Book of Vows (Al-Nudhur)

The foundation for the vow (nadhr) is the Book (Quran), the Sunnah, and consensus (ijma'). As for the Book, it is the saying of God Almighty: "They fulfill the vow" (1). And He said: "And let them fulfill their vows" (2). As for the Sunnah, 'A'ishah narrated that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whoever vows to obey God, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey God, let him not disobey Him." And from 'Imran ibn Husayn, from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he said: "The best of you is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them, then there will come a people who make vows but do not fulfill them, and they will betray and not be trusted, and they will bear witness but will not be asked to testify, and obesity will appear among them." Both were narrated by al-Bukhari (3). The Muslims are in consensus regarding the validity of the vow in general, and the obligation to fulfill it.

Section: It is not recommended (4), because Ibn 'Umar narrated from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he forbade the vow and said: "It brings no good, for it is only extracted from the miser." Agreed upon (5). This is a prohibition of dislike (karahah), not a prohibition of unlawfulness (tahrim); for if it were unlawful, he would not have praised those who fulfill it, because their sin in committing the unlawful would be more severe than their obedience in fulfilling it; and because if the vow were recommended, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the most excellent of his companions would have done it.