Oaths and Vows

Ibn ‘Umar said the greatest oath the Prophet (ﷺ) used was, “No, by Him who overturns the hearts.” Bukhari transmitted it.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God forbids you to swear by your fathers. If anyone swears he must swear by God, or keep silent.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Samura reported God's Messenger as saying, “Do not swear by idols or by your fathers.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 <i>sadaqa</i>. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

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.

Abu Musa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “I swear by God that if God will, I shall not swear an oath and then consider something else to be better than it without making atonement for my oath and doing the thing that is better.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Samura reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Do not ask for rule ship, ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Samura, for if you are given it as a result of asking you will be left to deal with it yourself, but if you are given it without asking you will be helped in undertaking it. And when you swear an oath and consider something else to be better than it, make atonement for your oath and do the thing that is better.’’* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *In the Damascus edn the tradition ends at oath*. <i>Mirqat</i>, iii, S57 gives the full form translated above and adds:

A version has, "Do the thing that is better and make atonement for your oath.’* Bukhari, <i>al-Aiman wan-nudhur</i>, I and Muslim, <i>Aiman</i>, 19 give the first form in full. I have not found the other version.

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.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, "I swear by God that it is more sinful in God’s sight for one of you to persist in his oath regarding his family than to give for it the atonement God has imposed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Your oath should be about something regarding which your companion will believe you.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's Messenger as saying, "An oath is to be interpreted according to the intention of the one who takes it.” 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. <i>Sharh as-sunna</i> has the wording of <i>al-Masabih</i>, saying that some transmitters traced it back to the Prophet (ﷺ) on ‘A’isha’s authority.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Do not swear by your fathers, or by your mothers, or by rivals (Cf. Al-Qur’an 2:22 etc. The reference is to idols or false gods) to God; and swear by God only when you are speaking the truth.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

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

Buraida reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who swears by faithfulness* is not one of our number.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * <i>Amana</i>. It is held that the objection is due to the fact that the word is not the name of one of God's attributes, but merely one of the duties prescribed to mankind. It is an unsuitable word because its use suggests that it is being equated with one of God’s attributes.

He reported God’s Messenger as stating that if anyone says, “I am free from Islam,” that is just as he has said if he is lying, but if he is speaking the truth he will not return safely to Islam. Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

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.

Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger swore an oath it was, “No, and I ask forgiveness of God.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as stating that if anyone says when swearing an oath, “If God will”, he is not held accountable if he breaks it. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, but Tirmidhi mentioned a number who traced it no farther back than Ibn ‘Umar.

Abul Ahwas ‘Auf b. Malik quoted his father as saying:

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.