Fatwa ID: 08079

Answered by: Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam

Question:

I got a small business.

I have promised Allah that I will give 20 percent of it in His way.

I got a business, and I have promised Allah that I will give 20 percent of it in donation.

As a sadqah, I have made Allah as my partner.

Also, I and my family are going through a very harsh phase of life.

Even my mother cooks on wood instead of LPG because we haven’t much money.

What is Allah’s order?

If I spend that money to give relief to my mother, will Allah accept it?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

I understand from your question that you have a business and have promised to donate 20 percent of it as voluntary charity (sadaqah) for the sake of Allah, thereby declaring Allah as a partner in your business. Since your mother is your responsibility and not eligible to receive sadaqah from you, therefore you cannot directly spend the promised money on your mother as fulfilling a nadhr (vow) typically involves giving to those eligible for sadaqah.

Islam teaches us to value and honour our oaths. Therefore, if a person finds himself/herself in a position needing to break a promise made to Allah (verbally made), then he/she is required to atone for it. The expiation (kaffarah) for a broken oath is:

Free a slave (no longer applicable).
Feed ten poor (adult) people two average meals a day for ten days (e.g., lunch & dinner).
Clothe ten poor (adult) people with average quality clothing that will cover most of their body.
If none of the above are possible, for example, due to financial constraints, then one must fast for three consecutive days (without interruption). This is the substitute for kaffarah. [1]

Once you fulfill the expiation, then you are permitted to spend the 20 percent that you swore the oath on, according to your discretion. At that point, using a portion of your wealth to alleviate the hardship of your mother would be an act of righteousness and filial piety, which is highly encouraged in Islam.

Note: It is compulsory for the validity of an oath that it was uttered verbally. According to Shariah, an oath does not come into effect merely by making an intention in the heart. In such a case, if one goes against it, then according to Shariah, there is no kaffarah.

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

Written by Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] طَعَامُ التَّمْلِيكِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ عَشَرَةَ مَسَاكِينَ كُلَّ مِسْكِينٍ نِصْفَ صَاعٍ مِنْ حِنْطَةٍ أَوْ دَقِيقٍ أَوْ سَوِيقٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ كَمَا فِي صَدَقَةِ الْفِطْرِ فَإِنْ أَعْطَى عَشَرَةَ مَسَاكِينَ كُلَّ مِسْكِينٍ مُدًّا مُدًّا إنْ أَعَادَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُدًّا مُدًّا جَازَ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعِدْ اسْتَقْبَلَ الطَّعَامَ وَكَذَا الرَّجُلُ إذَا أَوْصَى أَنْ يُطْعَمَ عَشَرَةُ مَسَاكِينَ كَفَّارَةً لِيَمِينِهِ فَغَدَّى الْوَصِيُّ عَشَرَةَ مَسَاكِينَ فَمَاتَ الْمَسَاكِينُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُعَشِّيَهُمْ يَلْزَمُهُ الِاسْتِقْبَالُ وَلَا يَضْمَنُ الْوَصِيُّ
رَجُلٌ أَعْطَى كَفَّارَةَ يَمِينِهِ مِسْكَيْنَا وَاحِدًا خَمْسَةَ أَصْوُعٍ لَمْ يَجْزِ إلَّا إذَا أَعْطَى مِسْكِينًا وَاحِدًا فِي عَشْرَةِ أَيَّامٍ فَيَقُومُ عَدَدُ الْأَيَّامِ مَقَامَ عَدَدِ الْمَسَاكِينِ وَإِنْ أَعْطَى مِسْكِينًا حِنْطَةً وَمِسْكِينًا شَعِيرًا جَازَ فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ.
وَلَوْ أَطْعَمَ خَمْسَةَ مَسَاكِينَ وَكَسَا خَمْسَةَ مَسَاكِينَ فَإِنْ كَانَ الطَّعَامُ طَعَامَ تَمْلِيكٍ جَازَ وَيَكُونُ الْأَغْلَى مِنْهُمَا بَدَلًا عَنْ الْأَرْخَصِ أَيُّهُمَا كَانَ أَغْلَى وَإِنْ كَانَ الطَّعَامُ طَعَامَ الْإِبَاحَةِ إنْ كَانَ الطَّعَامُ أَرْخَصَ جَازَ وَإِنْ كَانَ أَغْلَى لَا يَجُوزُ؛ لِأَنَّ فِي الْكُسْوَةِ تَمْلِيكًا وَلَيْسَ فِي الْإِبَاحَةِ تَمْلِيكٌ فَإِذَا كَانَ الطَّعَامُ أَرْخَصَ جَازَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ الْكُسْوَةُ بَدَلًا عَنْ الطَّعَامِ بِخِلَافِ مَا إذَا كَانَ عَلَى الْعَكْسِ وَإِنْ اخْتَارَ التَّكْفِيرَ بِطَعَامِ الْإِبَاحَةِ يَجُوزُ عِنْدَنَا.
ص63 – كتاب الفتاوى العالمكيرية الفتاوى الهندية – الفصل الثاني في الكفارة – المكتبة الشاملة