What is the Ruling on Someone who Makes a Vow Which is Beyond Their Capacity?
Uploaded Jun 24, 2024
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Question
I have a father and his uncle who, during the illness of one of their children, vowed to fast one month of each year. And more than twelve years has passed since and they have remained fasting. But now they have experienced harm from this fasting. We want help and for this problem to be solved, and I send my greetings to you.
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Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen
It seems that they would not be harmed by fasting one month out of a year. Because they could fast this month in the days of winter, when the weather is cool and the day is short.
And they, from what it seems, are only simply tired of this fasting. But they are the ones who brought this tiredness to themselves because of this vow.
On this occasion, I would like to remind my brothers who are listening that the Prophet ﷺ forbade vows and said: “It does not bring good.”
Therefore the Muslim must beware and cautious of it. And it is not permissible for him to make a vow and oblige himself with what Allah did not oblige him with, for that is a kind of hardship.
And so many times people vow so that they achieve something good or ward some harm from themselves. Then if that harm is repelled or that benefit is achieved, he wanders right and left so he may free himself of this vow. And perhaps he gives up what he vowed and does not fulfill it.
And this is very dangerous, as Allah The Exalted said (interpretation of meaning):
{And of them are some who made a covenant with Allah (saying): "If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakat and voluntary charity in Allah's Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous." • Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakat or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse. • So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised Him and because they used to tell lies.} [9: 75-77]
So my advice to the brothers is that they never take vows, and if something befalls them that harms them, then let them turn to Allah The Exalted with supplication, elevated repentance, and submission, so that Allah will remove it from them. And if they want something good for them, then they should ask Allah The Exalted to attain it and for Him to aid them and make reaching it easy.
Additional references
The Series of Fatwas of Noorun Ala Addarb for his eminence the scholar sheikh Muhammad Ibn Salih Ibn Uthaymeen Tape: 4 Fatwa: 16