What should I do about the many vows I made to Allah that I was unable to fulfill, and am I sinful for that?
A vow to remember Allah whenever He is mentioned is an act of obedience that must be fulfilled as long as one is capable of doing so, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him." The Malikis disliked making this type of vow for fear of failing to fulfill it. The 'much' mentioned in the vow refers to the intention of the one making the vow. If he intended a specific number, he is bound by it. Otherwise, he is bound by what is conventionally considered 'much'. Remembrance () is easy and does not require ritual purity or a specific posture. As for vowing never to disobey Allah, which is a vow to perform an obligation, the predominant opinion is that it is not binding, and no expiation for breaking an oath is required if it is not fulfilled. This is the view of the majority.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/150514
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 150514
- 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