something impermissible:
◈ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا نذر فى معصية و كفارته كفارة اليمين
Making a vow (nadhr) to do an act of disobedience (i.e., one prohibited in the Shariah) is not permissible, and its expiation is the same as the expiation for an oath.
◈ Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrated this hadith of the Prophet ﷺ:
كفارة النذر كفارة اليمين
“The expiation for a vow is the same as the expiation for an oath.”
In reality, a vow (nadhr) is a covenant that a person makes with Allah, and fulfilling this covenant becomes obligatory. Since in an oath too a person makes an act binding and obligatory upon himself, the rulings on fulfilling and not fulfilling both oaths and vows are alike. If one swears to do a prohibited act or swears not to do a permissible act, then it should not be fulfilled; rather, its expiation will be paid.
◈ Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said about a person who, instead of leaving his wealth to be distributed among his heirs, had gifted it to the House of Allah, that he should pay the expiation for an oath.
Because it is not permissible to deprive the heirs of their entire wealth near one’s death and spend it elsewhere; however, during one’s youth or good health, when there is still hope of earning and acquiring more wealth, this may be done.
◈ Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ was informed that Sayyidina Uqba bin Amir’s (may Allah be pleased with him) sister had vowed to perform Hajj on foot, he said: Indeed Allah is not in need of her vow; instruct her to ride.
◈ In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that she ride and offer a sacrifice.
Regarding the sister of Sayyidina Uqba bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), who had vowed to perform Hajj on foot, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Indeed Allah is not in need of your sister’s walking (meaning, He will not reward her for it); she should ride and offer a she-camel as a sacrifice.
◈ Sayyidina Uqba bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that my sister vowed that she would go to the Ka’bah barefoot and bareheaded. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to her and asked: What is the matter with her? The people said: She has vowed to go to the Ka’bah barefoot and bareheaded. The Prophet ﷺ said: Instruct her to ride, cover herself with a sheet, perform Hajj, and offer a hadi.
◈ Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked by someone who had vowed that he would fast on a certain day. On that day, it turned out to be an Eid. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “You are obliged to follow the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He would not fast on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.”
Lessons:
➊ A Muslim cannot vow to do something that is unlawful, forbidden, or prohibited by Shariah.
➋ If a vow to do something prohibited by Shariah has been made, it is not obligatory to fulfil it.
➌ If a vow to do something unlawful by Shariah is fulfilled, it is a grave sin.
➍ Making something forbidden and prohibited obligatory upon oneself is the gravest sin.
➎ If one makes a vow to do something forbidden, it is obligatory to pay its expiation.
➏ The expiation for a vow is the same as the expiation for breaking an oath.
➏ Swearing an oath and making a vow are similar acts in terms of Shariah ruling.
➐ If a vow to fast falls on days when fasting is forbidden, then one should not fast on those days and should instead pay the expiation for an oath.
Vows made in the Age of Ignorance:
The rulings on a vow made before accepting Islam or before acquiring knowledge of the Shariah differ according to its nature. They are as follows:
➊ If the act vowed is also permissible in Islamic Shariah, then after becoming Muslim one must necessarily fulfil that act. For example:
◈ Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) submitted to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that in the Age of Ignorance he had vowed to perform i’tikaf for one night in the Masjid al-Haram. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Fulfil your vow.
➋ The second type of vow is one that contains no matter of disbelief, polytheism, or disobedience to Allah, and does not include any aspect resembling the disbelievers and polytheists.
As in:
◈ The father of Maymuna bint Kardam submitted to the Prophet ﷺ that he had vowed (in the Age of Ignorance) to slaughter a camel at a place called Buwana. The Prophet ﷺ asked: Was there any idol or tághiyah there? He said: No. The Prophet ﷺ said: اوف بنذرك (fulfil your vow).
“Tághiyah” here refers to whether there was any polytheistic belief or assumption among the people about that place? For example, that supplication is answered by slaughtering there, blessings are obtained, one is delivered from a certain calamity, or certain blessings are gained by slaughtering there, etc.
When he was assured that there was no idol shrine there and that no other disbelieving or polytheistic act was performed there, he ordered that this vow be fulfilled.
◈ The same hadith is also narrated from Thabit bin Dahhak. He asked about the place Buwana: Was there an idol of the Age of Ignorance there that was worshipped? The Companions said: No. Then he asked: Was a festival of theirs held there? The Companions said: No. He said: Fulfil your vow, for indeed there is no fulfilment of a vow that involves disobedience to Allah, nor of a vow concerning something that is not within a person’s control.
Amr bin Shu’ayb reported from his father, from his grandfather, that a woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and said that she had vowed to play the daf before him. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fulfil your vow.” She said: “I have vowed to slaughter an animal at such-and-such a place where the people of jahiliyyah used to slaughter.” He asked: “Was there a statue there that they used to slaughter for?” She said: “No.” He asked: “Was there an idol there that they used to slaughter for?” She said: “No.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fulfil your vow.”
➌ The third case is that it involves disobedience to Allah or resemblance to the disbelievers and polytheists, as in the earlier hadiths where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ inquired whether fulfilling these vows would not involve resemblance to the disbelievers and polytheists.
Lessons:
➊ Deeds that are good according to the Shariah which were begun in the period of jahiliyyah may be continued, and indeed should be continued.
➋ A vow made in the period of jahiliyyah for an act that was lawful in the Shariah must be fulfilled.
➌ Before giving a ruling on any matter, one should obtain complete information about it so that there is no possibility of giving a wrong answer.
➍ For acts connected with shirk and kufr, or that resemble shirkiyah and kufriyah acts, the Muslim is also obliged to avoid them.
➎ Playing the daf is permissible.
A better way of fulfilling a vow:
On the occasion of the conquest of Makkah, a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I vowed to Allah that if Allah grants you the conquest of Makkah, I will pray two rak’ahs in Bayt al-Maqdis.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Then pray here (in Bayt al-Haram).” He repeated his statement. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Pray here.” He said it again. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Then it is up to you.”
Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that a woman fell ill and vowed that if Allah granted her recovery, she would go to Bayt al-Maqdis and pray there. When she recovered, she began preparing for the journey. Sayyida Maymunah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), said to her: “Pray in the Masjid of the Messenger (of Allah) instead, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that a prayer here is better than a thousand prayers in other mosques, except the Ka’bah.”
Lessons:
➊ If a better form of the act vowed is available, the vow may be fulfilled in that form.
➋ The reward for prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque is greater than in Bayt al-Maqdis, so one who intended to pray in Bayt al-Maqdis may fulfil it in the Prophet’s Mosque.
➌ Likewise, one who vowed to pray in the Prophet’s Mosque or in any ordinary mosque may fulfil the vow by praying in Bayt al-Haram.
➍ If someone vows to give one thousand rupees to a mosque or to provide something for the mosque and worshippers, and he finds a person or place that is more in need than the mosque, he may spend the money on them.
Warning:
It is not permissible to fulfil a vow by choosing an item of lesser reward or lesser rank than what was vowed. For example:
➊ He vowed to sacrifice a goat but sacrificed a rooster.
➋ He vowed to give religious books or tafsirs of the Quran for the sake of Allah, but bought worldly education books or Islamic books of worldly education and distributed them.
Vow or condition:
◈ Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah, the Exalted, said: a vow does not come to the son of Adam in anything I had not already decreed for him; rather, a vow brings him to something that was decreed for him, and by it he is made to give up something from the miser that he was not giving before, and to do something he was not doing before.
◈ Sayyidna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
انه لا يرد شيأ انما يستخرج به من البخيل
“It (the vow) returns nothing; it only extracts wealth from the miser.”
Because of this hadith, the scholars differ regarding vowing wealth:
➊ Some hold that vowing wealth is not permissible; only vows of physical worship may be made.
➋ Imam al-Shafi’i, Imam Ahmad and Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on them) are of the view that vowing wealth is not forbidden, but it is disliked.
➌ Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, explaining this hadith, writes:
“This prohibition and disapproval relate to a kind of vow in which someone says: ‘If such-and-such matter happens for me, I will give such-and-such amount in charity,’ because what happens is only what is decreed; yet the result is that a person who does not spend for Allah’s pleasure in ordinary circumstances spends when he is in some difficulty. In short, making spending in the way of Allah conditional on the fulfilment of one’s own purpose is not regarded as desirable.”
Cash payment instead of a condition:
The best course is that when a person is distressed and wishes that Allah Almighty resolve his problem, he should, instead of vowing to give charity in return for that matter he wishes to happen, perform it right away and then make supplication, because the ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ show that a supplication is accepted after doing a good deed, as in the hadith about the story of the people of the cave.
Fulfilling a Vow (Mannat) on Behalf of the Deceased:
◈ A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about his deceased sister who had vowed to perform Hajj, and the Prophet ﷺ said: “If she had a debt, would you have paid it?” He said: “Yes.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Pay what is owed to Allah, for He is more deserving of being paid.”
◈ It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a woman travelled by sea and vowed that if Allah saved her (from the storm) she would fast for one month. Allah saved her, but before she had kept the fasts she died. Her daughter or sister came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he ordered her to fast on her behalf.
◈ Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that Sa’d ibn Ubadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about his mother’s vow, which she had died before fulfilling. He said: “Fulfil it on her behalf,” and this practice then continued.
◈ Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) instructed a woman to pray at Masjid Quba on behalf of her mother, who had made this vow before her death. Instead of fulfilling it, they would pay it from the estate of the deceased, even if the deceased had not made a bequest for it.
The opinion of Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on them) is that when the deceased made a bequest, it is to be paid from the estate.
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) states that the fulfilment of a vow is necessarily binding on the heirs, because this is what the hadith indicates.
Conclusion:
➊ A vow is an obligatory matter; therefore it is obligatory on the heirs of the deceased to fulfil it.
➋ If it is a monetary vow, the heirs may also fulfil it from the estate of the deceased.
➌ If the heirs fulfil it on their own behalf instead of from the estate, this is also permissible.
Common Errors Found in Vows:
➊ Making vows for frivolous matters, for example: if Pakistan wins the match, then ——
٭ if I get a visa for a certain country, then ——
٭ if a boy is born, then ——
٭ I will not let my wife go to her parents’ home ——
٭ I will not eat food from a certain house ——
➋ Making vows for impermissible and forbidden acts, for example:
٭ I will walk on foot to a certain shrine ——
٭ I will cook a large pot and distribute it in a certain place
٭ or I will slaughter a goat ——
٭ I will light a lamp at a certain place ——
٭ I will hold Gyarhvi ——
٭ I will have Qasida Burda recited ——
٭ I will have a Khatm arranged ——
٭ I will keep a lock of hair in the name of Husayn ——
٭ I will fill the Konday ——
٭ I will drink alcohol ——
٭ I will shave off my beard ——
٭ If a boy is born, I will have eunuchs dance and sing ——
➌ Making a vow to do what one cannot do, for example:
٭ I will pray one hundred supererogatory units of prayer; a woman who finds it hard to offer obligatory prayer, how will she pray one hundred units?
➍ I will give ten thousand rupees in the way of Allah, when his salary is only fifteen or twenty thousand and he also has children; how will he be able to pay ten thousand at once?
➎ I will free a slave —— whereas in the present age there are no slaves, and even if there were, one would not have the means to buy them ——
Living or Deceased Saints
Among ignorant people in our society there is a habit of making a vow (nazr) for a living or dead pir (spiritual leader), for example:
➊ I will sacrifice such-and-such animal in the name of such-and-such saint.
➋ I will go on foot to visit such-and-such saint’s shrine.
➌ I will cook my own cauldrons at such-and-such shrine, or distribute such-and-such food.
➍ I will wear the robe of such-and-such saint, or keep a lock of hair on my head in his name.
➎ I will wear bangles or beads in the name of such-and-such saint.
➏ If such-and-such work is accomplished, I will visit such-and-such saint’s place or his shrine.
➐ I will burn incense at such-and-such saint’s shrine, that is, light a fire and create smoke.
➑ I will invite such-and-such saint to my home and hold a feast for him.
➒ I will hold a qawwali or have music played for such-and-such saint.
➓ I will offer a child at such-and-such saint’s shrine, such as the rats of Shah Daula and similar.
In short, many jahili (pre-Islamic ignorant) practices are found in the names of saints, which fall under the category of nazr or vow. Making all such vows is haram, and if a vow has been made, it is not permissible to fulfil it. The following creedal errors are found in it:
➊ Making a vow to any creation other than Allah is not permissible, because making a vow is an act of worship.
➋ Making a vow to other than Allah is shirk.
➌ About the saint for whom the vow is being offered, there is also the belief that he sees my condition and is able to resolve my problem, and this itself is shirk.
➍ If I do not fulfil the vow, the saint will harm me; if I fulfil it, the saint will be pleased. This means the saint is considered capable of causing benefit and harm, whereas believing that about anyone is shirk.
➎ It is not permissible to regard someone as an owner. The Prophet ﷺ said: The one who slaughters an animal for other than Allah is cursed.
In Tafsir al-Kabir it is stated that “ghafr” is not permissible in Islam, meaning taking an animal to a shrine and slaughtering it there.
➏ There is consensus on the prohibition of making a vow to a creation.
➐ Slaughtering cows, goats and the like beside a grave is not permissible.
➑ Whoever slaughters in honour of a king or any other personality is committing a haram act, even if Allah’s name is mentioned over it. However, one may slaughter an animal to host a guest.
➒ An animal slaughtered for other than Allah is haram, even if it is slaughtered after saying Bismillah.
