Is a wife obligated to name her daughter a specific name that she vowed in her childhood, and would she be sinful if she did not?
A vow is: a Muslim's obligation upon himself to do something he was not religiously obligated to do. Vowing for a permissible act - such as naming a newborn a specific name - is a matter of scholarly disagreement. The preponderant opinion is that the one who makes such a vow has the choice between fulfilling it or abandoning it. It is better for him to offer an expiation for an oath (kaffarat yamin) if he abandons it, which is: freeing a slave, or feeding ten needy persons, or clothing them. If one cannot find these, then fasting for three days.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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