Is Vowing Acts of Worship a Form of Bargaining with Allah?
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Vol. 01, in the light of Qur’an and Hadith, p. 502
❖ Question
Nowadays, making vows (nazar-o-niyāz) has become very common. Regarding this practice, please clarify:
- If someone says: “If Allah fulfills my need, I will offer 100 nafl prayers.”
- Or someone says: “If Allah resolves my problem, I will give such-and-such amount in charity to the poor.”
- Or someone says: “If Allah grants me marriage at a particular place, I will dedicate my children to the service of Islam.”
In all these cases, is a person trying to bargain with Allah? Does this not resemble attempting to bribe Allah into fulfilling one’s wishes?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿAmma Baʿd!
The three scenarios you have mentioned fall under the category of vows of obedience and good deeds (nazar al-ṭāʿah wa’l-birr).
- In Sharīʿah, such vows are discouraged (makrūh).
- However, if someone does make such a vow, then fulfilling it becomes obligatory (wājib) upon him.
- If he fails to fulfill the vow, then he must pay kafārah al-nadhr (expiation for the broken vow).
Date: 3/10/1419 AH
هذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
