beseech Allah through him, and do similar things. More serious still is to travel to him from a distant place for that purpose, or for oil, candles, gold, silver, lamps, or drapes to be vowed to him or to someone in his vicinity. All of these are vows characteristic of polytheists. By the consensus of the Muslims, it is impermissible either to make such a vow or to fulfill it. It is authentically reported in Sahīh al-Bukhārī that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“Whoever vows to obey Allah must obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Him must not disobey Him.” (1)
No one may vow anything except an act of obedience, nor may such a vow be made to anyone but Allah. Whoever makes a vow to other than Allah is a polytheist, just like one who fasts for other than Allah or prostrates himself to other than Allah. Whoever makes a pilgrimage to any grave is a polytheist. Indeed, even if a person traveled to a mosque other than the three mosques in order to worship Allah there, he would be disobeying Allah and His Messenger. What, then, if he travels somewhere other than the three in order to associate partners with Allah!
In the two Sahīhs, it is reported from Abū Saīd and Abū Hurayra that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“Do not undertake a journey except to three mosques: the Sacred Mosque, al-Aqsā Mosque, and this mosque of mine.” (2)
(1) This hadith is narrated from ʿĀʾisha—may Allah be pleased with her—in *Sahīh al-Bukhārī*, 8/142 (Book of Oaths and Vows, “Chapter on Vowing an Act of Obedience” and “Chapter on Vowing Something One Does Not Own or an Act of Disobedience”); *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 3/315 (Book of Oaths and Vows, “Chapter on Reports Concerning Vows to Commit an Act of Disobedience”); *Sunan al-Nasāʾī*, 7/16 (Book of Oaths and Vows, “Chapter on Vowing an Act of Obedience” and “Chapter on Vowing an Act of Disobedience”); *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1/687 (Book of Expiations, “Chapter on Vowing an Act of Disobedience”); *al-Muwattaʾ*, 2/476 (Book of Vows, “Chapter on Impermissible Vows to Disobey Allah”); and *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī ed.), 6/36, 41, 224.
(2) This hadith is narrated from Abū Hurayra and Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—may Allah be pleased with them both—in *Sahīh al-Bukhārī*, 2/60 (Book of the Merit of Prayer in the Mosques of Mecca and Medina, first chapter), and 3/19 (Book of the Penalty for Hunting, “Chapter on Women’s Hajj”); *Sahīh Muslim*, 2/975–976 (Book of Hajj, “Chapter on a Woman Traveling with a Mahram”), and 2/1014–1015 (Book of Hajj, “Chapter: Journeys Should Be Undertaken Only to Three Mosques”); *al-Musnad* (al-Maʿārif ed.), vol. [0–9] 2, nos. 7191 and 7248, as well as elsewhere in that work; *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 2/291 (Book of Pilgrimage Rites, “Chapter on Visiting Medina”); *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 1/205 (Book of Prayer, “Chapter on Reports Concerning Which Mosque Is Best”); and *Sunan al-Nasāʾī*, 2/31 (Book of Mosques, “Chapter on the Mosques to Which Journeys May Be Undertaken”