Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

ASSALALAMUALAIKUM,
I PROMISED ALLAH THAT IF I HAVE A CHILD I WILL OFFER 100 RAKATS SHUKRANA,AND ALHAMDULILLAH I HAVE A SON NOW,HE IS 6 MONTHS OLD BUT I DONT GET MUCH TIME TO OFFER PRAYERS AS MY CHILD KEEPS ME BUSY.WILL THAT DELAY MAY RESULT IN ANY PUNISHMENT?

I WILL INSHALLAH SOON OFFER THE PRAYERS. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Nazar vow prayer of gratefulness

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: I PROMISED ALLAH THAT IF I HAVE A CHILD I WILL OFFER 100 RAKATS SHUKRANA,

The ‘promise’ that you have made with Allah is what is known as a ‘nadhar’ (vow) in Fiqh or Jurisprudence terminology. The Messenger of Allah (saws) discouraged the believers from making such ‘nadhar’ or vows, for the truth is that the vow itself has absolutely no bearing on what has already been Decreed and Determined by Allah Subhanah!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.685 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah says, 'The ‘nadhar’ (vow) does not bring about for the son of Adam anything I have not decreed for him, but his ‘nadhar’ (vow) may coincide with what has been decided for him, and by this way I cause a miser to spend of his wealth. So he gives Me (spends in charity) for the fulfillment of what has been Decreed for him what he would not give Me before but for his vow!"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.683 Narrated by Said bin Al Harith

that he heard Ibn 'Umar saying, "Weren't people forbidden to make ‘nadhar’ (vows)?" The Prophet (saws) said, 'A ‘nadhar’ (vow) neither hastens nor delays anything, but by the making of vows, some of the wealth of a miser is taken out."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.684 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet discouraged the making of ‘nadhar’ (vows) and said, "It (a vow) does not prevent anything (that has to take place), but (through the vow) the property of a miser is spent (taken out) with it."

Some people have a habit that they are reluctant to do a good deed or spend some of their wealth in the Cause of Allah, without putting a condition with their Lord that only if He gives us such and such, only then will we do such and such a good deed! The truth is that these conditions do not help in expediting or bringing about what their heart desires, for only that will happen what has been already Decreed and Determined by Allah Subhanah!

A better way than making a ‘nadhar’ or vow, is to do whatever good deeds one wills and beg and implore their Lord in all humility and hope to bestow upon them whatever their hearts desires.

Your Question: WILL THAT DELAY MAY RESULT IN ANY PUNISHMENT?

Having said that making a ‘nadhar’ or a vow is discouraged in Islam and one should not make conditions with their Lord in their supplications, Allah Subhanah in His Glorious Quran has appreciated and praised those believers who fulfill their ‘nazars’ or vows that they have made with their Lord!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 76 Surah Dhahr verses 5-12:

5 As to the Righteous they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur

6 A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.

7 They perform (or fulfill their) ‘nazar’ (vows) and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide.

8 And they feed for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive

9 (saying): "We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you nor thanks.

10 We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord."

11 But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day and will shed over them a light of Beauty and a (Blissful) Joy.

12 And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk.

Since you have already made a vow to pray a hundred rakahs of nafl prayers to your Lord, it would be best if you would now fulfill your vow; it is expected that you will have your full reward with your Lord.

Unless you had intended or stipulated a specific time limit in your vow when you will fulfill the hundred rakahs, or you had intended or specified that you will offer them all-together, and you have a solemn intention in your heart to fulfill the vow that you have made unto your Lord; your condition would not constitute a case of delaying the fulfillment of your vow.

Allah Subhanah is well aware of your conditions and your intentions, and if your infant child and your other obligatory duties as a wife and a mother do not allow you enough time to fulfill your vow of praying the hundred rakahs all together, it would be prudent to pray even only 2-rakahs everyday or every other day till you have fulfilled your vow. In this way, in a few months, you would have fulfilled the vow that you made unto your Lord and earn His Pleasure and Good-Will Insha Allah for your intentions and your efforts.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan