Fatwa ID: 08074

Answered by: Mawlana Sheik Abdel Ahaad Imrit

Question:

If someone promises Allah that if this or that happens, I will donate a sheep to that specific person. He has to keep his promise.

But can the person also donate to other people if he thinks it makes more sense since they are more in need?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Wa ʿalaykumu s-salam waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Yes, one may do so, as vows are not bound by specific conditions such as time, place, amount, or recipient.

For example, if someone vows to give charity on Friday in Mecca with a specific dirham to a particular person but instead gives charity on Friday in a different location, with another dirham, to a different person, this is still permissible.

This is because the essence of the vow is the act of charity as a form of worship, not the specific details. Therefore, the specified conditions become void, leaving only the obligation of fulfilling the charity, which remains valid.

Similarly, if someone vows to give ten dirhams’ worth of bread in charity but instead donates something else of equal value, such as the monetary equivalent, it is also permissible.

«حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (2/ 436):

«لَا يَخْتَصُّ بِزَمَانٍ وَمَكَانٍ وَدِرْهَمٍ وَفَقِيرٍ) فَلَوْ نَذَرَ التَّصَدُّقَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ بِمَكَّةَ بِهَذَا الدِّرْهَمِ عَلَى فُلَانٍ فَخَالَفَ جَازَ،»

قَوْلُهُ فَخَالَفَ) أَيْ فِي بَعْضِهَا أَوْ كُلِّهَا بِأَنْ تَصَدَّقَ فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ بِبَلَدٍ آخَرَ بِدِرْهَمٍ آخَرَ عَلَى شَخْصٍ آخَرَ، وَإِنَّمَا جَازَ لِأَنَّ الدَّاخِلَ تَحْتَ النَّذْرِ مَا هُوَ قُرْبَةً، وَهُوَ أَصْلُ التَّصَدُّقِ دُونَ التَّعْيِينِ فَبَطَلَ التَّعْيِينُ، وَلَزِمَتْهُ الْقُرْبَةُ كَمَا فِي الدُّرَرِ وَفِي الْمِعْرَاجِ، وَلَوْ نَذَرَ صَوْمَ غَدٍ فَأَخَّرَهُ إلَى مَا بَعْدَ الْغَدِ جَازَ وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ مُسِيئًا كَمَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِدِرْهَمٍ السَّاعَةَ فَتَصَدَّقَ بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ. اهـ.

«حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (3/ 741):

«(نَذَرَ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِعَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ مِنْ الْخُبْزِ فَتَصَدَّقَ بِغَيْرِهِ جَازَ إنْ سَاوَى الْعَشَرَةَ) كَتَصَدُّقِهِ بِثَمَنِهِ.»

Only Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) knows best.

Written by Mawlana Sheik Abdel Ahaad Imrit
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham