Muhammad. He came near him and said: What is the matter with you? Thereupon he (the prisoner) said: Why have you taken me as prisoner and why have you caught hold of one proceeding the pilgrims (the she-camel as she carried the Prophet on her back and walked ahead of the multitude)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: (Yours is a great fault). I (my men) have caught hold of you for the crime of your allies, Banu Thaqif. He (the Holy Prophet) then turned away. He again called him and said: Muhammad, Muhammad, and since Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was very compassionate, and tenderhearted, he returned to him, and said: What is the matter with you? He said: I am a Muslim, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Had you said this when you had been the master of yourself, you would have gained every success. He then turned away. He (the prisoner) called him again saying: Muhammad, Muhammad. He came to him and said: What is the matter with you? He said: I am hungry, feed me, and I am thirsty, so provide me with drink. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That is (to satisfy) your want. He was then ransomed for two persons (who had been taken prisoner by Thaqif). He (the narrator) said: A woman of the Ansar had been taken prisoner and also al-Adbi' was caught. The woman had been tied with ropes. The people were giving rest to their animals before their houses. She escaped one night from the bondage and came to the camels. As she drew near the camels, they fretted and fumed and so she left them until she came to al-, Adbi'. It did not fret and fume; it was docile She rode upon its back and drove it away and she went off. When they (the enemies of Islam) were warned of this, they went in search of it, but it (the she-camel) exhausted them. She (the woman) took vow for Allah, that in case He would save her through it, she would offer that as a sacrifice. As she reached Medina, the people saw her and they said: Here is al-Adbi, the she-camel of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). She (the woman) said that she had taken a vow that if Allah would save her on its back, she would sacrifice it. They (the Prophet's Companions) came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: Hallowed be Allah, how ill she rewarded it that she took vow to Allah that if He saves her on its back, she would sacrifice it! There is no fulfillment of the vow in an act of disobedience, nor in an act over which a person has no control. In the version of Ibn Hujr (the words are):" There is no vow in disobedience to Allah."
Hadith Commentary: The Book of Vows
Sahih Muslim 1641a presents profound lessons concerning vows, compassion, and Islamic jurisprudence from the classical perspective.
Contextual Analysis
This narration occurs during military engagements when the Prophet (ﷺ) demonstrated his characteristic mercy even toward captives. The prisoner's repeated calls to "Muhammad, Muhammad" highlight the Prophet's accessibility and compassion, while his response "Had you said this when you had been the master of yourself" teaches that declarations of faith must be sincere and timely.
Jurisprudence of Vows
The core legal principle emerges when the Ansari woman makes a vow to sacrifice the Prophet's she-camel if she escapes. The Prophet's response establishes that vows made involving disobedience to Allah or concerning property one doesn't own are invalid. Scholars like Imam Nawawi explain that vows cannot justify haram acts or appropriate others' property.
Scholarly Interpretation
Classical commentators emphasize that the phrase "no fulfillment of the vow in an act of disobedience" means Muslims cannot fulfill vows that involve sin. The additional wording "nor in an act over which a person has no control" indicates vows concerning others' property are void. This protects both religious principles and property rights.
Practical Implications
This hadith guides Muslims that vows must be Islamically permissible and within one's lawful control. Vows involving haram acts or others' property are not binding. The Prophet's compassion throughout this incident also teaches the balance between justice and mercy in Islamic governance.