Failed to keep his promise to start sports

12-4-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am writing with regards to "keeping your word". At the end of last year I said to one of my cousins that I was going to take up sports with the coming of the next year.(Note: I did not swear I would take up sports, I just said it thinking that it would be OK and easy then). Now I realize that due to the amount of study I have, the cold weather outside and the fact that I neither like nor am in the mood to play sports(since I am very bad at them) that I may not be able to keep my word. My question is: Is there anything I can do to free myself from the obligation of my word i.e. anything like the Kaffarah Ya'meen (which I know is for oaths) so that I have the liberty to play sports when I want and not play them if I don
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

According to the majority of the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them it is desirable to fulfil one's promise, and it is among the noble manners for which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was sent to complete them. In this regard, please refer to Fatwa 84051. However, since you did not make an oath when you made the promise, then this is not considered as an oath.

Therefore, it is desirable for you to fulfil the promise you made, but if you do not fulfil it, you are not required to do anything and you are not obliged to expiate for it.

Allaah Knows best.

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