Answer: No. He is merely asking whether persisting in that practice entails any ruling. There is no objection to it; in fact, it is an added act of goodness. His simple resolution to keep doing it does not amount to a vow. However, if he were to state aloud, “It is binding upon me to send three men every year to perform Hajj on my behalf and on behalf of my father,” that very utterance would turn it into a vow. Mere intention and determination, on the other hand, do not constitute a vow—they are simply a resolve to do good.

The Order of ʿUmrah Rites
Question: My wife and I—praise be to Allah—have previously performed ʿUmrah. When we reached the Sacred Mosque, my wife asked that we perform saʿy before tawāf because it was hot and the saʿy area was shaded. We did not do so; instead we performed tawāf first. What is the ruling on doing saʿy before tawāf, and if someone actually does that, what must he do?

Answer: It is not permissible to begin with saʿy before tawāf. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) started with tawāf, then, after praying two rakʿahs behind the Station of Abraham (maqām Ibrāhīm), he performed saʿy between Ṣafā and Marwah, saying, “Take your rites from me.” Therefore, placing saʿy ahead of tawāf is impermissible; if a person were to do so, his saʿy would be invalid, because for saʿy to be valid it must follow a legitimate tawāf.

Question: If someone did put saʿy before tawāf, is he required to repeat the saʿy, or to repeat the entire ʿUmrah?