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Is expiation obligatory upon one who vowed to name her male newborn Muhammad, but then did not do so?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Firstly: Vowing is disliked and does not repel anything; rather, it is a means to extract from the miser.

Secondly: Naming the newborn is, by consensus, the right of the father, and the mother should not dispute it.

Thirdly: Vowing to name a son a specific name is a permissible vow, and fulfilling it is not obligatory by consensus. An expiation for breaking an oath is recommended for it.

Fourthly: If the wife vows to name the newborn a specific name, she should reach an understanding with her husband, and it is preferable for the husband to comply with her. If the husband refuses, or if there is an impediment, then nothing is incumbent upon the wife, because she vowed concerning something she does not possess. The majority of scholars hold that there is no expiation for it.

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

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