What is the ruling for an unconditional vow made without specifying the act (Nadhar Mujmal)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Vows
Primary text
When a person says, "Upon me is a vow, for Allah," without specifying the act, the majority of scholars hold that this necessitates the expiation of an oath. This view is supported by numerous Companions and Successors, including Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, Malik, and Thawri. The evidence is the hadith stating, "The expiation for an unspecified vow is the expiation of an oath." This is considered an established scholarly consensus among their contemporaries.
Supporting text
Al-Shafi'i is reported to hold the view that such a statement does not constitute a binding vow, and therefore, there is no expiation required.