Nadhr
*Nadhr* is a vow: binding yourself to an act of devotion that was not obligatory before you made the vow.
What it means for me: A nadhr creates a duty that did not exist before you spoke it. This is why a mufti asks for your exact words, and whether you made the vow conditional on something happening. Your wording decides what you owe, not what you meant in general terms.
Example: A woman said, while ill, that she would give charity if she recovered. Once she recovered, her question became what she now owed. This is the case scholars call a conditional nadhr.
Do not confuse with: *Yamin*, an oath. Nadhr binds you to an act of devotion; yamin is a statement made firmer by God's name, with no devotion attached.
If scholars differ: Some scholars hold that a vow made in anger, to forbid or compel something, must still be fulfilled as spoken. Others hold that an oath's expiation, kaffarah, is enough instead. The difference is named here as a difference and not decided; the mufti is the reference.
See the term in context
Does the statement: "If I had money, I would do it again" in the context of wishing to perform Hajj again constitute a vow (nadhr)? And is one obliged to fulfill it if the intention (niyyah) was not present, and does repeating this phrase necessitate performing multiple Hajj pilgrimages?
There is no contradiction between the two answers. A vow (nadhr) requires a صيغة (formulation) that expresses commitment, such as "لله عليّ" (It is a duty upon me for Allah) or "عليّ" (Upon me). Whereas "If what I…
Is it permissible to slaughter the 'aqiqah using a sacrificial bond without the owner partaking of its meat? What is the difference between it and a vow (nadhr)? And is a wife's vow to slaughter an 'aqiqah upon being blessed with a child considered an 'aqiqah?
It is permissible to appoint an agent for slaughtering the 'aqiqah (sacrifice for a newborn) and the udhiyah (sacrifice on Eid al-Adha). The intention of the principal (the one who appointed the agent) is considered,…
Is the statement "I pledge to myself" to stop watching pornography and masturbating for a month considered a vow (nadhr) or an oath (yameen)? What is the expiation (kaffarah) for not fulfilling it, knowing that the person who said it is 17 years old and was unaware of the rulings of vows and oaths at the time of uttering it?
One must keep away from what Allah has forbidden, protect oneself from sins, be mindful of Allah in private and in public, and not listen to the whispers of Satan. The phrases "I pledge to myself" or "it is a commitment…
Questions that use it
Is God's promise to perform a supererogatory act with the intention of compelling oneself to it considered a vow (nadhr)? And does a vow uttered after a period of silence and saying "Insha'Allah (God willing)" take effect? What is the ruling on a vow made under the duress of obsessive-compulsive disorder (waswas)? And what is the ruling on a vow when in doubt about having said "Insha'Allah" after it?
What is the ruling on one who dedicates himself to Allah in worship, yet is ignorant of the rulings concerning vows (nadhr), and is unable to fulfill it? Is he obligated to offer expiation for breaking an oath (kaffarat yamin)? And does the expiation multiply if he breaks it again?
Is the phrase "I have obligated myself" among the explicit wordings of a vow (nadhr) that do not require an intention, or among the allusive wordings that do require an intention for their meaning to take effect?