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Is it permissible to offer expiation for a vow of unknown wording and intention, caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder, which stipulates donating a sum of money when children (who are not currently present) achieve a certain grade in exams, knowing that the vow was made at a young age, and now the obsessive-compulsive disorder has been overcome?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Praise be to Allah, who has bestowed upon you healing from whispers (waswas), and we ask Allah to perpetuate His grace upon you.

Regarding your past life during the days of illness, do not pay attention to it, for the basic principle is the acquittal of responsibility.

Know that a vow (nadhr) is only binding with certainty, because the basic principle is its non-existence. Also, it is only contracted by verbal utterance, and it is not binding by mere intention or by doubt.

Therefore, we advise you to find tranquility, comfort, and to turn to Allah in the present and future, and not to dwell on the past, except to praise Allah for the blessing of healing and health.

And Allah knows best.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy