Oaths and Vows

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) caught up with Umar ibn al-Khattab while he was among a group of riders and heard him swear by his father. He called out to them: ‘Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers. Whoever swears an oath should swear by Allah or remain silent.’ They agreed upon it. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6646), and Muslim (1646, no. 3).

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported this version from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘Do not swear by your fathers, your mothers, or equals [as partners with Allah]. Swear only by Allah, and do not swear by Allah unless you are truthful.’ Abu Dawud and al-Nasa’i transmitted it. It is authentic; Abu Dawud transmitted it (3248), and al-Nasa’i (7/5).

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Your oath is according to what your companion confirms you in.’ Another wording says: ‘The oath is according to the intention of the person who asks for the oath.’ Muslim transmitted both versions. It is authentic; Muslim transmitted it (1653).

Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘When you swear an oath and then see that something else is better, expiate your oath and do what is better.’ They agreed upon it. Al-Bukhari’s wording also says: ‘Do what is better, then expiate your oath.’ Abu Dawud’s version says: ‘Expiate your oath, then do what is better.’ Its chain is authentic. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6622), Muslim (1652), and Abu Dawud (3278).

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Whoever swears an oath and says, If Allah wills, is not in breach of it.’ The five compilers transmitted it, and Ibn Hibban graded it authentic. Both base texts read ‘the five’; a copyist of witness A noted an alternate reading, ‘Ahmad and the four.’ It is authentic; Ahmad transmitted it (2/10), Abu Dawud (3261), al-Nasa’i (7/25), al-Tirmidhi (1531), Ibn Majah (2105), and Ibn Hibban (1184). Al-Tirmidhi’s wording is used, but he adds he has made an exception after if Allah wills; Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, and Ahmad transmit that addition without the final clause. Ibn Hibban’s wording is: Whoever swears and says, if Allah wills, has not broken the oath. Ibn Majah’s wording is: Whoever swears and makes an exception by saying if Allah wills may keep it or leave it, without breaking the oath. Other wordings also exist, detailed with their chains in the original work.

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) oath was: ‘No, by the Turner of hearts.’ Al-Bukhari transmitted it. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6628).

Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported: A Bedouin came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, what are the major sins?’ The report continues… It includes: I asked, ‘What is the engulfing oath?’ He replied, ‘It is when someone falsely swears an oath in order to seize the property of a Muslim.’ Al-Bukhari transmitted it. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6920).

Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained Allah’s words, ‘Allah will not hold you accountable for unintentional oaths,’ as a man’s saying, ‘No, by Allah,’ and ‘Yes, by Allah.’ Al-Bukhari transmitted it as one of her own statements. The report is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6663). Abu Dawud transmitted it as a report attributed to the Prophet (3254), but indicated that it is actually Aishah’s own statement; this is the version al-Daraqutni graded authentic.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Allah has ninety-nine names; whoever comprehends them will enter Paradise.’ They agreed upon it. Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban also list the names, but the sound conclusion is that the list was inserted by some narrators. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (2736, 7392) and Muslim (2677, no. 6), adding ‘one less than one hundred’ after ‘names’ and ‘He is One and loves what is odd.’ In another wording in al-Bukhari (6410) and Muslim, it says ‘whoever memorizes them.’ Al-Tirmidhi’s report (3507) and Ibn Hibban’s (808) list the names. As al-Hafiz said, the listing is an insertion, a position preferred by more than one hadith authority.

Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: If someone does you a kindness and you say to him, May Allah reward you with good, you have expressed the fullest praise. Al-Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Hibban graded it authentic. It is authentic; al-Tirmidhi transmitted it (2035), Ibn Hibban (3404), and al-Tirmidhi said: A hasan, sound, singular report.

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade vows and said: ‘They bring no good; they only extract [a payment] from a miser.’ They agreed upon it; this is Muslim’s wording. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6608), and Muslim (1639). Another wording in both says, ‘They avert nothing,’ and continues similarly. One version in Muslim says, ‘they extract it from a stingy person.’ Another wording in both says, ‘A vow neither advances nor delays anything,’ and continues similarly.

Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘The expiation for a vow is the expiation for an oath.’ Muslim transmitted it. Al-Tirmidhi adds, ‘when it is unspecified,’ and graded that addition authentic. The report is authentic; Muslim transmitted it (1645). The added wording is weak: al-Tirmidhi transmitted it (1528) through Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Filastini, an unknown narrator; it also appears in Ibn Majah (2127) through a weak chain.

Abu Dawud’s version, from Ibn Abbas and attributed to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), says: ‘Whoever makes an unspecified vow, its expiation is the expiation for an oath. Whoever vows an act of disobedience, its expiation is the expiation for an oath. Whoever vows something he cannot bear, its expiation is the expiation for an oath.’ Its chain is sound, but hadith critics preferred it as Ibn Abbas’s own statement. The report is weak as a prophetic attribution. Abu Dawud transmitted it (3322) through Talhah ibn Yahya al-Ansari, from Abdullah ibn Sa‘id ibn Abi Hind, from Bukayr ibn Abdullah al-Ashajj, from Kurayb, from Ibn Abbas, attributing it to the Prophet. Talhah’s version adds: ‘Whoever vows something he can fulfill should fulfill it.’ Waki‘ disagreed and transmitted it as a statement of Ibn Abbas, as reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah (4/173). Waki‘’s version is undoubtedly correct, especially when comparing the two transmitters. Abu Dawud said: ‘Waki‘ and others transmitted this report from Abdullah ibn Sa‘id and stopped it at Ibn Abbas.’ Abu Zur‘ah and Abu Hatim likewise said, ‘The correct version is the one stopped at Ibn Abbas’ (1/441, no. 1326).

Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Whoever vows to disobey Allah must not disobey Him.’ Al-Bukhari transmitted it. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (6700). Its opening says: ‘Whoever vows to obey Allah should obey Him.’

Muslim transmits from Imran: ‘There is no fulfilling a vow made in disobedience.’ This is part of a long report. It is authentic; Muslim transmitted it (1641). The source notes that this important report contains many rulings, including the permissibility of a woman travelling without a guardian in a particular circumstance, as explained in the author’s book Awḍaḥ al-Bayān fī Ḥukm Safar al-Niswān (A Clear Explanation of the Ruling on Women’s Travel).

Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: My sister vowed to walk barefoot to the House of Allah. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Let her walk and ride.’ They agreed upon it; this is Muslim’s wording. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (1866), and Muslim (1644). It is al-Bukhari’s wording except for ‘barefoot.’ Both collections also include Uqbah saying, ‘She asked me to seek the Prophet’s ruling for her, so I asked him.’

The five compilers also transmit this report. He said: ‘Allah has no need of your sister’s self-affliction. Tell her to cover her head, ride, and fast for three days.’ Both base texts read ‘the five’; a copyist of witness A noted an alternate reading, ‘Ahmad and the four.’ This report is munkar (reprehensible). Ahmad transmitted it (4/143, 145, 149), Abu Dawud (3293), al-Nasa’i (7/20), al-Tirmidhi (1544), and Ibn Majah (2134). Al-Tirmidhi said, ‘This is a hasan report.’ The source author instead grades it weak because its chain includes Ubayd Allah ibn Zahr, who is weak and whose reports are reprehensible; al-Dhahabi lists this report among his reprehensible narrations in al-Mizan.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported: Sa‘d ibn Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) about a vow his mother had made, but she died before fulfilling it. He replied, ‘Fulfill it on her behalf.’ They agreed upon it. It is authentic; al-Bukhari transmitted it (2761), and Muslim (1638).

Thabit ibn al-Dahhak (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), a man vowed to sacrifice camels at Buwanah. He came to the Messenger of Allah and asked him about it. He asked, ‘Was there an idol there that was worshipped?’ The man replied, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Was one of their festivals held there?’ The man replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then fulfill your vow, for no vow is to be fulfilled in disobedience to Allah, in severing kinship ties, or concerning something a human being does not own.’ Abu Dawud and al-Tabarani transmitted it; al-Tabarani’s wording is used, and its chain is authentic. Witness A omits the second ‘No’; it is present in the base text. It is authentic; Abu Dawud transmitted it (3313), and al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (2/57–76, no. 1341).