any good.” (1)

By contrast, the racing wager is something enjoined and encouraged.

Eighth: A vow is a binding contract that must be carried out, whereas a racing wager is a revocable contract.

Ninth: A vow establishes a right due to Allah Most High by virtue of what the person has obligated himself to; it is not annulled by the individual’s renunciation. What is obligated in a wager, however, is a right belonging to the other contestant, and it lapses if that contestant waives it. (2)

Tenth: A vow need not be a recompense for an action; it may be linked to matters entirely outside human control—such as the coming of rain, the birth of a child, or the growth of crops—unlike the racing contract.

If it is said, “Granted that the wager is not a form of devotional vow, what rules out its being classified as a vow made in obstinacy or anger? The similarity is clear: the bettor says to his opponent, ‘If you beat me, you shall have such-and-such of my wealth,’ aiming thereby to spur himself on to be the victor and avoid losing his money. This is like someone who says, ‘If I speak to you, I owe Allah such-and-such,’ for he is urging himself to refrain from speaking so that he does not forfeit his wealth by doing so. In both cases the aim is to keep oneself from an act by binding oneself to surrender something one is reluctant to give up.”