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Is it permissible to perform the night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl) as fulfillment of a vow, even if one is not inclined to do so, and does the intention of fulfilling the vow affect the validity of the prayer?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the intention behind this prayer is devotion to Allah, and the motivation for it is fulfilling a promise, then there is no harm in it, with attention to four matters:

- Do not specify Monday and Thursday nights for Qiyam (night prayer) unless the opportunity arises on those nights, and not because of a belief in their superiority.

- The fiancée is a stranger (non-mahram) before the marriage contract, so it is not permissible to be alone with her or to excessively look at her.

- If you lead her in prayer before the marriage contract, a mahram (unmarriageable kin) or another woman must be present to remove the seclusion (khalwa).

- If the agreement on Qiyam al-Layl (night vigil) is a way of encouraging good without being obligatory, then it is recommended. However, if it is in the form of a vow (nadhr), then it must be fulfilled.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy