Is it permissible to eat from a banquet prepared by someone to whom I gave a vow and who invited me to it?

If the vow is for a specific party, such as the poor, then it is not permissible to eat from it, based on the statement of Ibn Abi Zayd al-Maliki: "One should not eat from... a vow for the needy." However, if the vow is absolute (not specified for a particular party), then it is permissible to eat from it according to the Malikis and those who agree with them, and it is also permissible to eat from it if it was made for Allah and you intended to eat from it. Some scholars, however, are of the opinion that it is not permissible to eat from a vow at all, and this is the more cautious approach and better for clearing one's conscience.