The Book of Oaths

He who took an oath and (later on) found another thing better than that, he should do that which is better, and expiate for the vow (broken by him).

" He should expiate for (breaking) the vow and do that which is better."

A beggar came to 'Adi b. Hatim and he begged him to give him the price of a slave, or some portion of the price of the slave. He ('Adi) said: I have nothing to give you except my coat-of-mail and helmet. I will, however, write to my family to give that to you, but he did not agree to that. Thereupon 'Adi was enraged, and said: By Allah, I will not give you anything. The person (then) agreed to accept that, whereupon he said: By Allah, had I not heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying:" He who took an oath, but then found something more pious in the sight of Allah, he should (break the oath) and do that which is more pious," I would not have broken the oath (and thus paid you anything).

He who took an oath, but he found something else better than that, should do that which is better and break his oath.

When anyone amongst you takes an oath, but he finds (something) better than that he should expiate (the breaking of the oath), and do that which is better.

This hadith is reported on the authority of Adi b. Hatim through another chain of transmitters.

You asked me for one hundred dirhams and I am the son of Hatim; by Allah, I will not give you. But then he said: (I would have done that) if I had not heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say: He who takes an oath, but then finds something better than that, should do that which is better.

I heard 'Adi b. Hatim say that a person asked that and then narrated (the hadith) like one (mentioned above), but he made this addition:" Here are four hundred (dirhams) for you out of my gift."

The above hadith is narratted through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samura through another chain of transmitters but there is no mention of the word" authority".

Your oath should be about something regarding which your companion will believe you. 'Amr said: By which your companion will believe you.

An oath is to be interpreted according to the intention of the one who takes it.

I will visit each one of them every night, and every one of them will become pregnant and give birth to a male child who will be a horseman and fight in the cause of Allah. But (it so happened) that none of them became pregnant except one, but she gave birth to an incomplete child. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Had he said Insha' Allah (if God so wills), then every one of them would have given birth to a child who would have been a horseman and fought in the cause of Allah

I will have an intercourse with seventy wives during the night; all of them will give birth to a male child who will fight in the cause of Allah. His companion or the ang I said to him: Say," If God wills." But he (Hadrat Sulaimin) did not say so, and he forgot it. And none of his wives gave birth to a child, but one who gave birth to a premature child. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Had he said Insha' Allah (if God so will). he would not have failed and his desire would have been materialised.

Abu Huraira reported this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) through another chain of transmitters.

I will certainly have intercourse with seventy wives during the night, and every wife amongst them will give birth to a child, who will fight in the cause of Allah. It was said to him: Say:" Insha' Allah" (God willing), but he did not say so and forgot it. He went round them but none of them give birth to a child except one woman and that too was an incomplete person. Upon this Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If he had said" Insha' Allah." he would not have failed, and his desire must have been fulfilled.

I will go round in the night to my ninety wives, and every one of them will give birth to a child (who will grow up) as a horseman and fight in the cause of Allah His companions said to him: Say" Insha' Allah." but he did not say Inshii' Allah. He went round all of them but none of them became pregnant but one, and she gave birth to a premature child. And by Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, if he had said, Insha' Allah (his wives would have given birth to the children who would all have grown up into horsemen and fought in the way of Allah).

" Every one of them giving birth to a child, who would have fought in the cause of Allah."

This is what Abu Huraira reported to us from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and he narrated a hadith and (one) of them is that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I swear by Allah, it is more sinful in Allah's sight for one of you to persist in an oath regarding his family than payment of its expiation which Allah has imposed upon him (for breaking the oath).

Messenger of Allah, I had taken a vow during the days of Ignorance (Jahiliyya) that I would observe I'tikaf for a night in the Sacred Mosque. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Fulfil your vow.