in Ramadan, he ordered his Companions to break their fast. When word reached him that some people had continued fasting, he said, ‘Those are the disobedient ones.’”

“On one occasion, he prayed while mounted and instructed those with him to pray on their mounts. A man leapt down from his mount and prayed on the ground. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘He has opposed the command; may Allah turn him away.’ Before his death, that man apostatized from Islam.”

Ibn Masʿūd said, “When I fast, I become too weak to recite the Quran, and reciting the Quran is dearer to me.” This is a broad subject that has been discussed at length elsewhere.

As for the “second principle”—concerning someone who pledges to Allah to do this and makes a vow to that effect—its basis is the report recorded in the two Sahīhs from ʿĀʾishah, who said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him; and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.”

If the act that a person has vowed and pledged to Allah involves impermissible harm leading to the neglect of an obligation or the commission of something forbidden, then it is an act of disobedience, and fulfilling the vow is not obligatory. Indeed, even if someone vows to perform a disliked act of worship, such as praying throughout the night and fasting every day, fulfilling that vow is not obligatory.

The scholars then differed over whether such a person must offer the expiation for an oath. There are two views. The stronger view is that he must offer the expiation for an oath, on the basis of what is authentically reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace