Offering Vows and Devotions to Others Besides Allah
The literal meaning of “Nazar” (vow) is to make something obligatory, and in Shariah terminology, it means that a person makes something obligatory upon himself which is not obligatory upon him by Shariah.
And if a person says:
“It is obligatory upon me for Allah that I will pray Isha,” then this is not a vow, because prayer is obligatory upon a Muslim, whereas a vow occurs in an act which is not obligatory, and a vow is an additional act beyond the obligatory duties.
Vows and devotions belong only to Allah Almighty. Those who oppose the divine command in spending wealth and vows commit shirk. Such polytheists have no helper; Allah may punish them as He wills.
((وَ مَاۤ اَنْفَقْتُمْ مِّنْ نَّفَقَةٍ اَوْ نَذَرْتُمْ مِّنْ نَّذْرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ یَعْلَمُهٗؕ وَمَا لِلظّٰلِمِیْنَ مِنْ اَنْصَارٍ))
“And whatever you spend in the way of Allah or make a vow, indeed Allah knows it, and there will be no helper for the wrongdoers (polytheists).”
That is, the polytheists used to worship others besides Allah and would sacrifice as vows and offerings to seek nearness to others besides Allah. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to declare in opposition to them that all his acts of worship, prayer, and sacrifice are for the nearness and pleasure of Allah.
((قُلْ اِنَّ صَلَاتِیْ وَ نُسُكِیْ وَ مَحْیَایَ وَ مَمَاتِیْ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ))
“Say, ‘Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.'”
Pilgrims visiting the Sacred House of Allah are commanded:
(وَ لْیُوْفُوْا نُذُوْرَهُمْ)
“And fulfill the vows.”
Shah Sahib writes:
“And fulfill the vows made for your desires; the real vow is for Allah and for no one else.”
prominently describes the attribute in the definition of “Servants of Allah” that they fulfill the vows made to Allah:
(یُوْفُوْنَ بِالنَّذْرِ)
“They (the believers) fulfill their vows.”
Prohibition of Vows to Other than Allah:
It has been explained in the beliefs and polytheistic practices of the Meccan polytheists that they used to allocate a share or vow from their livestock and crops to other than Allah. As mentioned in the Holy Quran:
(وَ یَجْعَلُوْنَ لِمَا لَا یَعْلَمُوْنَ نَصِیْبًا مِّمَّا رَزَقْنٰهُمْؕ-تَاللّٰهِ لَتُسْــٴَـلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَفْتَرُوْنَ)
“And they assign from what He has provided them, a share for those [idols] they falsely claim as partners with Allah. By Allah, indeed, you will be questioned about what you used to invent.”
One of the polytheists of Mecca’s shirk and their false worship was that they made as their gods those inanimate objects and devils about which they knew nothing, and they spent a portion of the sustenance given by Allah to seek their nearness, offered sacrifices to them, accepted vows made to them, and slaughtered animals in their names.
Indeed, the polytheists would designate a portion of their agricultural produce and livestock for Allah and another portion for their idols and gods. They would spend the idols’ share on priests and ascetics, and when that was fully spent, they would also allocate Allah’s share to the idols, saying that Allah is wealthy, so the portion meant for the idols never actually reached Allah (meaning it was not spent on charity or acts of kindness), and the portion meant for Allah was also spent on the idols.
(وَ جَعَلُوْا لِلّٰهِ مِمَّا ذَرَاَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَ الْاَنْعَامِ نَصِیْبًا فَقَالُوْا هٰذَا لِلّٰهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَ هٰذَا لِشُرَكَآىٕنَاۚ-فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَآىٕهِمْ فَلَا یَصِلُ اِلَى اللّٰهِۚ-وَ مَا كَانَ لِلّٰهِ فَهُوَ یَصِلُ اِلٰى شُرَكَآىٕهِمْؕ-سَآءَ مَا یَحْكُمُوْنَ)
“And Allah has created the crops and livestock, and a portion of it the polytheists have declared for Allah, and according to their false assumption, they say this is for Allah and this is for our idols. But the portion that belongs to their idols does not reach Allah, and the portion that belongs to Allah reaches their idols. Their judgment is indeed very wrong.”
Similarly, it is stated that the entire produce of the earth, gardens, cultivated fields, and various fruits are all blessings created by Allah Almighty. Do not prevent their consumption and use without valid reason. However, keep two things in mind: first, fulfill the due right of Allah from it; second, do not waste or spend it unnecessarily.
(وَ هُوَ الَّذِیْۤ اَنْشَاَ جَنّٰتٍ مَّعْرُوْشٰتٍ وَّ غَیْرَ مَعْرُوْشٰتٍ وَّ النَّخْلَ وَ الزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا اُكُلُهٗ وَ الزَّیْتُوْنَ وَ الرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَّ غَیْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍؕ-كُلُوْا مِنْ ثَمَرِهٖۤ اِذَاۤ اَثْمَرَ وَ اٰتُوْا حَقَّهٗ یَوْمَ حَصَادِهٖ ﳲ وَ لَا تُسْرِفُوْاؕ-اِنَّهٗ لَا یُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِیْنَ)
“He it is Who has made for you the grazing animals upon which you ride, and some of them you eat. And for you therein are benefits and from them you derive warmth and various uses, and you see the ships therein that sail through the sea by His command, and that you may seek of His bounty, and perhaps you will be grateful.”
In the mentioned noble verse, the word ((اتُو حَقَّهُ)) commands the obligatory payment of Zakat, Ushr, etc., to Allah, and in (لَا تُسْرِفُوا) there is also a negation of considering the rights of others as obligatory to pay.
states:
(( قَال مقاتل: لَا تُشْرِكُوا الْأَصْنَامَ فِي الْحَرْبِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ .))
“That is, Muqatil says, do not share your idols in the produce of your crops and animals as their due.”
Similarly, from the Prophetic traditions, you have been forbidden to make vows for anyone other than Allah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(( لَا وَفَاءَ لِنَذْرٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ . ))
“Do not fulfill any vow that involves disobedience to Allah.”
In another hadith, it is stated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
(( مَنْ نَذَرَ أَن يَعْصِيَ الله فَلَا يَعْصِهِ. ))
“Whoever makes a vow that involves disobedience to Allah, he should not fulfill it and thereby commit disobedience to Allah.”
Consensus of the Ummah on Prohibition:
Allama Hasfaki writes in “Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar” (155/1):
(( وَاعْلَمُ أَنَّ النَّذَرَ الَّذِى يَقَعُ لِلْأَمْوَاتِ مِنْ أَكْثَرِ الْعَوَامِ وَمَا يُؤْخَدُ مِنَ الدَّرَاهِم وَالشَّمْعِ وَالزَّيْتِ وَنَحُوهَا إِلَى ضَرَائِحِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ الْكِرَامِ تَقَرُّبَا إِلَيْهِمْ فَهُوَ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ بَاطِلٌ وَحَرَامٌ.))
“Know that most people make vows and offerings in the name of deceased elders, and bring money, oil, lamps, etc., as vows to shrines of saints for the purpose of seeking nearness. All of this is unanimously invalid and forbidden.” And in the commentary of “Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar,” called “Radd Al-Mukhtar” (the well-known Fatwas of Al-Shami), this is explained in the following words:
((بَاطِلٌ وحَرَامٌ لِوُجُوهِ مِنْهَا: إِنَّهُ نَدْرٌ لِمَخْلُوقِ وَالنَّذَرُ لِلْمَخْلُوقِ لَا يَجُوزُ لِأَنَّهُ عِبَادَةٌ ، وَالْعِبَادَةُ لَا تَكُونُ لِمَخْلُوقِ وَمِنْهَا: أَنَّ الْمَندُورَ لَهُ مَيْتٌ ،وَالْمَيْتُ لَا يَمْلِكُ ، وَمِنْهَا : أَنَّهُ ظَنَّ أَنَّ الْمَيِّتَ يَنصِرف فِي الأمورِ دُونَ اللَّهِ ، وَإِعْتِقَادُهُ ذَلِكَ كُفْرٌ ))
“That is, offering vows and sacrifices to anyone other than Allah is invalid and forbidden for several reasons, among which are: (one) a vow is an act of worship, and worship of anyone other than Allah is not permissible; (two) the one to whom the vow is made is dead, and a dead person cannot own anything; (three) if the one who makes the vow believes that the one for whom the vow is made has authority over matters besides Allah, then this belief is explicit disbelief.”
Allama Ahmad al-Rumi al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
((لَا يَجُوزُ أَن يُنذَرَ لِلْقُبُورِ الشَّمَعَ وَلَا الزَّيْتَ وَلَا غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّهُ نَذَرُ مَعْصِيَةٍ لَا يَجُورُ الْوَفَاهُ بِهِ بَلْ يَلْزَمُ الْكُفَّارَةُ مِثْلَ كَفَّارَةِ الْيَمِينِ))
“It is not permissible to make vows for candles, oil, etc., for graves. This is because it is a vow for disobedience and sin, which is not permissible to fulfill; rather, it requires expiation similar to the expiation for oaths.”
Allama Sanaullah al-Hanafi says:
“Slaughtering and making vows to anyone other than Allah is invalid, because in the Holy Quran it is stated:
(قُلْ اِنَّ صَلَاتِیْ وَ نُسُكِیْ وَ مَحْیَایَ وَ مَمَاتِیْ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ لَا شَرِیْكَ لَهٗۚ)
‘Say, Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has no partner.'”
Therefore, making a vow to anyone other than Allah is shirk just as slaughtering in the name of anyone other than Allah is shirk.
Anything vowed to other than Allah is forbidden:
Mawlānā Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi writes:
“Vowing and making a vow to other than Allah is forbidden, and whatever is vowed, whether it is sweets or meat, its consumption is forbidden for every rich and poor person.”
Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“And if the vowed animal is other than Allah, then at the time of slaughtering, mentioning the name of Allah is of no benefit. It remains forbidden like carrion and pork.”
