❖ Shar‘i Ruling on Expiation for Inability to Fulfill 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.
A woman vowed that if her pregnancy remained safe and her child was born healthy, she would fast for an entire year. Indeed, her pregnancy remained safe and she gave birth to a healthy child. However, she later realized that she is not physically capable of fasting for a whole year.
What should she do now?
There is no doubt that a vow (نذر) is an act of worship, and Allah has praised those who fulfill their vows:
﴿يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا...﴾ [76:7]
“They fulfill their vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever makes a vow to obey Allah, then let him obey Him; and whoever makes a vow to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Īmān, Bāb 28)
✔ The woman vowed to fast for an entire year,
✔ Fasting for a full year continuously is discouraged (makrūh),
✔ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever fasts all year has neither truly fasted nor broken the fast.”
(Musnad Aḥmad, 20)
✔ Performing a discouraged or burdensome act of worship in the form of a vow is not required to be fulfilled.
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
“If someone vows to do a disliked act of worship, such as staying up all night every night in prayer or fasting every single day, then it is not obligatory to fulfill such a vow.”
(Fatāwā Ibn Taymiyyah)
she must offer kaffārah (expiation) equivalent to that of an oath (qasam).
She must do one of the following:
➊ Feed ten needy people,
– Each with half a sāʿ (approx. 1.5 kg) of the local staple food such as rice or dates.
➋ If she cannot do so, then she must:
✔ Fast for three consecutive days.
وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم
(Former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia – Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله)
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:
A woman vowed that if her pregnancy remained safe and her child was born healthy, she would fast for an entire year. Indeed, her pregnancy remained safe and she gave birth to a healthy child. However, she later realized that she is not physically capable of fasting for a whole year.
What should she do now?
❖ Answer:
There is no doubt that a vow (نذر) is an act of worship, and Allah has praised those who fulfill their vows:
﴿يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا...﴾ [76:7]
“They fulfill their vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever makes a vow to obey Allah, then let him obey Him; and whoever makes a vow to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Īmān, Bāb 28)
❖ Key Rulings:
✔ The woman vowed to fast for an entire year,
✔ Fasting for a full year continuously is discouraged (makrūh),
✔ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever fasts all year has neither truly fasted nor broken the fast.”
(Musnad Aḥmad, 20)
✔ Performing a discouraged or burdensome act of worship in the form of a vow is not required to be fulfilled.
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
“If someone vows to do a disliked act of worship, such as staying up all night every night in prayer or fasting every single day, then it is not obligatory to fulfill such a vow.”
(Fatāwā Ibn Taymiyyah)
❖ Therefore:
Since the vow involves a discouraged practice and the woman is incapable of fulfilling it,she must offer kaffārah (expiation) equivalent to that of an oath (qasam).
❖ Expiation Details:
She must do one of the following:
➊ Feed ten needy people,
– Each with half a sāʿ (approx. 1.5 kg) of the local staple food such as rice or dates.
➋ If she cannot do so, then she must:
✔ Fast for three consecutive days.
وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم
(Former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia – Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله)
