❖ The Shar‘i Ruling on Making Vows (Nadhr) and Expiation for Not Fulfilling Them ❖
This writing is excerpted from the book “500 Questions and Answers for Women” based on the Fatwas of the Scholars of the Haramain, translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
❖ Question:
What is the Islamic ruling on making a vow (نذر)? And is there any punishment or consequence for not fulfilling it?
❖ Answer:
The shar‘i ruling on vows is that they are disliked (makrūh).
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited making vows and said:
“It does not change anything; rather, it extracts something from a stingy person.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Qadar, Bāb 6]
This is because:
- Some people make vows when facing illness, loss, or hardship, such as vowing to give charity, slaughter an animal, or donate wealth,
- They wrongly believe that unless they make such vows, Allah will not grant them healing or relief,
- The Prophet ﷺ clarified that vows do not alter divine decree, rather they merely compel a miser to give.
❖ Types of Vows and Their Rulings:
1. Vows to Commit a Sin (معصیت):
If the vow involves something haram, such as:
- Killing,
- Zina (fornication),
- Consuming alcohol,
- Theft, etc.,
then fulfilling such a vow is impermissible, and instead, kaffārah (expiation) must be given—like that of an oath.
✔ Expiation:
Feed ten needy people as one would normally feed their own family.
2. Vows Regarding Permissible Acts (مباح):
Examples include:
- Eating,
- Dressing,
- Traveling,
- General conversations.
In such cases, the person has a choice:
✔ Either fulfill the vow,
✔ Or pay expiation like that of breaking an oath.
3. Vows Involving Obedience and Charity (نذر طاعت):
If one vows to:
- Feed the poor,
- Sacrifice an animal for distribution among the needy,
then it is obligatory to fulfill the vow exactly as stated.
If the vow specifies a particular use, such as:
- Building a masjid,
- Donating religious books,
- Supporting a religious project,
then the donation must go strictly toward that specified purpose.
(Shaykh Ibn Jibreen ḥafiẓahullāh)
