Q: My mother vowed to meet the Custodian of the Two Holy Masjids to explain her personal conditions and her injured son's conditions. She also vowed to offer a sacrifice as charity for the sake of Allah because her son survived an accident and got out of the hospital. What should she do?

A: Your mother does not need to fulfill her vow of meeting the Custodian of the Two Holy Masjids; because this is a permissible vow. In this case, she may fulfill her vow or break it and hence she has to offer the Kaffarah of a broken oath. The Kaffarah is freeing a Muslim slave or feeding ten Miskins (needy persons); each one Half a Sa` (1 Sa`=3 kg. Approx.) from the average foodstuff of your country or clothing them. If she cannot afford any of these alternatives, she has to fast for three days. As for her vow of offering a sacrifice for the sake of Allah that her son left the hospital, (Part No. 23; Page No. 216) it has to be fulfilled; because offering a sacrifice is an act of worship. We advise your mother not to make further vows in future because it is undesirable. Vows may lead a person to promise doing an act that is beyond their scope of capability and hence make things hard for themselves.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.