Is making a conditional vow involving fasting or pilgrimage Iila'?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of the Oath of Abstention (Ila')
Primary text
If a person swears, 'If I approach you, then Allah owes me a year of fasting or Hajj or charity,' this constitutes Iila'. This is because breaching the oath obligates a right upon him that prevents him from intercourse due to the fear of incurring that obligation. This is analogous to binding oneself to fasting or Hajj by vow.
Supporting text
Abu Hanifa held that vowing to perform prayer does not constitute Iila' because prayer does not involve monetary obligation. However, the counter-argument is that prayer becomes obligatory by vow, just like fasting or Hajj. Furthermore, following the logic that Iila' results if the breach incurs an obligation, some scholars suggest that vowing to perform permissible acts (like walking in the marketplace) also constitutes Iila', as the breach obligates either expiation or the act itself, establishing a liability.