The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 2293- If a person has made a vow that he will go for Ziyarat, but has not vowed to perform the ghusl for ziyarat and its prayer, it is not necessary for him to perform them.

Issue No. 2294- If a person makes a vow that he would spend some amount of money on the shrine of one of the holy Imams (as) or the descendants of the Imams (as), he should spend it on the repairs, carpeting, lighting, those working there, etc. However, if he has vowed it for one of the holy Imams (as) himself, or the descendant of the Imam (as) without mentioning the name of the shrine, he may spend it on the purposes mentioned before as well as for mourning ceremonies or publication of their works or helping the pilgrims or for any purpose related to them.

Issue No. 2295- The wool of a vowed sheep and the extent to which it grows fat are included in the vow. Similarly, the lamb given birth by the vowed sheep and its milk before it [the sheep] is used in the purpose of the vow, should also be used for the vow as an obligatory precaution.

Issue No. 2296- If a person vows that if his patient recovers or his traveller returns home safe he will perform a certain good act, if it transpires later that his patient had already recovered or the traveller had already returned before he made the vow, it will not be necessary for him to act upon his vow.

Issue No. 2297- If a father or mother vows to marry their daughter to a sayyid, the vow is not valid, and the girl will be free to make her own choice when she becomes mature.

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Issue No. 2298- Acting upon a covenant is obligatory as it is in the case of a vow, provided that the formula for it is pronounced. For example, one should say, “I make a covenant with Allah that I will perform that certain good act”. However, if one does not pronounce the formula or if that act is not desirable from the Islamic point of view, his covenant is not valid.

Issue No. 2298- Acting upon a covenant is obligatory as it is in the case of a vow, provided that the formula for it is pronounced. For example, one should say, “I make a covenant with Allah that I will perform that certain good act”. However, if one does not pronounce the formula or if that act is not desirable from the Islamic point of view, his covenant is not valid.

Issue No. 2298- Acting upon a covenant is obligatory as it is in the case of a vow, provided that the formula for it is pronounced. For example, one should say, “I make a covenant with Allah that I will perform that certain good act”. However, if one does not pronounce the formula or if that act is not desirable from the Islamic point of view, his covenant is not valid.

Issue No. 2299- If a person does not act according to the covenant made by him as per the above-mentioned conditions, he should offer kaffāra for it. The kaffāra for breaking a covenant is similar to the kaffāra for a vow, i.e., one should either feed sixty indigent persons or fast consecutively for two months (thirty-one fasts should be observed consecutively), or set a slave free. One is able to choose between either of the first two options, acknowledging that slaves no longer exist.

Issue No. 2300- If a person takes an oath with the following conditions, he should act upon it, or else, he will be liable to kaffāra (atonement):1- A person who takes an oath should be mature and sane, and in case he takes an oath in respect to his property, he should neither be mentally incompetent, nor should have been prevented by the Islamic judge from making use of his property. One should take the oath with his own volition. Hence, an oath by a minor, an insane person or by a person forced to take an oath will not valid. Similarly, if one takes an oath in a state of anger involuntarily, the oath will be void.2- The act which one takes an oath to do should not be haram or makrūh, and the act for which a person takes an oath to abandon should not be obligatory or recommended. Moreover, if one takes an oath to perform a mubāḥ act, its abandonment should not be better than its performance according to the common perception, or if he takes an oath to abandon a mubāḥ act, its performance should not be preferable to its abandonment according to common perception.3- The oath must be sworn by one of the names of the Almighty Allah which are either exclusively used for Him, (e.g., Allah or God), or by a name which is used for other beings also, but is used so extensively for Him, that when any person utters that name one is reminded of Him alone. In fact, if he uses other names or attributes of Allah which do not remind a person of God’s name without a context, but his intention is Allah, he should, as an obligatory precaution, act according to that oath.4- The oath should be uttered in words. In case, therefore, a person passes it in his mind, it will not be sufficient. And if he writes it down, the obligatory precaution is that he should act according to it. However, if a dumb person takes an oath by making a sign, it is in order.5- It should be possible for a person to act upon his oath. And if he is able to act upon the oath when he takes it, but becomes incapable of acting upon it later, the oath is nullified from the time he becomes incapable of acting upon it. And the same order applies if acting upon one's oath involves such hardship that it is not possible for one to bear it.

Issue No. 2301- If a father forbids his son to take an oath, or the husband forbids his wife to take an oath, their oath is not valid. Even if a son takes an oath without the permission of his father, or a wife takes an oath without the permission of her husband, their oath will not be in order.