Any pledge to do something forbidden must not be fulfilled, such as pledging oneself to drink wine, making pledges to dead people or making pledges to glorify a grave or an object.

Examples of pledges that must not be fulfilled

Any pledge to do something that is forbidden constitutes disobedience to Allah and must not be fulfilled. There are different types of such pledges, for example:

1- A man may vow that he would disown his family, or a woman may pledge that she would fast when she is in the period. These are forbidden actions and such pledges must be ignored and never fulfilled.

2- People may make pledges to dead people, thinking that those people are close to Allah and can intercede with Him. A person may visit the grave of a well known individual, and address him by name or the honourable status that he thinks belongs to him, then adds: ‘If my lost child returns...’, or ‘If my sick daughter is cured...’, or ‘If this business of mine is successful, then I will give in your honour (an amount) of money, food, oil, candles, etc.’ This is a grave sin, in fact it is a form of elevating that dead person to the status of a partner with Allah. No sin is greater than this, because making a pledge and fulfilling it is an act of worship, and worship may not be offered to any creature, dead or alive. Worship is offered to Allah alone.