possible for a vow to turn something that is neither obedience nor worship into (obedience and worship).

Similar to this are the pledges taken from people to follow the path of a particular shaykh, such as the pledges of the people of “futuwwa” (chivalry), the “pellet-shooters,” and the like. A person is not required to commit himself to any of this as a matter of religion and obedience to Allah, except insofar as it constitutes religion and obedience to Allah and His Messenger under Allah’s law. He may, however, be required to offer expiation for breaking such a pledge. For this reason, I have instructed more than one person to turn away from a pledge imposed upon him to follow a less preferable path, or one containing various innovations, and instead adopt something better: obedience to Allah and His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and adherence to the Book and the Sunnah.

Muslims agree that no one may believe or say of an act that it is a means of drawing near to Allah, an act of obedience and righteousness, or an obligatory or recommended path to Allah, unless it is something Allah and His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—have commanded. This is known through the evidence established for that purpose. Whatever is known by the consensus of the Muslim community to be neither obligatory nor recommended nor a means of drawing near to Allah may not be believed or described to be a means of drawing near to Him or an act of obedience.

Likewise, they agree that one may not intend thereby to draw near to Allah, worship Him through it, adopt it as religion, or perform it as a good deed. It may not be made part of religion, whether through belief and speech or through intention and action. By neglecting this principle, many scholars and worshippers have fallen into error: they see a practice