Jabir b. ‘Abdallah told that a man got up on the day of the Conquest and said, “Messenger of God, I have vowed to God who is great and glorious that if God conquers Mecca at your hands I shall pray two rak'as in Jerusalem.” He replied, “Pray here.” He repeated his statement to him and he replied, “Pray here.” He again repeated it to him and he replied, “Pursue your own course, then.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that the sister of ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir took a vow to perform the Pilgrimage on foot, but was unable to do so. God’s Messenger then said, “God is not in need of your sister’s walking, so let her ride and present a sacrificial camel.”* Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it. *Arabic budana In a version by Abu Dawud it says the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered her to ride and offer animals for sacrifice.* In another version by him the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “God gets no good from the affliction your sister imposes on herself, so let her perform the Pilgrimage riding and make atonement for her oath.” Abu Dawud. *Arabic hady

‘Abdallah b. Malik told that when ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir consulted the Prophet (ﷺ) about a sister of his who had vowed to perform the Pilgrimage. If barefoot and bareheaded, he said, “Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib told that there were two brothers among the Ansar who shared an inheritance and that when one of them asked the other for the portion due to him he replied, “If you ask me again for the portion due to you, all my property will be devoted to the Ka'ba.”1 ‘Umar, telling him that the Ka'ba did not need his property, ordered I him to make atonement for his oath and speak to his brother, for he had heard God’s Messenger say, “An oath or a vow to disobey the Lord, t or to break ties of relationship, or about something over which one has no control is not binding on you.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. 1. Fi ritaj al-ka'ba. This phrase which speaks of the door of the Ka'ba is used as a phrase for the Ka'ba itself. 2. Mirqat, iii, 570 says it means he is to speak to his brother about repeating his request.

‘Imran b. Husain told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Vows are of two kinds, so if anyone vows to do an act of obedience, that is for God and must be fulfilled; but if anyone vows, to do an act of disobedience, that is for the devil and must not be fulfilled, but he must make atonement for it to the extent he would do in the case of an oath.”

Muhammad b. al-Muntashir told of a man who vowed to sacrifice himself if God rescued him from his enemy. He consulted Ibn ‘Abbas who told him to consult Masruq, and when he consulted him he replied, “Do not sacrifice yourself, for if you are a believer, you will kill a believing soul, and if you are an infidel you will hasten to hell; but buy a ram and sacrifice it for the poor, for Isaac was better than you and he was ransomed with a ram.”* He told Ibn ‘Abbas and he replied, “This is the decision I wanted to give you.” Razin transmitted it. *This agrees with the story in the Old Testament which says that Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac, whereas the usual Muslim version is that it was Ishmael.

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.)

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 sadaqa. (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*. Mirqat, 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, al-Aiman wan-nudhur, I and Muslim, Aiman, 19 give the first form in full. I have not found the other version.

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.)

‘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. Sharh as-sunna has the wording of al-Masabih, 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.

Abu Huraira and Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Do not make vows, for a vow has no effect against fate; it is only from the miserly that it is a means by which something is extracted.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw an old man being supported between his sons, and on asking what was the matter with him and being told that he had taken a vow to walk,* he said, “God most high has no need that this man should punish himself,” and he ordered him to ride. In a version by Muslim on Abu Huraira’s authority he said, “Ride, old man, for God is not in need of you and your vow.” *Mirqat, iii, 565 explains this as a vow to walk to the Ka’ba. (Bukhari and Muslim).

Ibn ‘Abbas told that Sa'd b. ‘Ubada asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for a decision about a vow taken by his mother who had died before fulfilling it, and that he gave decision that he should fulfil it on her behalf. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ka'b b. Malik told that he said, “Messenger of God, to make my repentance complete* I should divest myself of my property as sadaqa for God and His Messenger.” God's Messenger replied, “Retain some of your property, for that will be better for you.” So he said he would retain the portion he had at Khaibar. (Bukhari and Muslim.) This is part of a long tradition. * Mirqat, iii, 566 refers this to his withdrawal from the expedition to Tabuk without a valid reason. Pt. 10

bu Lubaba told that she said to the Prophet, “To make my repentance complete* I should abandon my people’s abode in which I committed sin and divest myself of all my property to be given as sadaqa.” He replied, “A third will be enough for you to give.” Razin transmitted it. * The story is given in Ibn Hisham’s as-Sirat an nabawiya (Cairo, 1355/1936), iii. 247. Quraiza had consulted him as to whether they should surrender unconditionally, and while he replied that they should, he put his hand to his throat to indicate that if they did they would be put to death, thus giving them a warning. Al-Qur’an, 8:27 is said to be connected with this incident.