But if the vow itself is an act of disobedience—whether outright unbelief or something short of that—such as vowing to idols, like the vows practiced in India, or like the vows the idol-worshippers once made to their deities—al-Lāt in Ṭāʾif, al-ʿUzzā at ʿArafah near Mecca, and the third, Manāt, which belonged to the people of Medina—

These three shrines stood in the land of the Ḥijāz. Their devotees would pledge vows to them, worship them, and use them as intermediaries with Allah for their needs, just as He relates about them: “We worship them only so that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” 1

The same applies to the ignorant among the Muslims who make vows to a spring, a well, a water channel, a cave, a stone, a tree, or a grave—even if it be the grave of a prophet or a righteous man—or who vow oil, candles, cloth, gold, or silver to any of these objects. Every one of these is a sinful vow and must not be carried out.

Some scholars nevertheless hold that the one who made such a vow must pay the expiation for breaking an oath, citing the report found in the Sunan collections: “There is no vow to commit sin, and its expiation is the expiation for an oath.” 2

It is also authentically reported that he ﷺ said: “The expiation for a vow is the same as the expiation for an oath.” 3

If, instead, part of what was vowed is redirected to a legitimate act of worship, that is praiseworthy—for example, using the oil to illuminate the houses of Allah, distributing the money or clothing to those entitled to it among the Muslims and the family of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and all other believers, or spending it on the communal benefits that Allah and His Messenger have commanded.