Oaths and Vows

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) overtook 'Umar bin al-Khattab when he was with a party of riders of about ten and 'Umar was swearing by his father. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called them and said, "Verily! Allah forbids you from swearing by your fathers. Therefore, if anyone swears, he must swear by Allah or keep silent." [Agreed upon]

أَلَا إِنَّ اَللَّهَ يَنْهَاكُمْ أَنْ تَحْلِفُوا بِآبَائِكُمْ, فَمَنْ كَانَ حَالِفاً فَلْيَحْلِفْ بِاَللَّهِ, أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ"

"Do not swear by your fathers, nor by your mothers, nor by the rivals (set up as equals with Allah); and do not swear by Allah except when you are speaking the truth."

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِأَبِي دَاوُدَ, وَالنَّسَائِيِّ: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- { لَا تَحْلِفُوا بِآبَائِكُمْ, وَلَا بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ, وَلَا بِالْأَنْدَادِ, وَلَا تَحْلِفُوا إِلَّا بِاَللَّهِ, وَلَا تَحْلِفُوا بِاَللَّهِ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ صَادِقُونَ } 1‏ .‏"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Your oath will be about that matter which your adversary has required you to swear about so that he will believe you." In another narration: "An oath is to be interpreted according to the intention of the one who requested it (Al-Mustahlif)." [Muslim reported both narrations].

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-{ يَمِينُكَ عَلَى مَا يُصَدِّقُكَ بِهِ صَاحِبُكَ" } وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: { "اَلْيَمِينُ عَلَى نِيَّةِ اَلْمُسْتَحْلِفِ" } أَخْرَجَهُمَا مُسْلِمٌ 1‏ .‏"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "When you swear an oath and then consider something else to be better than it, make atonement for your oath and do the thing that is better." [Agreed upon]. A wording of al-Bukhari has: "Do the thing that is better and make atonement for your oath." In a narration by Abu Dawud: "Make atonement for your oath, then do the thing that is better." [The chains of narrators of both Ahadith are Sahih (authentic)].

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةٍ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-{ وَإِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ, فَرَأَيْتُ غَيْرَهَا خَيْراً مِنْهَا, فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ, وَائْتِ اَلَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ 1‏ .‏ وَفِي لَفْظٍ لِلْبُخَارِيِّ: { " فَائِت اَلَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ, وَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ" } 2‏ .‏ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِأَبِي دَاوُدَ: { " فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ, ثُمَّ اِئْتِ اَلَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ" } وَإِسْنَادُهَا صَحِيحٌ 3‏ .‏"

"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever swears an oath, and then says: "If Allah Wills", he is not held accountable if he breaks it." [Ahmad and al-Arba'a reported it, and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

مَنْ حَلِفِ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَقَالَ: إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ, فَلَا حِنْثَ عَلَيْهِ"

The Prophet's oath (ﷺ) used to be: "No, by Him Who turns (changes) the hearts." [Reported by al-Bukhari].

لَا, وَمُقَلِّبِ اَلْقُلُوبِ"

A desert Arab came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger, what are the major sins?" The narrator reported the Hadith and it contains: "The false oath." It contains also: I asked, "What is the false oath?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "It is that (oath) by which one takes possession of the property of a Muslim person, while he is lying." [al-Bukhari reported it].

اَلَّذِي يَقْتَطِعُ مَالَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ, هُوَ فِيهَا كَاذِبٌ"

"Allah will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths (5:89)." She said: It (was sent down about such phrases as) a person's sayying: 'No, by Allah' and 'Yes, by Allah.' [al-Bukhari reported it (Mauquf, i.e. as a saying of 'Aishah). Abu Dawud reported it as Marfu' (attributed to the Prophet).]

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهَا { فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿ لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اَللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ ﴾ 1‏ قَالَتْ: هُوَ قَوْلُ اَلرَّجُلِ: لَا وَاَللَّهِ.‏ بَلَى وَاَللَّهِ } أَخْرَجَهُ اَلْبُخَارِيُّ 2‏ .‏ وَأَوْرَدَهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ مَرْفُوعاً 3‏ .‏

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Verily! Allah has ninety-nine Names concerning which he who retains them in his memory will enter Paradise." [Agreed upon]. at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban listed the Names. However, investigations show that their listing is Idraj (an insertion) from one of the narrators [not from the words of the Prophet].

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تِسْعًا وَتِسْعِينَ اِسْماً, مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دَخَلَ اَلْجَنَّةَ"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said. "If one is done a kindness and [expresses his gratitude] to his benefactor by saying 'May Allah give you a good reward', he has fully expressed his appreciation." [at-Tirmidhi reported it, and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

مَنْ صُنِعَ إِلَيْهِ مَعْرُوفٌ, فَقَالَ لِفَاعِلِهِ: جَزَاكِ اَللَّهُ خَيْراً.‏ فَقَدْ أَبْلَغَ فِي اَلثَّنَاءِ"

The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade making vows, and said, "It does not bring good. Indeed, it is only a means by which something is extracted from the miserly." [Agreed upon].

إِنَّهُ لَا يَأْتِي بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنَّمَا يُسْتَخْرَجُ بِهِ مِنْ اَلْبَخِيلِ"

Allah's Mssenger (ﷺ) said: "The atonement for a vow (Nadhr) is (the same as) the atonement an oath (Yamin)." [Reported by Muslim]. at-Tirmidhi added, "If he did not specify it." [And he graded it Sahih (authentic)].

كَفَّارَةُ اَلنَّذْرِ كَفَّارَةُ يَمِينٍ"

"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 which he is unable to fulfill , its atonement is the same as that for an oath." [Its chain of narrators is authentic, but the Hadith scholars held that the strongest view is that it is Mawquf (saying of a Companion)].

مِنْ نَذَرَ نَذْراً لَمْ يُسَمِّهِ, فَكَفَّارَتُهُ كَفَّارَةُ يَمِينٍ, وَمَنْ نَذَرَ نَذْراً فِي مَعْصِيَةٍ, فَكَفَّارَتُهُ كَفَّارَةُ يَمِينٍ, وَمَنْ نَذَرَ نَذْراً لَا يُطِيقُهُ, فَكَفَّارَتُهُ كَفَّارَةُ يَمِينٍ"

(Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said) "If anyone vows to disobey Allah, then he must not disobey Him."

وَمَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَعْصِيَ اَللَّهَ فَلَا يَعْصِهِ"

(Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said) "There is no fulfillment of a vow involving an act of disobedience." [Reported by Muslim].

لَا وَفَاءَ لِنَذْرٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةٍ"

His sister took a vow to walk to Allah's House (for pilgrimage) barefooted. Then, she ordered him to consult Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), so he consulted him for a religious verdict and the Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Let her walk and ride." [Agreed upon, and the wording is Muslim's].

لِتَمْشِ وَلْتَرْكَبْ"

He said, "Verily! Allah, the Most High, will not do anything with the affliction your sister imposes on herself. Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days."

إِنَّ اَللَّهَ لَا يَصْنَعُ بِشَقَاءِ أُخْتِكَ شَيْئاً, مُرْهَا: [ فَلْتَخْتَمِرْ ], وَلْتَرْكَبْ, وَلْتَصُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ"

Sa'd bin Ubada asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for a ruling regarding a vow taken by his mother who had died before fulfilling it, and he said, "Fulfill it on her behalf." [Agreed upon].

اِقْضِهِ عَنْهَا"

that in the time of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a man took a vow to slaughter camels at Bawana. So, he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and asked him (about that). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked, "Did the place contain any idol which was worshiped (during Jahiliyya era)?" He said, "No." He asked "Were any of their (Jahiliyya) festivals observed there?" He said, "No." He then said (to the man), "Fulfill your vow, for there is no fulfillment of a vow to do an act of disobedience to Allah, now to break the ties of relationship, nor to do something over which a human being has no control." [Reported by Abu Dawud and at-Tabarani, and the wording is his (at-Tabarani). It has a sound chain of narrators].

وَعَنْ ثَابِتِ بْنِ اَلضَّحَّاكِ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ: { نَذَرَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-أَنْ يَنْحَرَ إِبِلاً بِبُوَانَةَ, فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-فَسَأَلَهُ: فَقَالَ: هَلْ كَانَ فِيهَا وَثَنٌ يُعْبَدُ ?" .‏ قَالَ: لَا.‏ قَالَ: "فَهَلْ كَانَ فِيهَا عِيدٌ مِنْ أَعْيَادِهِمْ ?" فَقَالَ: لَا.‏ 1‏ فَقَالَ: "أَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ; فَإِنَّهُ لَا وَفَاءَ لِنَذْرٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اَللَّهِ, وَلَا فِي قَطِيعَةِ رَحِمٍ, وَلَا فِيمَا لَا يَمْلِكُ اِبْنُ آدَمَ" } رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ, وَالطَّبَرَانِيُّ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ, وَهُوَ صَحِيحُ اَلْإِسْنَادِ.‏ 2‏"

It has a Shahid (supporting narration) from the Hadith of Kardam reported by Ahmad.

وَلَهُ شَاهِدٌ: مِنْ حَدِيثِ كَرْدَمٍ.‏ عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ 1‏ .‏

A man said on the day of the Fath, "O Messenger of Allah, I have vowed that if Allah opens the conquest of Makkah at your hands I shall pray in Jerusalem." He replied, "Pray here." He asked him again and he replied, "Pray here." He asked him again and he replied, "It's up to you, then." [Reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud. al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- { أَنَّ رَجُلاً قَالَ يَوْمَ اَلْفَتْحِ: يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ! إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ إِنْ فَتَحَ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مَكَّةَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِ اَلْمَقْدِسِ, فَقَالَ: صَلِّ هَا هُنَا" .‏ فَسَأَلَهُ, فَقَالَ: "صَلِّ هَا هُنَا".‏ فَسَأَلَهُ, فَقَالَ: "شَأْنُكَ إِذًا" } رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ, أَبُو دَاوُدَ, وَصَحَّحَهُ اَلْحَاكِمُ 1‏ .‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "No (religious) journey is to be undertaken except to (pray in) the three mosques: The Sacred Mosque (Makkah), the Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem), and this Mosque of mine (al-Madinah)." [Agreed upon, and the wording is al-Bukhari's].

لَا تُشَدُّ اَلرِّحَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ: مَسْجِد اَلْحَرَامِ, وَمَسْجِدِ اَلْأَقْصَى, وَمَسْجِدِي"

[concerning his consultation with the Prophet] He said: I said: O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I made a vow in the Jahiliyya times to spend a night in devotion (I'tikaf) in the Sacred Mosque. He (the Prophet) said: "Fulfill your vow." [Agreed upon]. al-Bukhari added in another narration: "Then, spend a night in devotion (in the Sacred Mosque)."

فَأَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ"