with any of the objects worshipped by the polytheists, or whether the idolaters had once revered it and gathered there. Once the Prophet ﷺ learned that the place was free of those dangers, he gave a ruling allowing the vow to be carried out. He then ﷺ explained the type of vow that must never be fulfilled—one that entails disobedience to Allah or concerns something that the person making the vow does not own.

Connection of the hadith to the chapter: The report establishes a ban on slaughtering for Allah in a site that formerly housed an idol of the pre-Islamic era or was the venue of one of their festivals, even after the outward traces have vanished.

Lessons drawn from the hadith

1. It is forbidden to fulfil a vow if the designated place once contained an idol, even after the idol is gone.
2. It is forbidden to fulfil a vow in a location that was the site of a pagan festival, even after that festival has ceased.
3. A mufti should seek clarification from the questioner before issuing a legal verdict.
4. One must block the means that lead to polytheism.
5. A Muslim must avoid resembling the idolaters in their worship and their festivals, even when such resemblance is unintended.
6. Slaughtering for Allah in a place where polytheists slaughter or hold their festivals is an act of disobedience.
7. A vow to commit a sin must not be fulfilled.
8. There is no fulfilment for a vow regarding something outside the vow-maker’s ownership—for example: “It is incumbent upon me, for Allah’s sake, to free so-and-so’s slave.”
9. It is obligatory to fulfil a vow that is free of sin and concerns something within the vow-maker’s ownership.
10. A vow is an act of worship and therefore may be directed to none but Allah.