What is the expiation for vows I do not remember, and is feeding ten poor people for each vow sufficient? And what should I do if I do not remember their number? Do votive prayers that I do not remember have an expiation, or must I perform them?
Whoever vows an act of obedience is obligated to fulfill it. If the number (of acts) is unknown, then one must investigate and perform what is most likely to clear their conscience. However, if one forgets or doubts whether the vowed act was a prayer, a fast, or charity, then some scholars are of the opinion that one must strive and investigate to perform one of them, while others believe that what is obligatory is to offer an expiation for an oath (kaffarat ) for every doubtful vow. The vow of prayer must be fulfilled, and you must do what is most likely to clear your conscience, such as performing the greater number of prayers if you doubt the exact count. It is disliked to make vows because they do not avert anything; rather, they are merely a means to extract (charity) from the miserly.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/18859
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 18859
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy