Oaths and Vows

كتاب الأيمان والنذور

Chapter 3: How did the oaths of the Prophet (saws) use to be?

Saad said, the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “And who is my soul in his hand.” Abu Qatada said Abu Bakr said when the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, God. It is said, God, and God, and God.
Narrated `Abdullah bin Hisham

We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he was holding the hand of `Umar bin Al-Khattab. `Umar said to Him, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am dearer to you than your own self." Then `Umar said to him, "However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Now, O `Umar, (now you are a believer).

Narrated Abu Humaid As-Sa`idi

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) employed an employee (to collect Zakat). The employee returned after completing his job and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! This (amount of Zakat) is for you, and this (other amount) was given to me as a present." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Why didn't you stay at your father's or mother's house and see if you would be given presents or not?" Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up in the evening after the prayer, and having testified that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and praised and glorified Allah as He deserved, he said, "Now then ! What about an employee whom we employ and then he comes and says, 'This amount (of Zakat) is for you, and this (amount) was given to me as a present'? Why didn't he stay at the house of his father and mother to see if he would be given presents or not? By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, none of you will steal anything of it (i.e. Zakat) but will bring it by carrying it over his neck on the Day of Resurrection. If it has been a camel, he will bring it (over his neck) while it will be grunting, and if it has been a cow, he will bring it (over his neck), while it will be mooing; and if it has been a sheep, he will bring it (over his neck) while it will be bleeding." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "I have preached you (Allah's Message)." Abu Humaid said, "Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) raised his hands so high that we saw the whiteness of his armpits."

Narrated `Abdullah bin Masud

While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting, reclining his back against a Yemenite leather tent he said to his companions, "Will you be pleased to be one-fourth of the people of Paradise?" They said, 'Yes.' He said "Won't you be pleased to be one-third of the people of Paradise" They said, "Yes." He said, "By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, I hope that you will be one-half of the people of Paradise."

Chapter 4: "Do not swear by your fathers"

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) met `Umar bin Al-Khattab while the latter was going with a group of camel-riders, and he was swearing by his father. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Lo! Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers, so whoever has to take an oath, he should swear by Allah or keep quiet."

Narrated Ibn `Umar

I heard `Umar saying, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, 'Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers." `Umar said, "By Allah! Since I heard that from the Prophet (ﷺ) , I have not taken such an oath, neither intentionally, nor by reporting the oath of someone else."

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do not swear by your fathers."

Narrated Zahdam

There was a relation of love and brotherhood between this tribe of Jarm and Al-Ash`ariyin. Once we were with Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, and then a meal containing chicken was brought to Abu Musa, and there was present, a man from the tribe of Taimillah who was of red complexion as if he were from non-Arab freed slaves. Abu Musa invited him to the meal. He said, "I have seen chickens eating dirty things, so I deemed it filthy and took an oath that I would never eat chicken." On that, Abu Musa said, "Get up, I will narrate to you about that. Once a group of the Ash`ariyin and I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and asked him to provide us with mounts; he said, 'By Allah, I will never give you any mounts nor do I have anything to mount you on.' Then a few camels of war booty were brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , and he asked about us, saying, 'Where are the Ash-'ariyin?' He then ordered five nice camels to be given to us, and when we had departed, we said, 'What have we done? Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had taken the oath not to give us any mounts, and that he had nothing to mount us on, and later he gave us that we might ride? Did we take advantage of the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had forgotten his oath? By Allah, we will never succeed.' So we went back to him and said to him, 'We came to you to give us mounts, and you took an oath that you would not give us any mounts and that you had nothing to mount us on.' On that he said, 'I did not provide you with mounts, but Allah did. By Allah, if I take an oath to do something, and then find something else better than it, I do that which is better and make expiation for the dissolution of the oath.' "

Chapter 6: The one who gives an oath regarding something although he has not been asked to give an oath

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had a gold ring made for himself, and he used to wear it with the stone towards the inner part of his hand. Consequently, the people had similar rings made for themselves. Afterwards the Prophet; sat on the pulpit and took it off, saying, "I used to wear this ring and keep its stone towards the palm of my hand." He then threw it away and said, "By Allah, I will never wear it." Therefore all the people threw away their rings as well.

Chapter 7: Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam

And the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “Whoever is infected with the righteousness and the comforter, let him say that there is no god but God.” He did not attribute him to disbelief.
Narrated Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam, is, as he says; and whoever commits suicide with something, will be punished with the same thing in the (Hell) Fire; and cursing a believer is like murdering him; and whoever accuses a believer of disbelief, then it is as if he had killed him."

Chapter 9: "They swear by Allah their strongest oaths that ..."

Ibn Abbas said, Abu Bakr said, “God, O Messenger of God, to tell me about the one who made me wrong in our visions. He said, "Do not divide."
Narrated Usama

Once a daughter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent a message to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while Usama, Sa`d, and my father or Ubai were (sitting there) with him. She said, (in the message); My child is going to die; please come to us." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned the messenger and told him to convey his greetings to her, and say, "Whatever Allah takes, is for Him and whatever He gives is for Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world): so she should be patient and hope for Allah's reward." Then she again sent for him swearing that he should come; so The Prophet (ﷺ) got up, and so did we. When he sat there (at the house of his daughter), the child was brought to him, and he took him into his lap while the child's breath was disturbed in his chest. The eyes of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) started shedding tears. Sa`d said, "What is this, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "This is the mercy which Allah has lodged in the hearts of whoever He wants of His slaves, and verily Allah is merciful only to those of His slaves who are merciful (to others).'

Chapter 1: "Allah will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths ..."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) also said

"By Allah, if anyone of you insists on fulfilling an oath by which he may harm his family, he commits a greater sin in Allah's sight than that of dissolving his oath and making expiation for it."

Chapter 2: The statement of the Prophet (saws)

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent an army detachment and made Usama bin Zaid its commander. Some people criticized (spoke badly of) Usama's leadership. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up saying, "If you people are criticizing Usama's leadership, you have already criticized the leadership of his father before. But Waaimullah (i.e., By Allah), he (i.e. Zaid) deserved the leadership, and he was one of the most beloved persons to me; and now this (his son Usama) is one of the dearest persons to me after him." (See Hadith No. 765, Vol. 5)

Chapter 3: How did the oaths of the Prophet (saws) use to be?

Saad said, the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “And who is my soul in his hand.” Abu Qatada said Abu Bakr said when the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, God. It is said, God, and God, and God.
Narrated Ibn `Umar

The oath of the Prophet (ﷺ) used to be: "No, by Him who turns the hearts."

Narrated Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid

Two men had a dispute in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). One of them said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Judge between us according to Allah's Laws." The other who was wiser, said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle! Judge between us according to Allah's Laws and allow me to speak. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Speak." He said, "My son was a laborer serving this (person) and he committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife, The people said that my son is to be stoned to death, but I ransomed him with one-hundred sheep and a slave girl. Then I asked the learned people, who informed me that my son should receive one hundred lashes and will be exiled for one year, and stoning will be the lot for the man's wife." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Indeed, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I will judge between you according to Allah's Laws: As for your sheep and slave girl, they are to be returned to you." Then he scourged his son one hundred lashes and exiled him for one year. Then Unais Al- Aslami was ordered to go to the wife of the second man, and if she confessed (the crime), then stone her to death. She did confess, so he stoned her to death.

Narrated Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "(The Prophet) Solomon once said, 'Tonight I will sleep with ninety women, each of whom will bring forth a (would-be) cavalier who will fight in Allah's Cause." On this, his companion said to him, "Say: Allah willing!" But he did not say Allah willing. Solomon then slept with all the women, but none of them became pregnant but one woman who later delivered a halfman. By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, if he (Solomon) had said, 'Allah willing' (all his wives would have brought forth boys) and they would have fought in Allah's Cause as cavaliers. "

Narrated Al-Bara 'bin `Azib

A piece of silken cloth was given to the Prophet (ﷺ) as a present and the people handed it over amongst themselves and were astonished at its beauty and softness. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Are you astonished at it?" They said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" He said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, the handkerchiefs of Sa`d in Paradise are better than it."

Chapter 9: "They swear by Allah their strongest oaths that ..."

Ibn Abbas said, Abu Bakr said, “God, O Messenger of God, to tell me about the one who made me wrong in our visions. He said, "Do not divide."
Narrated Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Any Muslim who has lost three of his children will not be touched by the Fire except that which will render Allah's oath fulfilled."

Chapter 15: If someone does something against his oath due to forgetfulness

And God Almighty said: {And there is no lavishness for you in what you have sinned with it}. He said: {Do not take me as I forgot.}
Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah forgives my followers those (evil deeds) their souls may whisper or suggest to them as long as they do not act (on it) or speak."

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-As

While the Prophet (ﷺ) was delivering a sermon on the Day of Nahr (i.e., 10th Dhul-Hijja-Day of slaughtering the sacrifice), a man got up saying, "I thought, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), such-and-such a thing was to be done before such-and-such a thing." Another man got up, saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! As regards these three (acts of Hajj), thought so-and-so." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do, and there is no harm," concerning all those matters on that day. And so, on that day, whatever question he was asked, he said, "Do it, do it, and there is no harm therein."

Narrated Ibn `Abbas

A man said to the Prophet (while he was delivering a sermon on the Day of Nahr), "I have performed the Tawaf round the Ka`ba before the Rami (throwing pebbles) at the Jamra." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is no harm (therein)." Another man said, "I had my head shaved before slaughtering (the sacrifice)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is no harm." A third said, "I have slaughtered (the sacrifice) before the Rami (throwing pebbles) at the Jamra." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is no harm."