❖ Ruling on Changing the Direction of a Vow (Nadhr) ❖
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.
If a person makes a vow for a specific purpose, and later considers another purpose to be more beneficial, is it permissible in this case to change the direction of the vow?
Before answering the specific question, a few introductory points must be noted:
① A person should avoid making vows (nadhr) in the first place, because it is either discouraged (makrūh) or forbidden (ḥarām).
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited making vows and said that vows do not bring any good, rather, they are a means of extracting something from a miserly person.
Often people make vows when they are ill or hoping for something to return, such as saying, “If I recover, I will do such-and-such,” or “If my lost item is found, I will give such-and-such in charity.”
However, if recovery or return happens, it is not because of the vow, so instead of making vows, one should supplicate directly to Allah for healing or the return of what is lost. Vows are not necessary.
Moreover, people who make vows frequently delay or neglect fulfilling them, which is extremely dangerous. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّـهَ...﴾ [9:75–77]
“And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah [saying], ‘If He gives us of His bounty, we will surely spend in charity and be among the righteous.’ But when He gave them of His bounty, they became stingy with it and turned away. So He caused hypocrisy to settle in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him—because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they used to lie.”
On this basis, a believer should refrain from making vows.
If a person has already made a vow, and later concludes that another act is better, closer to Allah’s pleasure, and more beneficial to people, then it is permissible to redirect the vow to that better cause.
A proof for this is the incident in which a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said:
“I have vowed that if Allah grants you victory over Makkah, I will pray in Bayt al-Maqdis.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Pray here instead.”
The man repeated his request, and the Prophet ﷺ again replied the same. On the third time, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then do as you wish.”
From this narration, it is evident that it is permissible to change a lesser vow to a greater one, and redirect the purpose to something more virtuous.
(Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn ḥafiẓahullāh)
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:
If a person makes a vow for a specific purpose, and later considers another purpose to be more beneficial, is it permissible in this case to change the direction of the vow?
❖ Answer:
Before answering the specific question, a few introductory points must be noted:
① A person should avoid making vows (nadhr) in the first place, because it is either discouraged (makrūh) or forbidden (ḥarām).
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited making vows and said that vows do not bring any good, rather, they are a means of extracting something from a miserly person.
Often people make vows when they are ill or hoping for something to return, such as saying, “If I recover, I will do such-and-such,” or “If my lost item is found, I will give such-and-such in charity.”
However, if recovery or return happens, it is not because of the vow, so instead of making vows, one should supplicate directly to Allah for healing or the return of what is lost. Vows are not necessary.
Moreover, people who make vows frequently delay or neglect fulfilling them, which is extremely dangerous. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّـهَ...﴾ [9:75–77]
“And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah [saying], ‘If He gives us of His bounty, we will surely spend in charity and be among the righteous.’ But when He gave them of His bounty, they became stingy with it and turned away. So He caused hypocrisy to settle in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him—because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they used to lie.”
On this basis, a believer should refrain from making vows.
❖ Now to Answer the Question:
If a person has already made a vow, and later concludes that another act is better, closer to Allah’s pleasure, and more beneficial to people, then it is permissible to redirect the vow to that better cause.
A proof for this is the incident in which a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said:
“I have vowed that if Allah grants you victory over Makkah, I will pray in Bayt al-Maqdis.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Pray here instead.”
The man repeated his request, and the Prophet ﷺ again replied the same. On the third time, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then do as you wish.”
From this narration, it is evident that it is permissible to change a lesser vow to a greater one, and redirect the purpose to something more virtuous.
(Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn ḥafiẓahullāh)
