The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 2278- If a woman makes a vow with the permission of her husband he cannot, as an obligatory precaution, invalidate her vow, or restrain her from performing her vow.

Issue No. 2282- It is not necessary that all the particulars and acts within a vow be desirable. As long as the main act as a whole is desirable in religion, it will suffice. For example, if a person makes a vow that he will perform Night Prayer on the first night of each month, it is in order and he should act upon it accordingly. Likewise, if he makes a vow that he will serve food to the poor in a certain place, he should act according to it.

Issue No. 2283- One may not vow performing or leaving a mubāḥ act which is religiously neutral in all respects (it is neither desirable nor disliked even in one aspect). However, if it is better to do or leave it in some respect, and a person makes a vow intending that respect, his vow will be valid. For example, if he makes a vow that he will eat a certain food in order to gain energy for worshipping Allah or that he will abandon eating a certain food that causes bodily weakness for worshipping Allah, his vow in either case will be in order.

Issue No. 2284- If a person vows that he will fast, without specifying the time and the number of fasts, it will be sufficient if he observes fast on one day. Similarly, if he makes a vow that he will offer prayer, but does not specify its number and details, it will be sufficient if he offers a two-rak‘at prayer. This order will also apply to vows for other good acts.

Issue No. 2285- If one vows that he will observe fast on a particular day, the obligatory precaution is that he should not go on a journey on that day so that he can observe fast. However, if he travels on that day, it is obligatory to perform that fast as qaḍā later, and he should also offer kaffāra for it as an obligatory precaution.

Issue No. 2286- If a person intentionally breaks his vow, he has committed a sin and should offer kaffāra for it. The kaffāra for breaking a vow is either feeding sixty poor persons or fasting consecutively for two months or setting free a slave. One is able to choose between either of the first two options, acknowledging that slaves no longer exist.

Issue No. 2287- If a person vows to abandon an act for some specified time, it is permissible to perform it after that time has passed. However, if he performs it before that time due to forgetfulness or compulsion, he will be under no obligation but, it will be necessary for him to refrain from that act for the remaining time and in case he repeats that act before the end of the specified time without any excuse, he must offer kaffāra for it in accordance with what was mentioned in the previous issue.

Issue No. 2288- If a person vows to abandon an act continuously without setting any time limit, and then commits that act intentionally, he should offer kaffāra for the first time he does it, and if his vow was in a way that each instance or act would be included independently under the vow, the obligatory precaution is that he should offer kaffāra for each time that he commits that act. However, if he did not have such an intention or if he doubts about his intention, then only one kaffāra will be obligatory on him.

Issue No. 2289- If a person vows that he/she will observe fast every week on a particular day (e.g., Friday), in case Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha falls on one of the Fridays or an excuse like menses in the case of women occurs, he/she should not observe fast on that day.

Issue No. 2290- If a person makes a vow that he will give a specific amount as ṣadaqa, but dies before giving it, it should be paid from his estate.

Issue No. 2291- If one vows that he will give ṣadaqa to a particular poor person, he cannot give it to another, and in case that poor person dies, he should, as an obligatory precaution, give the ṣadaqa to his heirs.

Issue No. 2292- If one vows to perform the Zīyārat of a particular holy Imam, for example of Imam al-Husayn (as), if he goes for the Zīyārat of another Imam, it will not be sufficient. However, if he cannot perform the Zīyārat of that particular Imam because of an excuse, he will be under no obligation.