Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
What is the ruling on making vows (nadhar) or offerings (niyāz) in the name of saints or elders?
Vows and offerings are acts of worship, and worship is only permissible for Allah alone. Making a vow in the name of any created being is prohibited and haram.
If a person makes a vow or nadhar in the name of a saint or righteous individual, or offers sacrifices at their graves seeking closeness to the deceased, believing that:
then without a doubt, this constitutes shirk (polytheism) in worship.
﴿وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا هَٰذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَٰذَا لِشُرَكَائِنَا ۖ فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَائِهِمْ فَلَا يَصِلُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَى شُرَكَائِهِمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ﴾
“And they assign to Allah a share of what He created of crops and cattle, and they say, ‘This is for Allah,’—so they claim—‘and this is for our partners (i.e., idols).’ But what is for their partners never reaches Allah, while what is for Allah reaches their partners. Evil is what they judge.”
Surah al-Anʿām (6): 136
﴿وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ﴾
“And that which has been dedicated to other than Allah (is forbidden).”
Surah al-Baqarah (2): 173
The ignorant customs and desires associated with vows and offerings at shrines and tombs are well known and obvious to all.
Despite this, some groups still try to justify such practices.
“Know that the vows made by the majority of the common people to the dead, and the wealth, candles, oil, etc., that are taken to the shrines of noble saints in the name of attaining closeness to them — this is unanimously invalid and ḥarām.”
al-Durr al-Mukhtār, p. 155
Radd al-Muḥtār: 2/439
“The form of vows for saints is such that a person says:
‘O my such-and-such pīr (saint)! If my missing relative returns, or my sick one recovers, or my task is completed, I will dedicate such amount of gold, silver, food, candles, or oil in your name.’
Such vows are invalid and ḥarām for the following reasons:
① This is a vow made to a created being, while vows are acts of worship and can only be for Allah.
② The one to whom the vow is made is dead, and the dead do not own anything.
③ The one making the vow believes the saint has power over matters (taṣarruf), which is a belief of kufr (disbelief).”
Radd al-Muḥtār a.k.a Fatāwā al-Shāmī: 2/439
“Whatever money, candles, oil, etc. are taken to the shrines of saints for attaining nearness to them — this is ḥarām by the consensus of the Muslims.”
al-Baḥr al-Rā’iq by Ibn Nujaym: 2/298
Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah (Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīrī): 1/216
Ḥāshiyah al-Ṭaḥṭāwī, p. 378
“The vows made by most commoners, such as coming to the grave of a righteous person and saying:
‘O my such-and-such master! If you fulfill my need, I vow such-and-such amount of gold for you’ — such vows are unanimously invalid.”
Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīrī: 1/216
① Nadhar and niyāz are acts of worship.
② Worship is only for Allah — dedicating it to anyone else is shirk.
③ Vows made in the name of saints or at graves are invalid, haram, and constitute shirk if done with belief in their power or intercession.
④ There is consensus among the scholars on the prohibition of such practices.
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on making vows (nadhar) or offerings (niyāz) in the name of saints or elders?
✿ Answer:
Vows and offerings are acts of worship, and worship is only permissible for Allah alone. Making a vow in the name of any created being is prohibited and haram.
If a person makes a vow or nadhar in the name of a saint or righteous individual, or offers sacrifices at their graves seeking closeness to the deceased, believing that:
- the person in the grave will fulfill needs,
- remove difficulties,
- intercede on his behalf with Allah,
- or that blessings (faid) will descend from the grave,
then without a doubt, this constitutes shirk (polytheism) in worship.
❀ Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا هَٰذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَٰذَا لِشُرَكَائِنَا ۖ فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَائِهِمْ فَلَا يَصِلُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَى شُرَكَائِهِمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ﴾
“And they assign to Allah a share of what He created of crops and cattle, and they say, ‘This is for Allah,’—so they claim—‘and this is for our partners (i.e., idols).’ But what is for their partners never reaches Allah, while what is for Allah reaches their partners. Evil is what they judge.”
Surah al-Anʿām (6): 136❀ Also, Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ﴾
“And that which has been dedicated to other than Allah (is forbidden).”
Surah al-Baqarah (2): 173The ignorant customs and desires associated with vows and offerings at shrines and tombs are well known and obvious to all.
Despite this, some groups still try to justify such practices.
❀ Imām al-Ḥaṣkafī رحمه الله (d. 1088 AH) wrote:
“Know that the vows made by the majority of the common people to the dead, and the wealth, candles, oil, etc., that are taken to the shrines of noble saints in the name of attaining closeness to them — this is unanimously invalid and ḥarām.”
al-Durr al-Mukhtār, p. 155 Radd al-Muḥtār: 2/439❀ Imām Ibn ʿĀbidīn al-Shāmī رحمه الله (d. 1252 AH) explained:
“The form of vows for saints is such that a person says:
‘O my such-and-such pīr (saint)! If my missing relative returns, or my sick one recovers, or my task is completed, I will dedicate such amount of gold, silver, food, candles, or oil in your name.’
Such vows are invalid and ḥarām for the following reasons:
① This is a vow made to a created being, while vows are acts of worship and can only be for Allah.
② The one to whom the vow is made is dead, and the dead do not own anything.
③ The one making the vow believes the saint has power over matters (taṣarruf), which is a belief of kufr (disbelief).”
Radd al-Muḥtār a.k.a Fatāwā al-Shāmī: 2/439❀ Imām Qāsim bin Qutlubughā رحمه الله (d. 879 AH) stated:
“Whatever money, candles, oil, etc. are taken to the shrines of saints for attaining nearness to them — this is ḥarām by the consensus of the Muslims.”
al-Baḥr al-Rā’iq by Ibn Nujaym: 2/298 Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah (Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīrī): 1/216 Ḥāshiyah al-Ṭaḥṭāwī, p. 378❀ Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīrī mentions:
“The vows made by most commoners, such as coming to the grave of a righteous person and saying:
‘O my such-and-such master! If you fulfill my need, I vow such-and-such amount of gold for you’ — such vows are unanimously invalid.”
Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīrī: 1/216
Conclusion:
① Nadhar and niyāz are acts of worship.
② Worship is only for Allah — dedicating it to anyone else is shirk.
③ Vows made in the name of saints or at graves are invalid, haram, and constitute shirk if done with belief in their power or intercession.
④ There is consensus among the scholars on the prohibition of such practices.
