Ibn Umar told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “He who swears by anyone but God is a polytheist.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira and Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Do not make vows, for a vow has no effect against fate; it is only from the miserly that it is a means by which something is extracted.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The atonement for a vow is the same as for an oath.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Imran b. Husain told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Vows are of two kinds, so if anyone vows to do an act of obedience, that is for God and must be fulfilled; but if anyone vows, to do an act of disobedience, that is for the devil and must not be fulfilled, but he must make atonement for it to the extent he would do in the case of an oath.”

Thabit b. ad-Dahhak reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone swears by a religion other than Islam falsely he is like what he has said.* A son of Adam may not take a vow about something which he does not possess, and if anyone kills himself with something in this world he will be punished with it on the day of resurrection. If anyone curses a believer it is like murdering him, if anyone charges a believer with infidelity it is like murdering him, and if anyone makes a false claim to gain much thereby God will give him less instead of more.”(Bukhari and Muslim.)*Opinions differ about the meaning. Some say it means he is a liar, others that he is an infidel.

Anas said that the Prophet saw an old man being supported between his sons, and on asking what was the matter with him and being told that he had taken a vow to walk,* he said, “God most high has no need that this man should punish himself,” and he ordered him to ride. In a version by Muslim on Abu Huraira’s authority he said, “Ride, old man, for God is not in need of you and your vow.”*Mirqat, iii, 565 explains this as a vow to walk to the Ka’ba.(Bukhari and Muslim).

Thabit b. ad-Dahhak said that in the time of God's Messenger a man took a vow to slaughter camels at Buwana and came and told him. God’s Messenger asked whether the place contained any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times and was told that it did not. He asked whether any pre-Islamic festival was observed there and was told that no such thing was observed. He then said to the man, “Fulfil your vow, for a vow to do an act of disobedience to God must not be fulfilled, neither must one to do something over which a human being has no control.”Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir b. ‘Abdallah told that a man got up on the day of the Conquest and said, “Messenger of God, I have vowed to God who is great and glorious that if God conquers Mecca at your hands I shall pray two rak'as in Jerusalem.” He replied, “Pray here.” He repeated his statement to him and he replied, “Pray here.” He again repeated it to him and he replied, “Pursue your own course, then.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Muhammad b. al-Muntashir told of a man who vowed to sacrifice himself if God rescued him from his enemy. He consulted Ibn ‘Abbas who told him to consult Masruq, and when he consulted him he replied, “Do not sacrifice yourself, for if you are a believer, you will kill a believing soul, and if you are an infidel you will hasten to hell; but buy a ram and sacrifice it for the poor, for Isaac was better than you and he was ransomed with a ram.”* He told Ibn ‘Abbas and he replied, “This is the decision I wanted to give you.” Razin transmitted it.*This agrees with the story in the Old Testament which says that Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac, whereas the usual Muslim version is that it was Ishmael.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying that if anyone swears an oath in the course of which he says, “By al-Lat and al-‘Uzza”, he should say, “There is no god but God”; and that if anyone says to his friend, “Come and let me play for money with you”, he should pay sadaqa. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "If anyone swears an oath and considers something else to be better than it he should make atonement for his oath and do that.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that the verse, "God will not take you to account for what is futile in your oaths” (Al-Qu’ran 2:225; 5:89) was sent down about such phrases as "No, by God,” and "Yes, by God.” Bukhari transmitted it. Sharh as-sunna has the wording of al-Masabih, saying that some transmitters traced it back to the Prophet on ‘A’isha’s authority.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that when God’s Messenger swore strongly he said, “No, by Him in whose hand is the soul of Abu Qasim.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

I said, “Messenger of God, tell me what I should do about a cousin of mine to whom I go and ask for something, but who neither gives me anything nor regards my kinship, then when he needs my help comes to me and asks for something, and I have sworn that I would not give him anything or regard his kinship.” He commanded me to do that which is better and make atonement for my oath. In Ibn Majah’s version he told that he said, “Messenger of God, my cousin comes to me and I swear that I will not give him anything or regard his kinship,” and that he replied, “Make atonement for your oath.”Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Imran b. Husain reported God's Messenger as saying, “A vow to do an act of disobedience must not be fulfilled, or one to do something over which one has no control.” Muslim transmitted it. A version has, “No vow must be taken to disobey God.”

‘A'isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No vow must be taken to do an act of disobedience, and the atonement for it is the same as for an oath.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone takes a vow but does not name it, its atonement is the same as that for an oath; if anyone takes a vow to do an act of disobedience, its atonement is the same as that for an oath; if anyone takes a vow he is unable to fulfil, its atonement is the same as that for an oath; but if anyone takes a vow he is able to fulfil, he must do so.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but some traced it no farther back than Ibn ‘Abbas.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told of a woman who said, “Messenger of God, I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you,” to which he replied, “Fulfil your vow.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.Razin added that she said, “And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such and such a place,” a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre-Islamic times. He asked whether that place contained any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times, and she replied that it did not. He asked whether any pre-Islamic festival was observed there, and she replied that none was. He then said, “Fulfil your vow.”Razin

Ibn ‘Abbas told that the sister of ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir took a vow to perform the Pilgrimage on foot, but was unable to do so. God’s Messenger then said, “God is not in need of your sister’s walking, so let her ride and present a sacrificial camel.”*Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it. *Arabic budanaIn a version by Abu Dawud it says the Prophet ordered her to ride and offer animals for sacrifice.* In another version by him the Prophet said, “God gets no good from the affliction your sister imposes on herself, so let her perform the Pilgrimage riding and make atonement for her oath.”Abu Dawud.*Arabic hady

‘Abdallah b. Malik told that when ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir consulted the Prophet about a sister of his who had vowed to perform the Pilgrimage. If barefoot and bareheaded, he said, “Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.