Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (33/123)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

and most of them hold that the Prophet prohibited them. Indeed, Ibn Mas‘ūd, Ibn ‘Abbās, and others are reported to have said:

“I would rather swear by Allah falsely than swear by anyone other than Him truthfully.”

He said: This is because swearing by other than Allah is polytheism, and polytheism is graver than lying.

Making vows to created beings is graver than swearing by them. Whoever makes a vow to a created being, his vow is not binding, nor is he obliged to fulfil it, by the agreement of the scholars. This includes someone who makes a vow to a deceased prophet, shaykh, or anyone else—for example, to Shaykh Jākīr, Abū al-Wafā’, al-Muntazar, Lady Nafīsa, Shaykh Raslān, or others. The same applies to someone who vows to give oil, candles, coverings, or money—gold, dirhams, or anything else—to others besides these. All such vows are forbidden by the consensus of the Muslims. Fulfilling them is neither obligatory nor even permissible, by the consensus of the Muslims.

A vow is to be fulfilled only when it is made to Allah, Almighty and Majestic, and involves obedience to Him. A vow is permissible only when it involves an act of worship, and Allah may be worshipped only in ways He has prescribed. Whoever makes a vow to other than Allah is guilty of polytheism graver than that involved in swearing by other than Allah; it is like prostrating to other than Allah. If someone vows to do something that is not an act of worship—for example, if a woman vows to fast during her menstrual period—that vow is not binding. Fasting during menstruation is forbidden by the consensus of the Muslims. As related in the Sahīh, ‘Ā’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

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

If someone vows to travel to the grave of a prophet or a shaykh, to his shrine or a site associated with him, or to a mosque other than the three mosques, he is under no obligation to fulfil his vow, by the agreement of the imams.

وَأَكْثَرِهِمْ عَلَى أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ نَهَى عَنْهَا؛ بَلْ قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَغَيْرِهِمَا أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَأَنْ أَحْلِفَ بِاَللَّهِ كَاذِبًا أَحَبُّ إلَيَّ أَنْ أَحْلِفَ بِغَيْرِهِ صَادِقًا قَالَ: وَهَذَا لِأَنَّ الْحَلِفَ بِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ شِرْكٌ وَالشِّرْكُ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ الْكَذِبِ. وَالنَّذْرُ لِلْمَخْلُوقَاتِ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ الْحَلِفِ بِهَا فَمَنْ نَذَرَ لِمَخْلُوقِ لَمْ يَنْعَقِدْ نَذْرُهُ وَلَا وَفَاءَ عَلَيْهِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ: مِثْلَ مَنْ يُنْذِرُ لِمَيِّتِ مِنْ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمَشَايِخِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ كَمَنْ يُنْذِرُ لِلشَّيْخِ جاكير. وَأَبِي الْوَفَاءِ أَوْ الْمُنْتَظِرِ أَوْ السِّتِّ نَفِيسَةَ أَوْ لِلشَّيْخِ رَسْلَانَ أَوْ غَيْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ نَذَرَ لِغَيْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ: زَيْتًا أَوْ شَمْعًا أَوْ سُتُورًا أَوْ نَقْدًا: ذَهَبًا أَوْ دَرَاهِمَ أَوْ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ: فَكُلُّ هَذِهِ النُّذُورِ مُحَرَّمَةٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَلَا يَجِبُ؛ بَلْ وَلَا يَجُوزُ الْوَفَاءُ بِهَا بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّمَا يُوفِي بِالنَّذْرِ إذَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَكَانَ طَاعَةً؛ فَإِنَّ النَّذْرَ لَا يَجُوزُ إلَّا إذَا كَانَ عِبَادَةً وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ إلَّا بِمَا شَرَعَ. فَمَنْ نَذَرَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ مُشْرِكٌ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ شِرْكِ الْحَلِفِ بِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ كَالسُّجُودِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ. وَلَوْ نَذَرَ مَا لَيْسَ عِبَادَةً - كَمَا لَوْ نَذَرَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ صَوْمَ أَيَّامِ الْحَيْضِ - لَمْ يَلْزَمْ ذَلِكَ. وَلَا يَجُوزُ صِيَامُ أَيَّامِ الْحَيْضِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَمَا فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {مَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يُطِيعَ اللَّهَ فَلْيُطِعْهُ وَمَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَعْصِيَ اللَّهَ فَلَا يَعْصِيه} وَلَوْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يُسَافِرَ إلَى قَبْرِ نَبِيٍّ مِنْ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْ شَيْخٍ مِنْ الْمَشَايِخِ؛ أَوْ مَشْهَدِهِ؛ أَوْ مَقَامِهِ أَوْ مَسْجِدٍ غَيْرِ الْمَسَاجِدِ الثَّلَاثَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُوفِيَ بِنَذْرِهِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْأَئِمَّةِ.