Q:Hi Imaam, i want to know a little about how to do a mannat. whem my borhter fell fromt he chair, my grandma did a mannat to give a cow to the poor. When our family bussines was going through a tough time my mother made a mannat to go for umrah. when my sister got married we all made a mannat to give 1000$ charity to Islamic society. SO i guess i want to know how does one to the mannat? Do you pray two ratakts? Do you face a certain direction?

A: Mannaat is a urdu word that means vow. The manner in which people take voews sometimes reduces their faith and causes for them to dabble in shirk. Rasool (SAW) said:

 

إن النذر لا يقدم شيئا ولا يؤخر، وإنما يستخرج بالنذر من البخيل

Verily vows do not advance nor delay anything. It only brings out (beneficial giving) from the selfish person. (Bukhari)

Thus, only what is written for you, you would attain. Taking a vow alone will not change ones destiny. Only what is meant for you, you would receive. Not more, not less.

Giving part of ones wealth or doing any good act should not be an exchange-transaction with Allah (SWT). If you want to go for Umrah, by all means go. By going on a condition that  if only so and so gets cured, passes an exam etc. a good deed will be done can result in ones faith being adversely affected. It is also a sign of ones internal selfishness, as outlines in the hadith. It is a form of selfishness simply because you appear to be doing a good deed only to get something back.

However, if one had the need to take a vow, as an example, one may merely say the following: Oh Allah the Most Merciful, i have made it binding/necessary upon myself to give $100 to the poor. It would be better to say this than saying, oh Allah, if my son/daughter gets married, i will slaughter a sheep for the poor. We cannot bride Allah. It is better to say, Oh Allah i ask for you to keep keep my children upon imaam, i ask You to be kind to my children, than asking Allah to just get them married. Many people have slaughtered many cows with the wish to get their children married, only to see it all end up in disaster. As the hadith informs us: Dua is an Ibadah that can change destiny (mafhoom) Cutting cows/sheep or serving fish to guests or the needy as part of a vow cannot alone change destiny.

For those that take vows, are they saying, if our work does not get done, we will not go for umrah or feed the poor? Not doing so will only hinder ones spiritual progress. Therefore, ask from the treasures of Allah, but not at the possible expense of your imaan (faith.)

Allah Certainly Knows Best.