What is the ruling regarding vows of obedience (Nadhar Ta'ah)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Vows
Primary text
A vow of obedience, such as vowing to perform prayer, fasting, Hajj, Umrah, manumission, charity, seclusion (I'tikaf), or Jihad, must be fulfilled if the vow is absolute (e.g., "It is upon me, for Allah, to do X") or conditional upon a future event (e.g., "If Allah heals me, then upon me is fasting for a month"), provided the desired outcome is achieved. Fulfillment of such vows is obligatory by the consensus of the scholars.
Supporting text
A subset of scholars holds that vowing obedience without condition (e.g., stating absolutely, "Upon me is fasting for a month") is not obligatory to fulfill, arguing that a vow in Arabic is a conditional promise, and obligations are only binding when accompanied by consideration, unlike gifts.