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What is the ruling on vowing to urinate in the university courtyard after graduation due to harassment, and what must the one who made the vow do if he does not fulfill it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

This vow is a vow of disobedience, and it is impermissible to fulfill it by consensus, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him; and whoever vows to disobey Him, let him not disobey Him." The Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of urinating in the middle of the road indicates that this act is an act of disobedience, and the outer courtyard of the university is considered part of the middle of the road. Scholars have differed on whether one who makes a vow of disobedience must offer expiation (kaffarah) or not. Malik, Al-Shafi'i, and the majority of scholars held that nothing is required of him except repentance, while Abu Hanifa and Ahmad held that expiation for an oath (kaffarat yameen) is obligatory. This latter opinion is more cautious, and accordingly, the questioner must repent and offer expiation.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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