Made a vow to Allah
15-6-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
I pledged that if and when ALLAH helped me find my job, I would sacrifice two goats, offer nawafil and would fast three days. I never ever pledged in the sense that ALLAH would hasten things for me if I offer my pledge; rather I did it just for thankfulness for His blessing.
Now I want to inquire if it is right to do it, I mean if one can offer vow for the sacrifice of goat and other things, and should I discharge my duty as soon as possible? So kindly tell me as people say different things, some say you did that ALLAH would give you a job, but I believe strongly that ALLAH doesn't need any help or material things; its just our sincerity that counts.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Since you made the said vow, you have to fulfill it as long as you are able to do so if what you conditioned the vow for takes place. Allah, The Exalted, and His Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) ordered us to fulfill the vow.
Allah says: "Then let them complete the prescribed duties for them, and perform their vows. (Al-Hajj 22:29) "
Allah further says when describing His noble slaves: "They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading. (Al-Insan 76:7)
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever vows to obey Allah has to obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Him should not disobey Him." Reported by Bukhari.
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) also said: "whoever makes a vow that he can fulfill has to fulfill it." Reported by Ashab Al-Sunan.
Fulfilling one's vow does not contradict sincerity, rather it is one of the signs of sincerity to Allah, The Exalted, as already mentioned in the verse about His noble slaves, where He mentioned some of the characteristics among which is fulfilling the vows.
There is no doubt that Allah is not in need of our acts of worship and is not in need of His slaves, as you have already mentioned, and it is something evident in religion and no one can deny it.
Allah stands not in need of any the Alamin (Mankind, Jinn and all that exists).
Allah says: "And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself. Verily, Allâh is free of all wants from the 'Alamîn (Mankind, Jinn's, and all that exists). (Al-'Ankabut 29:6)
But Allah legislated the fulfilling of a vow not because of being in need of it, but for the interest of the slaves themselves, in order to obtain much goodness and many rewards.
Allah knows best.