❖ 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.
What is the Islamic ruling on making a vow (نذر)? And is there any punishment or consequence for not fulfilling it?
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:
If the vow involves something haram, such as:
✔ Expiation:
Feed ten needy people as one would normally feed their own family.
Examples include:
In such cases, the person has a choice:
✔ Either fulfill the vow,
✔ Or pay expiation like that of breaking an oath.
If one vows to:
If the vow specifies a particular use, such as:
(Shaykh Ibn Jibreen 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:
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)
