Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/211)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

The second category is the vow of obstinacy and anger: that one makes his vow conditional upon something, intending thereby to prevent it, induce it, affirm a statement, or declare it false. He may then choose between fulfilling it and offering the expiation for an oath.

The author’s statement, “The second category is the vow of obstinacy and anger”: this vow is attributed to its cause—that is, the vow caused by obstinacy, meaning dispute, contention, or the like. Anger is the boiling and surging of the heart’s blood, causing a person to become agitated and make a vow. But what is its definition? He said:

“that one makes his vow conditional upon something, intending thereby to prevent it”: that is, a person makes his vow conditional upon something, intending to prevent himself from doing it. For example, he says, “If I do such-and-such, I owe Allah a vow to fast for a year.” His purpose is to prevent himself from doing it, because when he remembers the prospect of fasting for a year, he refrains.

Or a person may say to someone whom he wishes to restrain by his oath—for example, his son—“If you do such-and-such, I owe Allah a vow to fast for a year.” This too is called a vow of obstinacy and anger, for his purpose is to prevent him from doing it.

The author’s statement, “or induce it”: this is the opposite of preventing it. That is, he makes a vow in order to induce himself to act, such as when he says, “If I do not do such-and-such, my slaves are free, my properties are an endowment, and my money is a gift.” His purpose is to induce himself to act. The scholars call this a vow of obstinacy and anger, even if it involves neither obstinacy nor anger. There is no dispute over terminology: since they have called it a vow of obstinacy and anger, we say as they have said and call it what they have called it.

The author’s statement, “or affirm a statement”: for example, someone relates something to us, and we say, “This is not correct.” He then says, “I owe Allah a vow that, if it is a lie, I shall fast for a year.” Why did he say this? He said it to affirm the truth of his statement.

الثَّانِي نَذْرُ اللِّجَاجِ وَالْغَضَبِ، وَهو تَعْلِيقُ نَذرِهِ بِشَرْطٍ يَقْصِدُ الْمَنْعَ مِنْهُ، أَوِ الْحَمْلَ عَلَيْهِ، أَوِ التَّصْدِيقَ أَوِ التَّكْذِيبَ، فَيُخَيَّرُ بَيْنَ فِعْلِهِ، وكَفَّارَةِ يَمِينٍ. قوله: «الثاني نذر اللجاج والغضب» هذا النذر من باب إضافة الشيء إلى سببه، يعني النذر الذي سببه اللجاج، أي: الخصومة، أو المنازعة، أو ما يشبه ذلك، والغضب غليان دم القلب وفورانه، فينفعل الإنسان، وينذر، لكن ما تعريفه؟ قال: «وهو تعليق نذره بشرط يقصد المنع منه» يعني أن يعلق الإنسان نذره بشرط يقصد المنع منه، مثل أن يقول: إن فعلت كذا فللَّه علي نذر أن أصوم سنة، وغرضه أن يمنع نفسه من ذلك؛ لأنه إذا تذكر صيام السنة امتنع. أو يقول إنسان لمن يمتنع بيمينه ـ كابنه مثلاً ـ: إن فعلت كذا فلله علي نذرٌ أن أصوم سنة، فهذا ـ أيضاً ـ يسمى نذر اللجاج والغضب، فقصده بذلك المنع. قوله: «أو الحمل عليه» عكس المنع منه، يعني ينذر ليحملَ نفسه على الفعل، مثل أن يقول: إن لم أفعل كذا فعبيدي أحرار، وأملاكي وقف، ونقودي هبة، والمقصود حمل نفسه على الفعل، فهذا يُسميه العلماء نذر اللجاج والغضب، وإن لم يكن فيه لجاج أو غضب، ولا مشاحة في الاصطلاح، فما دام سموه نذر اللجاج والغضب، فنحن نقول ما قالوا، ونسميه بما سموه. قوله: «أو التصديق» بأن يحدثنا بحديث فقلنا: هذا ليس بصحيح، فقال: لله علي نذر إن كان كذباً أن أصوم سنة، لماذا قال هذا الكلام؟ قاله تصديقاً لقوله.