She vowed to fast for a month if Allaah caused her husband to mend his ways
Question A woman vowed that if Allaah caused her husband to mend his ways and become knowledgeable, she would fast for a month. But until now her husband has not mended his ways. We heard that she has to fast for a month anyway, to discipline herself even if her husband did not mend his…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
Vows are makrooh in principle, and should not be made,
because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6608) and Muslim (1639) that
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade vows and said: “They do not avert
anything, all they do is get something out of a stingy person.”
Al-Bukhaari (6609) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “A vow does not bring the son of Adam anything that I have
not decreed for him, but vowing is imposed on him by way of foreordainment.
Through vowing I make a miser spend of his wealth.”
Although it is makrooh to make vows, it is obligatory to
fulfil a vow to do an act of worship, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
vows to do
some act of worship and obedience to Allaah, then let him do it, and whoever
vows
to do some sin, let him not do it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6318).
Secondly:
Your saying “If Allaah causes my
husband to mend his ways and he becomes knowledgeable I will fast for a
month” is a vow to do an act of worship, depending on a condition. When the
condition is fulfilled, it becomes obligatory to fulfil the vow. If the
condition is not fulfilled, you do not have to do anything.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said concerning vows to do acts of worship and righteous
deeds: They are of three types, one of which is doing an act of worship in
return for a blessing that is attained or a misfortune that is warded off,
such as saying, ‘If Allaah heals me, I must fast for a month’. So the act of
worship becomes binding although it is not ordinarily binding, such as
fasting, prayer, charity and Hajj. This must be fulfilled according to
scholarly consensus. End quote from al-Mughni (13/622).
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah
al-Fiqhiyyah (12/315): The fuqaha’ are unanimously agreed that it is
permissible to make a vow conditional, and it is not obligatory to fulfil it
before the condition is fulfilled, because the reason for fulfilling the vow
is not present. When the condition is fulfilled, it becomes obligatory to
fulfil the vow. End quote.
Thus it is clear that what you
have heard is not entirely correct. A vow may make a miser give some of his
wealth, but the conditional vow does not have to be fulfilled unless the
condition is met.
It would have been better for you,
instead of making a vow, to advise your husband and help him and guide him
to pray and do good deeds and seek knowledge, and make a lot of du’aa’ for
him.
We ask Allaah to help you both to
do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
And Allaah knows best.
