I am a Palestinian female university student and am 24 years old. As I was having my last exam, I decided that if I passed it, I would send a chocolate tray to my teacher, but he did not take it, and I considered it a vow. What should I do?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

If what you made is a mere intention or a decision with no commitment, then this is not considered a vow, and it is not obligatory upon you to fulfill it. However, if you committed yourself to this as a means to draw closer to Allaah Almighty by intending to give charity or a gift to your teacher, then it is a vow, and you have to fulfill it in the manner that you have intended. If the teacher refrained from taking it, then you should give it to the poor and the needy.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that you should not take conditional vows, as scholars consider them disliked although they are binding. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said about the conditional vow: “Verily it does not bring any good, but it is only a means by which something is extracted from the miserly.”  [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Furthermore, if by this vow you intended to offer a bribe to your teacher, then it will not be considered binding because it is an act of disobedience not an act of obedience.

Allaah Knows best.