"Sulaiman said: 'I will certainly go around to ninety women tonight, each of whom will bear a child who will fight in the cause of Allah.' It was said to him: 'Say: If Allah wills' but he did not say it. He went around to them but none of them bore a child except for one woman who bore half a person." The Messenger of Allah said: "If he had said: 'If Allah wills,' he would not have broken his vow, and this would have been a means to help him to get what he wanted."
The Book of Oaths and Vows - Sunan an-Nasa'i 3856
"Sulaiman said: 'I will certainly go around to ninety women tonight, each of whom will bear a child who will fight in the cause of Allah.' It was said to him: 'Say: If Allah wills' but he did not say it. He went around to them but none of them bore a child except for one woman who bore half a person." The Messenger of Allah said: "If he had said: 'If Allah wills,' he would not have broken his vow, and this would have been a means to help him to get what he wanted."
Scholarly Commentary
This narration demonstrates the essential Islamic principle of conditioning all future actions and intentions with "In sha' Allah" (if Allah wills). Sulaiman's failure to include this condition rendered his vow deficient before divine decree.
The consequence—only one woman bearing "half a person"—symbolizes how ambitions disconnected from Allah's will yield incomplete results. The Prophet's teaching clarifies that invoking Allah's will doesn't negate determination but aligns human effort with divine wisdom.
Classical scholars explain that mentioning "In sha' Allah" preserves the humility of the servant while acknowledging Allah's ultimate control over all outcomes. It transforms a presumptuous statement into a pious supplication.
This hadith also illustrates that vows made without this condition become binding and may lead to unintended consequences when not fulfilled, emphasizing the importance of proper formulation in religious commitments.