The Ruling on Changing the Direction of the Vow

Question :

Is it allowed for a person to change the reason of a vow after fixing it when he discovers that there is another reason more deserving of the vow?

Answer:

Before answering this question, I would like to introduce my remarks by saying that it is not fitting that a person should make a vow, because making vows is hated or forbidden, because the Prophet ﷺ prohibited them, saying:

"No good comes of it; it is only a means by which something is removed from the miserly."

The good hoped for from a vow is not caused by the vow. Many people, if they become ill, make a vow that if Allah, Most High cures them, they will do such-and-such, or if they lose some- thing, they vow that they will do such-and-such if they find it. Then if they are cured or find the thing which was lost, it does not mean that it was the vow which brought this about; rather this is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful and Allah is more Generous than to require a condition about what was requested. So you should ask Allah, Most Glorified, Most High to cure this sick person or to bring this lost thing. As for the vow, there is no need for it and many of those who vow, if they get what they vowed for, are lazy about fulfilling the vow they made. They might even abandon it, and this is a great danger. Consider Allah's saying:
And of them are some who made a covenant with Allah (saying):

"If He bestowed on us of His bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakāt and voluntary charity in Allah's Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous." Then when He gave them of His bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakāt or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse. So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies.

Based upon this, it is not fitting that a believer should make a VOW.

As for the answer to this question, we say: If a person vowed to do something in a certain situation, then he found something better than it, more pleasing to Allah, and more beneficial to the creatures of Allah, then there is no sin on him if he changes the reason of the vow for the thing that is better. The evidence for this is that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I vowed that if Allah liberated Makkah for you, I would pray in Bait Al-Maqdis." He said:
"Pray here."
Then the man repeated his statement and he said:
"Pray here."

The man repeated it again and he said:
"Then do as you wish."

This proves that if a person changed his preferred vow to something which is better, then it is permissible.