Oaths and Vows (Kitab Al-Aiman Wa Al-Nudhur)

كتاب الأيمان والنذور

Chapter 23: The View That Atonement Is Necessary If A Man Vows To Disobey Allah

Narrated Anas b. Malik

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a man that he was supported between his sons. He asked about him, and (the people) said: He has taken a vow to walk (on foot). Thereupon he said: Allah has no need that this man should punish himself, and he ordered him to ride.

Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Abi 'Amir has also narrated a similar tradition from al-A'raj on the authority of Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas

The Prophet (ﷺ) while going round the Ka'bah passed a man who was led with a ring of bridle in his nose. The Prophet (ﷺ) cut it off with his hand and ordered to lead him by catching his hand.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas

The sister of Uqbah ibn Amir took a vow that she would perform hajj on foot, and she was unable to do so. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah is not in need of the walking of your sister. She must ride and offer a sacrificial camel.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir al-Juhani

Uqbah said to the Prophet (ﷺ): My sister has taken a vow that she will walk to the House of Allah (the Ka'bah). Thereupon he said: Allah will not do anything of the walking of your sister to the House of Allah (i.e. the Ka'bah).

Chapter 24: One Who Vows To Perform Salah In Bait Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah

A man stood on the day of Conquest (of Mecca) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have vowed to Allah that if He grants conquest of Mecca at your hands, I shall pray two rak'ahs in Jerusalem. He replied: Pray here. He repeated (his statement) to him and he said: Pray here. He again repeated (his statement) to him. He (the Prophet) replied: Pursue your own course, then.

Abu Dawud said: A similar tradition has been narrated by 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf from the Prophet (ﷺ).

The tradition mentioned above (No.3299) has also been transmitted by Umar ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf on the authority of his father and the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). This version has

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by al-Ansari, from Ibn-Juraij. He said: Ja'far b. 'Umar and 'Amr b. Hayyah. He said: They transmitted from 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf and from the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Chapter 25: Fulfilling A Vow On Behalf Of One Who Had Died

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas

Sa'd b. 'Ubadah asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): My Mother has died and she could not fulfill her vow which she had taken. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fulfill it on her behalf.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas

A woman made a voyage and vowed that she would fast one month if Allah made her reach her destination with peace and security. Allah made her reach her destination with security but she died before she could fast. Her daughter or sister (the narrator doubted) came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So he commanded to fast on her behalf.

Narrated Buraidah

A woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I gave a slave girl to my mother, but she died and left the salve-girl. He said: Your reward became certain for you, and she (the slave-girl) returned to you as inheritance. She said: She died and one month's fast was due from her. He (the narrator) then mentioned the tradition similar to the one mentioned by 'Amr b. 'Awn.

Chapter 26: If A Person Dies Owing Fasts, His Heir Should Fast On His Behalf

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas

A woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said (to him) that one month's fast was due from her mother who had died. May I fulfill them on her behalf? He asked: Suppose some debt was due from your mother, would you pay it ? She replied: Yes. He said: So the debt due to Allah is the one which most deserves to be paid.

Narrated 'Aishah

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone dies when some fast due from him has been unfulfilled, his heir must fast on his behalf.

Chapter 27: The Commandment To Fulfill Vows

Narrated 'Amr b. Suh'aib

On his father's authority, said that his grandfather said: A woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you.

He said: Fulfil your vow.

She said: And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such a such a place, a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre-Islamic times.

He asked: For an Idol?

She replied: No.

He asked: For an image?

She replied: No.

He said: Fulfil your vow.

Narrated Thabit ibn ad-Dahhak

In the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) a man took a vow to slaughter a camel at Buwanah. So he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I have taken a vow to sacrifice a camel at Buwanah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked: Did the place contain any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times?

They (the people) said: No.

He asked: Was any pre-Islamic festival observed there?

They replied: No.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Fulfil your vow, for a vow to do an act of disobedience to Allah must not be fulfilled, neither must one do something over which a human being has no control.

Narrated Maymunah, daughter of Kardam

I went out with my father to see the hajj performed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I fixed my eyes on him. My father came near him while he was riding his she-camel. He had a whip like the whip of scribes. I heard the bedouin and the people say: The whip, the whip. My father came near him and held his foot. She said: He admitted his Prophethood and stood and listened to him.

He said: Messenger of Allah, I have made a vow that if a son is born to me, I shall slaughter a number of sheep at the end of Buwanah in the dale of hill.

The narrator said: I do not know (for certain) that she said: Fifty (sheep).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Does it contain any idol?

He said: No. Then he said: Fulfil your vow that you have taken for Allah. He then gathered them (i.e. the sheep) and began to slaughter them. A sheep ran away from them.

He searched for it saying: O Allah, fulfil my vow on my behalf. So he succeeded (in finding it) and slaughtered it.

A similar tradition has also been transmitted in brief by Maimunah daughter of Kardam son of Sufyan on the authority of her father through a different chain of narrators. This version adds

(The Prophet asked): Does it contain an idol or was a festival of pre-Islamic times celebrated there ? He replied: No. I said: This mother of mine has taken a vow and walking (is binding on her). May I fulfill it on her behalf ? Sometimes the narrator Bashshar said: May we fulfill in on her behalf ? He said: Yes.

Chapter 28: A Vow Concerning What One Does Not Possess

'Imran b. Husain said

Abu Dawud said: This woman was the wife of Abu Dharr.

Chapter 29: The One Who Vows To Give His Wealth In Charity

Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik

I said: Messenger of Allah, to make my repentance complete I should divest myself of my property as sadaqah (alms) for Allah and His Apostle. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Retain some of your property, for that will be better for you. So he said: I shall retain the portion I have at Khaybar.

Narrated Ka'b bin Malik

To the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when his repentance was accepted: I should divest myself of my property. He then mentioned a similar tradition up to the words, "better for you".

Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik

Ka'b ibn Malik said to AbuLubabah; or someone else whom Allah wished; or to the Prophet (ﷺ): To make my repentance complete I should depart from the house of my people in which I fell into sin, and that I should divest myself of all my property as sadaqah (alms). He said: A third (of your property) will be sufficient for you.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Ibn Ka'b b. Malik through a different chain of narrators. This version has

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Yunus from Ibn Shihab from some of the children of al-Sa'ib son of Abu Lubabah. A similar tradition has also been transmitted by al-Zabidi from al-Zuhri from Husain b. al-Sa'ib son of Abu Lubabah.