Fatwa ID: 07444
Answered by: Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek
Question:
I can’t remember in the past if I made a VERBAL vow of giving £1,000 to charity if Allah fulfilled a request of mine. I was more inclined to believe at the time that it was non-verbal and in the mind therefore not binding for me to fulfil it.
In this case, do I have to fulfil this vow if I am more inclined that it was non-verbal?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
When a person is making a vow, he has to pronounce it verbally for it to be effective, so much so that he must move his tongue and lips.
Merely making an intention or non-verbal vow will not make it effective and there will be no expiation if it is not fulfilled.
Therefore for a vow to be considered, it has to be pronounced verbally otherwise it will not be effective. So you don’t have to pay attention to stray thoughts after that.
References:
مَطْلَبٌ فِي الْكَلَامِ عَلَى النَّذْرِ (قَوْلُهُ وَلَوْ نَذَرَ إلَخْ) شُرُوعٌ فِيمَا يُوجِبُهُ الْعَبْدُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَعْدَ ذِكْرِ مَا أَوْجَبَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ.
قَالَ فِي شَرْحِ الْمُلْتَقَى وَالنَّذْرُ عَمَلُ اللِّسَانِ وَشَرْطُ صِحَّتِهِ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ مَعْصِيَةً كَشُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ وَلَا وَاجِبًا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْحَالِ كَأَنْ نَذَرَ صَوْمًا أَوْ صَلَاةً وَجَبَتَا عَلَيْهِ وَلَا فِي الْمَآلِ كَصَوْمٍ وَصَلَاةٍ سَيَجِبَانِ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ جِنْسِهِ وَاجِبٌ لِعَيْنِهِ مَقْصُودٌ وَلَا مَدْخَلَ فِيهِ لِقَضَاءِ الْقَاضِي اهـ وَسَيَأْتِي إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى تَمَامُ الْكَلَامِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَعَ بَقِيَّةِ أَبْحَاثِ النَّذْرِ فِي كِتَابِ الْأَيْمَانِ
رد المحتار ج٢ ص٤٣٣
(قَوْلُهُ شَرْطَانِ) خَبَرُ الْمُبْتَدَإِ وَهُوَ الْكَوْنُ وَمَا عُطِفَ عَلَيْهِ (قَوْلُهُ بِلِسَانِهِ) فَلَا يَكْفِي لِإِيجَابِهِ النِّيَّةُ مِنَحٌ عَنْ شَمْسِ الْأَئِمَّةِ
رد المحتار ج٢ ص٤٤١
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
