Forming a Commitment

A man says, ‘It is obligatory on me to walk to the house of Allah’ when he is in the state of Ihram for al-Hajj. He may say, ‘It is obligatory on me to offer such and such offering.’ However, he does not owe anything until he says, ‘It is obligatory on me from Allah to walk to His house.’ Or says, ‘It is obligatory from Allah on me to assume the state of Ihram for al-Hajj.’ Or he says, ‘From Allah it is obligatory on me to offer an offering of such and such if I did not do such and such thing.’”

It does not have any valid effect until one specifies it, like fasting, charity, a gift or al-Hajj.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who says that there is a vow, a commitment on him. He (the Imam) said, ‘It does not have any valid effect until he says, “There is fasting, or paying charity, or freeing a slave, or offering an animal offering.” If a man says, “I give this food as an offering,” it is not valid, because only a camel or so can become an animal offering.’”

“I had a girl in al-Madinah whose Hayd (menses) stopped. I then made a vow, a commitment before Allah for His sake if her Hayd (menses) becomes normal, I then fulfill the vow and commitment. I then learned that she experiences Hayd (menses) before my fulfilling the vow and commitment. I wrote to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was in al-Madinah and he (the Imam) replied, ‘If she experienced Hayd (menses) before your vow and commitment then you do not owe anything, but if she experienced Hayd (menses) after your vow and commitment then you must fulfill the vow and commitment.’”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I have made it upon myself to perform two Rak‘at Salat (prayer) as thanksgiving to Allah at home or on a journey’ if on a journey I can perform them during the day. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘I dislike a man’s making it obligatory upon himself.’ I then said, ‘I have not made them for Allah but I have made it upon myself to perform the two Rak‘at to thank Allah and I have not made it obligatory on myself if I can stop performing them when I wanted. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’ Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, was asked about a man who made a vow and commitment to walk to the house and he arrived on a crossing. He (the Imam) said, ’He must remain standing until there is room to cross the crossing.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who owed al-Hajjah al-Islam and wanted to perform al-Hajj. He was told to become married first, then perform al-Hajj. He said, ‘If I become married before al-Hajj my slave is free.’ He married before performing al-Hajj. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must free his slave.’ I then said, ‘He did not free his slave for the sake of Allah.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is a vow and commitment in the way of Allah and al-Hajj is of a greater priority than marriage and an obligation of a greater degree than marriage.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if al- Hajj is optional?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Even if it is optional it is an act of obedience that has made his slave free.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who buys something and says, ‘I gift it to the Sacred House of Allah.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It does not have any valid effect. It is a lie that he has spoken.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If you say, ‘It is from Allah upon me’ then its expiation is like that for an oath.’”

“Bundar, maxvla of Idris, once wrote, ‘My master, I made a vow and commitment to fast every Saturday; and if I did not fast what is the expiation?’ He (the Imam) wrote and I read it, ‘Do not stop fasting except because of illness, and you do not have to fast when on a journey or during your illness unless you had the intention to do so. If you stop fasting without illness and good reason, then pay charity for every day missed to seven destitute people, we ask Allah to grant good opportunity for doing what He loves and pleases.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who has made a vow and commitment that if Allah makes his wish to come true, he will pay a certain amount of dirham as charity. Allah then made his wish come true. He then made the dirham into gold and has sent to you; if that is sufficient or he has to do it again. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must do it again.’”

“My master, a man has made a vow and commitment to fast on Fridays all the time. What happens if such days coincide with the day of ‘Id of Fitr, or Adha’, or days of al-Tashriq or a journey or illness; if he owes to fast on such days or its Qada’ (compensatory fasting) and what must he do, O my master?’ He (the Imam) wrote, ‘Allah has exempted him from fasting on all of these days and he can fast one day for (an alternate) one day, if Allah so wills.’ He wrote to him (the Imam) asking, ‘O my master, there is a man who had made a vow and commitment to fast a certain day and on that day he fell on his wife. What is the expiation for it?’ He (the Imam) wrote, ‘He must fast one day for one day and set free a believing slave.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the expiation because of a vow and commitment. He (the Imam) said, ‘Kaffarah (expiation) for a vow and commitment is like the expiation because of an oath. If one makes a vow and commitment to offer an animal for sacrifice he must find a camel, he must mark and collar it and stay with it in ‘Arafah. If one makes a vow and commitment to offer a Jazur, (a certain kind of camel) then he can slaughter by manner of Nahr (slaughtering from the upper part of the chest) wherever he wants.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who says, ‘There is a vow and commitment on me’, but does not specify. He (the Imam) said, ‘He owes one handful of wheat, regardless, he has taken it seriously or with great emphasis.’”

“About the case of a man who makes a vow and commitment to fast and is not able to do so, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He must pay someone to fast for him and for every day it is two mud (a certain measurement) of food.’”

“’Abbad ibn Maymun asked (abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.)) when I was present, about the case of a man who made a vow and commitment to fast and wanted to leave for Makkah. ‘Abd Allah ibn Jundab said, ‘I heard the one who narrated from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who was asked about a man who made a vow and commitment to fast. He became aware of his intention during his visiting abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who said, ‘He can leave without fasting on the way and on his return arrange for Qada’ (compensatory fasting).”’

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever makes a vow and commitment to fast and then fails to do so, the expiation on him is like the Kaffarah (expiation) for an oath.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I have made a vow and commitment to walk to the House of Allah. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must pay expiation for your oath, because you have made it on yourself and you have not made for Allah; you must then fulfill.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who makes a vow and commitment to walk to the House of Allah barefoot. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must walk and if he becomes tired, he can ride.’”

“I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the case of a man who has made a vow and commitment to walk to the House of Allah but cannot do so. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can perform al-Hajj and ride.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who makes a vow and commitment to walk to the House of Allah but cannot do so. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must perform al-Hajj riding.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, when he (the Imam) was asked about the case of a man who took an oath to make a vow and commitment and his intention in his oath is about one dirham or less. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has not made it for Allah, then it does not have any valid effect.’”

“Once we were with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), in a group when a man came who was of the Mawali of abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He offered Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace), sat down, wept and said, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. I made a covenant with Allah that if He gives me recovery from my illness because of which I was afraid for my life, to give in charity all of my belongings and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, granted me recovery from the illness. I have moved my family from my house to a ruined dome of al-Ansar (people of al- Madinah). I have carried all of my belongings and I am selling my house and all that I own to give them in charity.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Go and appraise your house, all of your assets and belongings for a fair price and make it certain. Thereafter find a white sheet and write on it all that you have appraised, then find the most trustworthy person known to you among people arround you, then give the sheet to him and make a will. Instruct him that if something happened to you (death), to sell your house and all that belongs to you and give in charity on your behalf. Thereafter move back to your house to live as before with your family and maintain your family as before, but make a list of what you spend and pay as charity, or gifts to relatives or for good causes, write them down all and calculate them. At the end of the year go to the executor of the will you have made and instruct him to deduct from the total on the list what you have spent as such for charity as mentioned in that year. Thereafter, every year you must do the same things until you fulfill all of what you had committed to do for Allah in the form of vow and commitment. In this way your house will remain for you as well as your other assets, if Allah so wills.’ The man then said, ‘You have released me from my entanglement, O child of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause.’”

“My mother had made a vow and commitment. She had made a commitment for Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, about one of her children because of fear of something for him. She said that from that day on, she will fast all the time as long as she lives. She came out with us to Makkah, her fasting on the journey made us face questions, and she did not know if she must fast or not. I asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about it and he (the Imam) said, ‘She must not fast on a journey. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has exempted her from His right during a journey; but she must fast otherwise for what she has committed herself to.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if she ignores her commitment? He (the Imam) said, ‘No, I fear that she may experience in her child that which made her to form such commitment.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of my girl who was pregnant and I made a vow and commitment for Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, that if she gives birth to a boy, I will help him to perform al-Hajj or I will perform al-Hajj on his behalf. He (the Imam) said, ‘A man made a vow and commitment for Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, about his son that if he matures he will perform al-Hajj for him or help him to perform al-Hajj. The father died and the boy became mature thereafter and came to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, who commanded him to perform al-Hajj by means of what his father has left behind.’”