Vows, covenants, fulfillment, expiation, and related questions.
Question 62 · vows
When I bought the first piece of land in my life, I made a vow dedicating 100 square meters of it to my master Imam Husayn. Later God enabled me to buy the entire 600-square-meter plot. The believing brothers wanted to buy land to establish a Husayniyya, so I valued the 100 square meters and gave them an equivalent sum of money to help purchase or build the Husayniyya. Have I fulfilled my vow? I now intend to sell the whole plot of land; may I do so?
Question 63 · vows
A woman vowed to wash the eyes of her eleven-year-old son with Zamzam water at the Sacred Kaaba, but her former husband, the child's father, will not allow her to take him for Umrah to fulfill the vow. What must she do?
Question 64 · vows
What is the expiation for violating a covenant?
Question 44 · vows
If I made several vows but have completely forgotten them, what should I do?
Question 45 · vows
A woman vowed to fast for a month if a certain matter was fulfilled. It has now been fulfilled, but her husband does not accept that she fast in fulfillment of her vow. What is the ruling?
Question 46 · vows
I vowed that if my children succeeded in school with good marks I would take them to visit the shrine of one of the descendants of the Imams, and I also vowed to distribute a particular thing. Praise be to God, my wish was fulfilled, but I have moved elsewhere and can no longer reach that shrine at all. What should I do? Does the vow remain in my liability if God takes my life?
Question 6 · vows
Is swearing by al-Abbas (a) and the other awliya like swearing by God, and does it carry the same expiation?
Question 7 · vows
What is the ruling on someone who makes a vow or swears an oath and then forgets what the matters or amounts of the oath and vow were?
Question 8 · vows
An Ansari sister made a vow for Imam al-Husayn (a): a collection of rings to be placed inside the shrine of al-Husayn (a). She now wants to fulfill her vow, but she has heard that those administering the blessed shrine dispose of the items placed there or sell them cheaply. May she instead give their monetary value, or is there another course?
Question 9 · vows
A woman vowed that if a certain matter occurred she would place a certain amount in the shrine of al-Abbas (a). What should she do now? May she, for example, spend the vow on constructing Husayniyyahs for the Ansar?
Question 10 · vows
I vowed to walk from Najaf to Karbala on the Arba'in of Imam al-Husayn (a). If I am unable to go for a reason such as cooking food, what is the ruling?
Question 11 · vows
If I vowed to cook and distribute food to people, and no believers are present, may I give the food to those who oppose the Imam (a), or should I give the money collected for cooking to needy Ansar?
Question 12 · vows
I vowed to slaughter seventy-four chickens, corresponding to the number of the martyrs of al-Taff. May I slaughter one sheep instead of the chickens?
Question 13 · vows
Each year, one of the Ansar brothers voluntarily provides a banquet or a sum of money specifically to the Ansar brothers at the Husayniyyah. Is it permissible to give that amount instead to an Ansari whom he finds to be in need?
Question 14 · vows
If believers donate a sum for a particular Ansari and the donated amount exceeds what is needed: (1) should the entire amount, including the excess, be given to him; (2) should the excess be given to another needy person; (3) is his permission required before giving the excess to someone else or using it for the interests of the Ansar; (4) is the donors' permission required to dispose of the excess; and (5) should it be given to the person responsible for Bayt al-Mal to dispose of it?
Question 15 · vows
I have a charity box in which I used to collect donations for a mosque belonging to those who oppose the truth. Now that I believe in the Call of Imam al-Mahdi, how should I dispose of the money?
Question 19 · vows
I had a fight with someone and struck him. He filed a complaint at the police station and falsely accused me of robbery, which was not true. When I was brought before the judge, he said: 'Will you swear on the Quran so that you can be released? If you do not swear, you will be convicted of robbery,' which according to him would mean a fifteen-year sentence. I swore on the Quran that I had not struck him even though I had struck him during the fight, and after I swore I was released. What is the ruling on my having sworn falsely on the Quran in order to escape their accusation? Do I owe an expiation, and what is it?
Question 179 · vows
Must a vow made in the world of dreams be fulfilled in this world?
Question 185 · vows
We live in Australia. My adult son returned to Iraq with one of his children, aged seven, and needs to obtain Iraqi citizenship for the child. Because the mother is not in Iraq and there is no legal marriage contract, the process is difficult. I could register my grandson as my own son, but this would require two witnesses to swear that the child is my son. May they take such an oath so he can obtain citizenship?