Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2105
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " مَنْ حَلَفَ وَاسْتَثْنَى إِنْ شَاءَ رَجَعَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَ غَيْرُ حَانِثٍ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Ziyad narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Warith ibn Saʿid narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Nafiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘Whoever swears an oath and makes an exception by saying, “If Allah wills,” may withdraw from it if he wishes, or may keep to it if he wishes, without breaking the oath.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " مَنْ حَلَفَ وَاسْتَثْنَى إِنْ شَاءَ رَجَعَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَ غَيْرُ حَانِثٍ " .
استثنى إن شاء means to qualify the oath by saying ‘if Allah wills’; رجع أو ترك then describes withdrawal or proceeding, with غَيْرُ حَانِثٍ specifying no breach.
Does ‘withdraw from it … or keep to it’ accurately convey رجع and ترك while preserving the condition of not breaking the oath?