vows oaths aqiqah

							                       Innal-Hamdulillah was-Salaatu was-Salaam `alaa Rasoolillah
All Praise goes to Allah, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon his Prophet Muhammad (sa)




                   Group Presentation
  Keeping Vows & Oaths In Islaam
    & The Rulings of an Aqiqah
  • Some rulings related to fulfilling vows and oaths
  • What types of vows are forbidden
  • What is the repentance (kafarah) for breaking oaths
  • What is an Aqiqah and how it is performed

                                 ~By Sisters Umm Alwiya & Qamar
      What is a Vow & an oath?
               The believer takes his vows very serious.

                  = to pledge / swear by Allah / promise to do a particular
                  thing / to carry out a certain action.

 The one who breaks his promises has a characteristic of a hypocrite.

As our Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: “There are four characteristics
whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of
them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it, when he speaks he
lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he
disputes/gets in an argument he transgresses/acts deceitful and when he is
given a trust he does not fulfil it.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

   Allah (swt) says in the Qur‟aan (in the interpretation of the meaning):
                     "...surely every promise/covenant
                     shall be questioned about."
                     (Surah Al-Isra, 17:34)
       What is a Vow & an oath?
                = similar to vow, it is to swear to tell the truth regarding an
                event / situation; also to swear not to do a certain thing.


Making false oaths is amongst one of the MAJOR            SINS in Islaam.
Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him)
narrated that Allah's Apostle (sa) said:

"If somebody takes a false oath in
order to get the property of
a Muslim (unjustly) by that oath,
then Allah will be angry with him
and he will incur Allah's Wrath
when he will meet Him."
                                   (Bukhaari)
                    Rulings related to fulfilling vows
                 (1) If one makes a vow and then dies before fulfilling it, then
                 someone should fulfil it for them.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported:
That a woman was travelling in the sea, and she
vowed that if Allaah saved her she would fast for
one month. Allaah saved her, but she died before
fulfilling her vow. Her daughter came to the
Prophet (sa) and mentioned this to him. He asked
"Had she owed money as debt,
wouldn't you have paid it on her
behalf?" She replied, "Yes". He said: "Allaah's
debt is more worthy of being fulfilled. So fulfill
(the vow) for your mother."

                               (Bukhaari and Muslim)
                    Rulings related to fulfilling vows cont.
                 (2) If one makes a vow before becoming a Muslim, he must
                 still fulfil this vow.

Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: That „Umar said "O
Allah's Apostle! I vowed to perform I'tikaf for one night in Al-Masjid-al-
Haram, during the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance (before embracing
Islam). "The Prophet said,   "Fulfill your vow." (Bukhaari)




Al-Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: That the Prophet
ordered us to help others to fulfill the vows/oaths. (Bukhaari)
 What vows are not permitted in Islaam
(1) We can not make vows that involve harming yourself / others.


The Messenger of Allah (sa) saw a man standing in the sun. The Messenger asked,
"What's wrong with him?" The people said, "He has vowed not to speak
or to seek shade from the sun or to sit and (during which) to fast." The
Messenger of Allah (sa) said, "Go and tell him to speak, to seek shade,
and to sit, but let him complete his fast." (Maliks Muwatta)


(2) We can not make vows that involve the disobedience to Allah.


 A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) related that the Messenger of Allah (sa)
 said, "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him. Whoever
 vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him." (Maliks Muwatta)
    What vows are not permitted in Islaam cont.
         (3) We can not make vows by swearing by other than Allah




The Prophet Muhammad (sa) was speaking to Umar ibn al-Khattab while
he was travelling with a troop and Umar swore by his father and he (the
               "Allah forbids you to swear by your
Messenger sa) said,
fathers. If anyone swears, let him swear by Allah
or keep silent." (Maliks Muwatta)
We either swear by Allah, or we don’t swear at all -- to do so, is the worst sin
  one can commit (a sin that can lead you to the Hellfire, ao’uthubillah!)

                Allah (swt) says in the Qur‟aan (in the interpretation of the meaning):
                          "And if you commit shirk (associating partners with
                          Allah) all of your works would be in vain (destroyed)
                          and you will definitely be among those who are the
                          losers". (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:65)
    Kafarah
(Repentance/Expiation)
    • When Kafarah is not needed,
    • What is the kafarah for breaking an oath,
    • What is the kafarah of making bad oaths,
    • Which oaths require kafarah.
     When Kafarah is not needed
    If you say Insha’Allah (Allah willing) when
       making an oath, you do not need to do
          kafarah if the oath gets broken.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah
ibn Umar said:

"Whoever swears by Allah and then says,
'Allah willing' and then does not do what
he has sworn to, has not broken his
oath."
                                       (Maliks Muwatta.)
       What is the kafarah for breaking an oath
Allah indicates in the Qur‟aan (in the interpretation of the meaning):
                 " Allah will not punish you for what is unintentional in
                 your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate
                 oaths; for its expiation (a deliberate oath) feed ten
                 poor people, on a scale of the average of that with
                 which you feed your own families; or clothe them; or
free a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast
for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths when you have
sworn. And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much). Thus Allah
make clear to you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful.” (Surat Al Maeda, 5:89)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to do
kaffara for a broken oath by feeding ten poor people. Each person got a mudd
of wheat. He sometimes freed a slave if he had repeated the oath. (Maliks Muwatta)

1.   Feed 10 poor people,
2.   Or clothe 10 poor people,
3.   Or free a slave,
4.   Or if we don’t have the means to do that then we should fast for 3 days.
What is the kafarah for swearing by other than Allah

We are not permitted to swear by the Ka’bah, by trustworthiness,
by honour, by help, by the blessing of so-and-so, by the life of so-
  and-so, by the virtue of the Prophet, by the virtue of a wali, by
   one’s father and mother, by the heads of one’s children, etc.




                         “Whoever swears and says
The Prophet of Allah (sa) said:
„By al-Laat‟ or „By al-‟Uzza,‟ let him say: „La ilaaha ill-
Allaah (there is no god except Allaah).‟” (Bukhaari)
             Which oaths require kafarah
      It is excellent to break the vow if one finds a better
            alternative and then one should expiate it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Suhayl ibn Abi Salih from his father from
Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah (sa) said, "Whoever makes an oath and
then sees that something else would be better than it, should do kaffara for his
oath and do what is better." (Maliks Muwatta)


Abu Huraira reported: A person sat late in the night with Allah's Apostle (sa), and
then came to his family and found that his children had gone to sleep. His wife
brought food for him. but he took an oath that he would not eat because of his
children (having gone to sleep without food) He then gave precedence (of breaking
the vow and then expiating it) and ate the food He then came to Allahs Messenger
(sa) and made mention of that to him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (sa) said: He
who took an oath and (later on) found something better than that should do that,
and expiate for (breaking) his vow. (Muslim)
 The Aqiqah
 A ritual Muslims perform in Islaam on the occasion of
 new born baby (male or female) -- done to thank Allah
               for blessing us with a child.                      (Haziq!)

The Aqiqah is not a fard, however it is a highly recommended Sunnah.

The Prophet (sa) said: 'If anyone has a child born to him, and
wants to sacrifice for his child, then let him do it.' (Maliks Muwatta)

The Aqiqah / sacrifice is not done in the honour of the child – it is done
for the sake of Allah alone – as with all our worship. Sacrificing for other
than Allah is Shirk Al Akbar (the greatest associating partners with Allah)


Our Prophet (sa) has told us that: “Allaah will curse the one who
sacrifices to anything other than Allaah.” (Muslim)
                    Rulings of an Aqiqah:
           (1) Sacrificing an animal for the sake of Allah

Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A boy is
ransomed by his ' aqeeqah. Sacrifice should be made for him on
the seventh day, he should be given a name and his head
should be shaved."
                      (Tirmidhi, 1522; al-Nasaa'i, 4220 and Abu Dawood, 2838)


Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi
that if any of Abdullah ibn Umar's family
asked him for an aqiqa, he would give it to
them. Hegave a sheep as
aqiqa for both his male and
female children. (Maliks Muwatta)
                     Rulings of an Aqiqah:
               (2) Shaving the baby’s hair on their head
Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammad that his father said,
"Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (sa) weighed the hair of Hasan,
Husayn, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum, and gave away in sadaqa an equivalent
weight of silver." (Maliks Muwatta)


                       (3) Giving the baby a name

Narrated Abu Musa: A son was born to me and I took him to the Prophet who
named him Ibrahim, invoked Allah to bless him and returned him to me. (Bukhaari)


            (4) Reciting the Adhaan into baby’s right ear.

  So that the first thing he hears in this world will be the words of Tawheed
                          Rulings of an Aqiqah:
                      (5) Circumcision (for baby boy)
The Prophet (sa) said: "For the boy there should be an ' aqeeqah. Slaughter (an
animal) for him and remove the harmful thing [i.e. the foreskin] from him."
(Tirmidhi, Nasaa'i, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah)



                       (6) Summarising the Benefits

• Sacrifice brings the child close to Allaah soon after he comes
 into this world.

              • It is a highly recommended Sunnah of our Prophet
              Muhammad (sa)

• The Aqiqah gathering brings relatives and
 friends together for the waleemah (feast)
           Rulings of an Aqiqah:
  (7) Bid’aa / Innovation – STAY WELL AWAY!
(1) Smearing the child with blood  BID’AA!

(2) Reciting the iqaamah in the child's left ear  BID’AA!

(3) Doing the ‘Tahnik’ – this was done by the prophet (sa) where he chewed a
date and then applied his saliva in the baby's mouth.
Narrated by Asma' bint Abu Bakr: “I conceived 'Abdullah bin AzZubair at Mecca and
went out (of Mecca) while I was about to give birth. I came to Medina and
encamped at Quba', and gave birth at Quba'. Then I brought the child to Allah's
Apostle and placed it (on his lap). He asked for a date, chewed it, and put his saliva
in the mouth of the child” (Bukhaari)

There are two opinions to this by the scholars about the Tahnik:
1. Some scholars say you can do the Tahnik, but only from a righteous man.
2. Some scholars say that this action is done exclusively for the Prophet
Muhammad (sa), and we should not do it.
                Conclusion
                “I have left behind me two things, if you cling to
Our Beloved (sa) said:
 them you will never go astray. They are the Book of Allah (The
        Qur‟aan) and my Sunnah” [Hadith found in Al-Hakim]


May Allah have mercy on us all and keep us upon the Sunnah. ~ Ameen



                 Jazaak’Allahu khair
                                            
Subhana kallah huma wabi hamdika, ashadu an laa elaha ila anta, astagh fi ruka wa atubu elayk
(Perfect are you O Allah, and to you is the Praise. I testify that there is none worthy of worship
                    except you. I seek your forgiveness and repent to you)