Oaths and Vows

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I had vowed, before embracing Islam, to make I‘tikāf for one night – another narration reads: for one day – the Sacred Mosque." He said: "Then fulfill your vow."

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade vowing and said: "Indeed, it does not bring any good; rather it is only a means to extract something from the miser."

My sister took a vow to walk to the Sacred Mosque barefoot. Then, she asked me to ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about it. I asked him, and he replied: "Let her walk and ride."

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah sought a ruling from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concerning a vow that was due upon his mother, who had died before she fulfilled it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fulfill it on her behalf."

Ka‘b ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I would like to give all of my wealth as a charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger to make my repentance fully approved." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth, for this is better for you."