Do You Know What nazr nokhod (chickpea vow) Is?

The most effective vow, which leads to fulfilling one's wishes more quickly, according to research, is the vow to the infallible Imams (A). For example, one might vow that if God grants their wish, they will read a complete Quran and dedicate the reward to one of the fourteen infallibles, or they may vow to fast or recite Ashura for forty days.

One of the ways to have wishes fulfilled is by making a vow, which has specific etiquettes. For instance, when making a vow, it is necessary to utter a vow statement, but it does not have to be in Arabic. For example, one might say, "I vow that if my illness is cured, it will be obligatory for me to give one hundred tomans to the poor," and this vow would be valid.

Conditions for making a vow include that the person making the vow must be responsible and of sound mind, and they must do so voluntarily. A vow made under duress or in anger is not valid, and the act to be done as part of the vow must be desirable and achievable.

How is the vow of chickpeas performed?

People in Najaf, when they have a need, take 12 chickpeas and recite "Ya Ali" 1,000 times for each chickpea, totaling 12,000 times. Once their wish is granted, they cook a dish (usually a soup or stew) and place the 12 chickpeas in it. The vow requires that the person be pure and clean, with no ritual impurity (ghusl) on them. The recitation of "Ya Ali" must be uninterrupted.

After reciting the prayer, the chickpeas are placed in a bag or wrapped in plastic and kept in a safe place, away from others. When the wish is fulfilled, the 12 chickpeas are added to the dish. The dish does not have to be a noodle soup; it can be any local dish. It is important that no one from the person’s family eats from this dish, and at least seven families should partake in it.

You should be patient in expecting your wish to be granted. It is important to perform this act with complete faith and trust that your wish will be fulfilled at the right time.

The story of the old man who made a vow of chickpeas:

In the past, there was an old man named Abdullah who made a living by gathering thorns. In the summer, he collected two bundles of thorns, one of which he sold and the other he hid in a cave. One snowy day, he could not find any thorns, so he went to the cave, but found it empty. He was heartbroken and turned to God for help. Suddenly, he fainted.

While unconscious, a noble man appeared to him, and after Abdullah shared his story, the man threw a handful of stones into his lap and told him to sell them. Abdullah woke up, saw the stones, but discarded them and returned home. The next day, one of the stones had turned into a pearl, and the old man hurried back to gather the stones, only to find that they were precious gems. Later, in a dream, the noble man advised Abdullah to remember Ali every Friday night and buy three chickpeas and distribute them among people to solve problems.

Abdullah realized that the noble man was Imam Ali (A), and after following the advice, he became wealthy. Later, while traveling to Mecca, Abdullah asked his wife to continue the vow, but after some time, she stopped following it. One day, the king's daughter's necklace, which had been lost by Abdullah's daughter while playing, was found by a crow. The daughter was blamed, and all of Abdullah’s family’s belongings were confiscated.

After returning from Mecca, Abdullah became aware of the situation, performed his vow, and on that very night, the necklace was found, and Abdullah’s family was freed and their belongings returned.

How to change your vow:

Once a vow is made correctly, with the proper conditions and wording, it is not permissible to change it. For example, if one has vowed to visit Imam Hussein (A), they cannot change it to a vow to visit Imam Reza (A), or if they have vowed to sacrifice a specific sheep, they must sacrifice that exact sheep.