Sunan Abi Dawud

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone swears a false oath in confinement, he should make his seat in Hell on account of his (act).

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who swears an oath in which he tells a lie to take the property of a Muslim by unfair means, will meet Allah while He is angry with him.

Al-Ash'ath said: I swear by Allah, he said this about me. There was some land between me and a Jew, but he denied it to me; so I presented him to the Prophet (ﷺ).

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me: Have you any evidence? I replied: No. He said to the Jew: Take an oath. I said: Messenger of Allah, now he will take an oath and take my property. So Allah, the Exalted, revealed the verse, "As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in the hereafter."

Narrated Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays:

A man of Kindah and a man of Hadramawt brought their dispute to the Prophet (ﷺ) about a land in the Yemen. Al-Hadrami said: Messenger of Allah, the father of this (man) usurped my land and it is in his possession.

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked: Have you any evidence?

Al-Hadrami replied: No, but I make him swear (that he should say) that he does not know that it is my land which his father usurped from me.

Al-Kindi became ready to take the oath.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone usurps the property by taking an oath, he will meet Allah while his hand is mutilated.

Al-Kindi then said: It is his land.

Narrated 'Alqamah b. Wa'il b. Hujr al-Hadrami: On the Authority of his father: A man from Hadramawt and a man of Kindah came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Al-Hadrami said: Messenger of Allah, this (man) took away forcibly from me the land which belongs to my father. Al-Kindi said: It is my land in my possession, and I cultivate it, he has no right to it. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said to al-Hadrami: Have you any proof ? He said: No. He then said: So for you is his oath. He said: Messenger of Allah, he is liar, he does not care for which he is taking the oath. He does not refrain himself from anything. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: You will have nothing from him except that. He went to take an oath for him. When he turned his back, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If he takes an oath on the property to take it away by unfair means, he will meet Allah while He is unmindful of him.

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: One should not take a false oath at this pulpit of mine even on a green tooth-stick; otherwise he will make his abode in Hell, or Hell will be certain for him.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone swears on oath is the course which he says: "By al-Lat" he should say: There is no god but Allah, and that if anyone says to his friend: Come and let me play for money with you, he should give something in charity (sadaqah).

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not swear by your fathers, or by your mothers, or by rivals to Allah; and swear by Allah only, and swear by Allah only when you are speaking the truth.

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) found 'Umar al-Khattab in a caravan while he was swearing by his father. So he said: Allah forbids you to swear by forefathers. If anyone swears, he must swear by Allah or keep silence.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Ibn 'Umar through a different chain of narrators to the same effect up to the words "by your fathers". This version adds: " 'Umar said: I swear by Allah, I never swore by it personally or reporting it from others."

Sa'id ibn Ubaydah said: Ibn Umar heard a man swearing: No, I swear by the Ka'bah. Ibn Umar said to him: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who swears by anyone but Allah is polytheist.

Referring to the story of a bedouin, Talhah b. 'Ubaid Allah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: He became successful, by his father, if he speaks the truth, he will enter paradise, by his father, if he speaks truth.

Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who swears by Amanah (faithfulness) is not one of us.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said about the futile oath: It is man's speech in his house: No, by Allah, and Yes, by Allah.

Abu Dawud said: Ibrahim al-Sa'igh, the narrator of this tradition , was a pious man. Abu Muslim killed him at 'Aranda. When he raised a hammed and heard the call to prayer, he gave it up.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Dawud b. Abi al-Furat from Ibrahim al-Sa'igh as a statement of 'Aishah (not attributed to the Prophet). Similarly, it has been transmitted by al-Zuhri, 'Abd al-Malik b. Abi Sulaiman and Malik b. Mughul. All of them transmitted it from 'Ata on the authority of 'Aishah on her own statement.

Narrated Abu Hurairah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Your oath should be about something regarding which your companion will believe you.

Musaddad said: 'Abd Allah b. Abi Salih narrated to me.

Abu Dawud said: Both of them refer to the same person: 'Abbad b. Abu Salih and 'Abd Allah b. Abi Salih.

Narrated Suwayd ibn Hanzalah:

We went out intending (to visit) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Wa'il ibn Hujr was with us. His enemy caught him. The people desisted from swearing an oath, but I took an oath that he was my brother. So he left him. We then came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and I informed him that the people desisted from taking the oath, but I swore that he was my brother. He said: You spoke the truth: A Muslim is a brother of a Muslim.

Narrated Thabit bin Adh-Dahhak: That he took oath of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) under the tree. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone swears by religion other than Islam falsely, he is like what has has said. If anyone kills himself with something, he will be punished with it on the Day of Resurrection. A vow over which a man has no control is not binding on him.

Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone takes an oath and says: I am free from Islam; now if he is a liar (in his oath), he will not return to Islam with soundness.

Narrated Yusuf ibn Abdullah ibn Salam:

I saw that the Prophet (ﷺ) put a date on a loaf and said: This is a thing eaten with bread (condiments).

A similar tradition has also been transmitted by Yusuf b. 'Abd Allah b. Salam through a different chain of narrators.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone says when swearing an oath: "If Allah wills," he makes an exception.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone swears an oath and makes an exception, he may fulfil it if he wishes and break it if he wishes without any accountability for breaking.

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The oath which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) often used was this: No, by Him who overturns the hearts.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) swore an oath strongly, he said: No, by Him in Whose hand is the soul of AbulQasim.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) swore an oath, it was: No, and I beg forgiveness of Allah.

Narrated Laqit ibn Amir:

We came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a delegation. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said: By the age of thy god.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

AbuBakr adjured the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not adjure an oath.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Abu Hurairah narrated that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I had a dream last night, and he then mentioned it. So Abu Bakr interpreted it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: You are partly right and partly wrong. He then said: I adjure you, Messenger of Allah, may my father be sacrificed on you, do tell me the mistake I have committed. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not adjure.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Ibn 'Abbas through a different chain of narrators. In this version there is no mention of the word qasam (oath). It has the words: "He did not inform him."

Narrated 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Bakr: Some guests visited us, and Abu Bakr was conversing with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at night. He (Abu Bakr) said: I will not return to you until you are free from their entertainment and serving them food. So he brought them food, but they said: We shall not eat it until Abu Bakr comes (back). Abu Bakr then came and asked: What did your guest do? Are you free from their entertainment ? They said: No. I said: I brought them food, but they refused and said: We swear by Allah, we shall not take it until he comes. They said: He spoke the truth. He brought it to us, but we refused (to take it) until you come. He asked: What did prevent you ? He said: I swear by Allah, I shall not take food tonight. They said: And we also swear by Allah that we shall not take food until you take it. He said: I never saw an evil like the one tonight. He said: Bring your food near (you). He ('Abd al-Rahman) said: Their food was then brought near them. He said: In the name of Allah, and he took the food, and they also took it. I then informed him that the dawn had broken. So he went to th Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him of what he and they had done. He said: You are the most obedient and most trustful of them.

A similar tradition has also been transmitted by 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Bakr through a different chain of narrators. This version adds on the authority of Salim: "Expiation (for breaking the oath) has not reached me."

Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said: There were two brothers among the Ansar who shared an inheritance. 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 decoration of the Ka'bah.

Umar said to him: The Ka'bah does not need your property. Make atonement for your oath and speak to your brother. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: An oath or vow to disobey the Lord, or to break ties of relationship or about something over which one has no control is not binding on you.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A vow is binding in those things by which the pleasure of Allah is sought, and an oath to break ties of relationship is not binding.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: An oath or a vow about something over which a human being has no control, and to disobey Allah, and to break ties of relationship is not binding. If anyone takes an oath and then considers something else better than it, he should give it up, and do what is better, for leaving it is its atonement.

Abu Dawud said: All sound traditions from the Prophet (ﷺ) say: "He should make atonement for his oath," except those versions which are not reliable.

Abu Dawud said: I said to Ahmad: Yahya b. Sa'id (al-Qattan) has transmitted this tradition from Yahya b. 'Ubaid Allah. He (Ahmad b. Hanbal) said: But he gave it up after that, and he was competent for doing it. Ahmad said: His (Yahya b. 'Ubaid Allah's) tradition are munkar (rejected) and his father is not known.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Two men brought their dispute to the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) asked the plaintiff to produce evidence, but he had no evidence. So he asked the defendant to swear. He swore by Allah "There is no god but He."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes, you have done it, but you have been forgiven for the sincerity of the statement: "There is no god but Allah."

Abu Dawud said: This tradition means that he did not command him to make atonement

Narrated Abu Burdah: On the authority of his father that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: I swear by Allah that if Allah wills I shall swear on 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. Or he said (according to another version): But doing the thing that is better and making atonement for my oath.

Narrated 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me: 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah, when you swear an oath and consider something else to be better than it, do the thing that is beter and make atonement for your oath.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) permitting to make atonement before breaking the oath.

A similar tradition has been transmitted by 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah through a different chain if narrators. This version has: "Make atonement for your oath and then do the thing that is better."

Abu Dawud said: The version of this tradition transmitted by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, 'Adi b. Hatim and Abu Hurairah are variant. Some of them indicate breaking the oath before making atonement, and other making atonement before breaking the oath.

Narrated Safiyyah bint Huyayy:

Ibn Harmalah said: Umm Habib gave us a sa' and told us narration from the nephew of Safiyyah on the authority of Safiyyah that it was the sa' of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Anas ibn Ayyad said: I tested it and found its capacity two and half mudd according to the mudd of Hisham.

Narrated Muhammad b. Muhmmad b. Khattab Abu 'Umar : We had a makkuk which was called Makkuk Khalid. Its capacity was two measurements according to the measurements of Harun. The narrator said: The sa' of Khalid was the sa' of Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik.

Narrated Umayyah b. Khalid:

When Khalid al-Qasri was made ruler (of Hijaz and Kufah), he doubled the measure of sa'. The sa' then measured sixteen rotls.

Abu Dawud said: Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Khattab was slain by Negroes in confinement. He said while signing with his hand: "in this way". Abu Dawud extended his hand and turned his palms towards earth and said: I saw him in the dream and asked him: How did Allah deal with you ? He replied: He admitted to Paradise. I said: Your detention did not harm you.

Narrated Mu'awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami: I said: Messenger of Allah, I have a slave girl whom I slapped. This grieved the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I said to him: Should I not emancipate her? He said: Bring her to me. He said: Then I brought her. He asked: Where is Allah ? She replied: In the heaven. He said: Who am I ? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Emancipate her, she is a believer.

Narrated Ash-Sharid ibn Suwayd ath-Thaqafi:

Sharid's mother left a will to emancipate a believing slave on her behalf. So he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, my mother left a will that I should emancipate a believing slave for her, and I have a black Nubian slave-girl. He mentioned a tradition about the test of the girl.

Abu Dawud said: Khalid b. 'Abd Allah narrated this tradition direct from the Prophet (ﷺ). He did not mention the name of al-Sharid.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: A man brought the Prophet (ﷺ) a black slave girl. He said: Messenger of Allah, emancipation of believing slave is due to me. He asked her: Where is Allah ? She pointed to the heaven with her finger. He then asked her: Who am I ? She pointed to the Prophet (ﷺ) and to the heaven, that is to say: You are the Messenger of Allah. He then said: Set her free, she is a believer.

Narrated Ikrimah ibn AbuJahl:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraysh; I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraysh; I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraysh. He then said: "If Allah wills."

Abu Dawud said: A number of persons have narrated this tradition from Sharik, from Simak, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas who reported from the Prophet (ﷺ): "But he did not fight against them."

Narrated 'Ikrimah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraish. The then said: If Allah wills. He again said: I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraish if Allah wills. He again said: I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraish. He then kept silence. Then he said: If Allah wills.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Walid b. Muslim said on the authority of Sharik: He then said: But he did not fight against them.

Narrated 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade to make a vow. He said: It has not effect against fate, it is only from the miserly that it is means by which something is extracted.

Musaddad said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A vow does not avert anything (i.e. has no effect against fate).

Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: A vow does not provide for the son of Adam anything which I did not decree for him, but a vow draws it. A Divine decree is one which I have destined, it is extracted from a miser. He is given what he was not given before.

Narrated 'Aishah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, but if anyone vows to disobey Him, let him not disobey Him.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: No vow must be taken to do an act of disobedience, and the atonement for it is the same as for an oath.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by al-Zuhri through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Shabbuyah say: Ibn al-Mubarak said about this tradition that Abu Salamah had transmitted it. This indicates that al-Zuhri did not hear it from Abu Salamah. Ahmad b. Muhammad said: This is verified by what Ayyub b. Sulaiman narrated to us.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal say: I have corrupted this tradition for us. He was asked: Do you think that it is correct that this tradition has been corrupted? Has any person other than Ibn Abi Uwais transmitted it ? He replied: Ayyub was similar to him in respect of reliability, and Ayyub transmitted it.

Narrated 'Aishah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: No vow must be taken to do an act of disobedience, and the atonement for it is the same as for an oath.

Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Marwazi said: The correct chain of this tradition is: 'Ali b. al-Mubarak, from Yahya b. Abi Kathir, from Muhammad b. al-Zubair, from his father, on the authority of 'Imran b. Husain from the Prophet (ﷺ)

Abu Dawud said: By this he (al-Marwazi) means that the narrator Sulaiman b. Arqam had some misunderstanding about this tradition. Al-Zuhri narrated it from him and then transmitted it (omitting his name) from Abu Salamah on the authority of 'Aishah.

Abu Dawud said: Baqiyyah has transmitted it from al-Auza'i from Yahya, from Muhammad b. al-Zubair with a similar chain of Ibn al-Mubarak.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

Uqbah consulted the Prophet (ﷺ) about his sister who took a vow to perform hajj barefooted and bareheaded. So he said: Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Abu Sa'id al-Ru'aini with the same chain as narrated by Yahya (b. Sa'id) and to the same effect.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

A man came to Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, my sister has taken a vow to perform hajj on foot. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah gets no good from the affliction your sister imposed on herself, so let her perform hajj riding and make atonement for her oath.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: That the sister of 'Uqbah b. 'Amir took vow to walk on foot to the Ka'bah. Thereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered her to ride and slaughter a sacrificial animal.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

That when the Prophet (ﷺ) was informed that the sister of 'Uqbah b. 'Amir had taken a vow to perform Hajj on foot, he said: Allah is not in need of her vow. So ask her to ride.

Abu Dawud said: Sa'ib b. 'Arubah has transmitted a similar tradition. Khalid has also transmitted a similar tradition on the authority of 'Ikrimah from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated 'Ikrimah:

The tradition about the sister of 'Uqbah b. 'Amir as narrated by Hisham, but he made no mention of the sacrificial animal. In his version he said: Ask your sister to ride.

Abu Dawud said: Khalid narrated it from 'Ikrimah to the same effect as narrated by Hisham.

Narrated 'Uqbah bin 'Amir al-Juhani: My sister took a vow to walk on foot to the House of Allah (i.e. Ka'bah). She asked me to consult the Prophet (ﷺ) about her. So I consulted the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: Let her walk and ride.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: While the Prophet (ﷺ) was preaching a man was standing in the sun. He asked about him. They said: He is Abu Isra'il who has taken a vow to stand and not to sit, or go into shade, or speak, but to fast. Thereupon he said: Command him to speak, to go into the shade, sit and complete his fast.

Narrated Anas b. Malik :

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a man that he was supported between his sons. He asked about him, and (the people) said: He has taken a vow to walk (on foot). Thereupon he said: Allah has no need that this man should punish himself, and he ordered him to ride.

Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Abi 'Amir has also narrated a similar tradition from al-A'raj on the authority of Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) while going round the Ka'bah passed a man who was led with a ring of bridle in his nose. The Prophet (ﷺ) cut it off with his hand and ordered to lead him by catching his hand.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The sister of Uqbah ibn Amir took a vow that she would perform hajj on foot, and she was unable to do so. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah is not in need of the walking of your sister. She must ride and offer a sacrificial camel.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir al-Juhani:

Uqbah said to the Prophet (ﷺ): My sister has taken a vow that she will walk to the House of Allah (the Ka'bah). Thereupon he said: Allah will not do anything of the walking of your sister to the House of Allah (i.e. the Ka'bah).

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

A man stood on the day of Conquest (of Mecca) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have vowed to Allah that if He grants conquest of Mecca at your hands, I shall pray two rak'ahs in Jerusalem. He replied: Pray here. He repeated (his statement) to him and he said: Pray here. He again repeated (his statement) to him. He (the Prophet) replied: Pursue your own course, then.

Abu Dawud said: A similar tradition has been narrated by 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf from the Prophet (ﷺ).

The tradition mentioned above (No.3299) has also been transmitted by Umar ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf on the authority of his father and the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ).

This version has: "The Prophet (ﷺ) said: By Him Who sent Muhammad with truth, if you prayed here, this would be sufficient for you like the prayer in Jerusalem."

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by al-Ansari, from Ibn-Juraij. He said: Ja'far b. 'Umar and 'Amr b. Hayyah. He said: They transmitted from 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf and from the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Sa'd b. 'Ubadah asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): My Mother has died and she could not fulfill her vow which she had taken. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fulfill it on her behalf.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

A woman made a voyage and vowed that she would fast one month if Allah made her reach her destination with peace and security. Allah made her reach her destination with security but she died before she could fast. Her daughter or sister (the narrator doubted) came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So he commanded to fast on her behalf.

Narrated Buraidah: A woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I gave a slave girl to my mother, but she died and left the salve-girl. He said: Your reward became certain for you, and she (the slave-girl) returned to you as inheritance. She said: She died and one month's fast was due from her. He (the narrator) then mentioned the tradition similar to the one mentioned by 'Amr b. 'Awn.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: A woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said (to him) that one month's fast was due from her mother who had died. May I fulfill them on her behalf? He asked: Suppose some debt was due from your mother, would you pay it ? She replied: Yes. He said: So the debt due to Allah is the one which most deserves to be paid.

Narrated 'Aishah: The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone dies when some fast due from him has been unfulfilled, his heir must fast on his behalf.

Narrated 'Amr b. Suh'aib:

On his father's authority, said that his grandfather said: A woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you.

He said: Fulfil your vow.

She said: And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such a such a place, a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre-Islamic times.

He asked: For an Idol?

She replied: No.

He asked: For an image?

She replied: No.

He said: Fulfil your vow.

Narrated Thabit ibn ad-Dahhak:

In the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) a man took a vow to slaughter a camel at Buwanah. So he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I have taken a vow to sacrifice a camel at Buwanah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked: Did the place contain any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times?

They (the people) said: No.

He asked: Was any pre-Islamic festival observed there?

They replied: No.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Fulfil your vow, for a vow to do an act of disobedience to Allah must not be fulfilled, neither must one do something over which a human being has no control.

Narrated Maymunah, daughter of Kardam:

I went out with my father to see the hajj performed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I fixed my eyes on him. My father came near him while he was riding his she-camel. He had a whip like the whip of scribes. I heard the bedouin and the people say: The whip, the whip. My father came near him and held his foot. She said: He admitted his Prophethood and stood and listened to him.

He said: Messenger of Allah, I have made a vow that if a son is born to me, I shall slaughter a number of sheep at the end of Buwanah in the dale of hill.

The narrator said: I do not know (for certain) that she said: Fifty (sheep).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Does it contain any idol?

He said: No. Then he said: Fulfil your vow that you have taken for Allah. He then gathered them (i.e. the sheep) and began to slaughter them. A sheep ran away from them.

He searched for it saying: O Allah, fulfil my vow on my behalf. So he succeeded (in finding it) and slaughtered it.

A similar tradition has also been transmitted in brief by Maimunah daughter of Kardam son of Sufyan on the authority of her father through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: (The Prophet (ﷺ) asked): Does it contain an idol or was a festival of pre-Islamic times celebrated there ? He replied: No. I said: This mother of mine has taken a vow and walking (is binding on her). May I fulfill it on her behalf ? Sometimes the narrator Bashshar said: May we fulfill in on her behalf ? He said: Yes.

'Imran b. Husain said: 'Adba belonged to a man of Banu 'Aqil. It used to go ahead of pligrims. The man was then captivated. He was brought in chains to the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) was riding on a donkey with a blanket on him. He said: Muhammad, why do you arrest me and capture the one (i.e. the she-camel) which goes ahead of the pilgrims. He replied: We are arresting you on account of the crime committed by your allies Thaqid. Thaqif captivated two persons from among the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). He said (whatever he said) I am a Muslim, or he said: I have embraced Islam. When the Prophet (ﷺ) went ahead, he called him: O Muhammed, O Muhammed. Abu Dawud said: I learnt it from the version of the narrator Muhammad b. 'Isa. The Prophet (ﷺ) was compassionate and kind hearted. So he returned to him, and asked: What is the matter with you ? He replied: I am a Muslim. He said: Had you said it when the matter was in your hand, you would have succeeded completely. Abu Dawud said: I then returned to the version of the narrator Sulaiman (b. Harb). He said: Muhammad, I am hungry, so feed me. I am thirsty, so give me water. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: This is your need, or he said: This is his need (the narrator is doubtful). Later on the man was taken back (by Thaqif) as a ransom for the two men (of the Companions of the Prophet). The Prophet (ﷺ) retained 'Adba for his journey. The narrator said: The polytheists raided the pasturing animals of Medina and they took away 'Adba. When they took away 'Adba, they also captivated a Muslim woman. They used to leave their camels in the fields for rest at night. One night they slept and the (Muslim) woman stood up. Any camel on which she put her hand brayed until she came to 'Adba. She came to a she-camel which was docile and experienced. She then rode on her and vowed to Allah that if He saved her, she would sacrifice it. When she came to Medina, the people recognized the she-camel of the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) was then informed about it and he sent for her. She was brought to him and she informed him about her vow. He said: It is a bad return that you have given it. Allah has not saved you, on its (back) that you now sacrifice it. A vow to do an act of disobedience must not be fulfilled, or to do something over which one has no control.

Abu Dawud said: This woman was the wife of Abu Dharr.

Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik:

I said: Messenger of Allah, to make my repentance complete I should divest myself of my property as sadaqah (alms) for Allah and His Apostle. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Retain some of your property, for that will be better for you. So he said: I shall retain the portion I have at Khaybar.

Narrated Ka'b bin Malik: To the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when his repentance was accepted: I should divest myself of my property. He then mentioned a similar tradition up to the words, "better for you".

Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik:

Ka'b ibn Malik said to AbuLubabah; or someone else whom Allah wished; or to the Prophet (ﷺ): To make my repentance complete I should depart from the house of my people in which I fell into sin, and that I should divest myself of all my property as sadaqah (alms). He said: A third (of your property) will be sufficient for you.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Ibn Ka'b b. Malik through a different chain of narrators. This version has: "He then mentioned the tradition to the same effect. This versions attributes this story to Abu Lubabah."

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Yunus from Ibn Shihab from some of the children of al-Sa'ib son of Abu Lubabah. A similar tradition has also been transmitted by al-Zabidi from al-Zuhri from Husain b. al-Sa'ib son of Abu Lubabah.

Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik:

I said: Messenger of Allah, to make my atonement complete I should divest myself of my all property as sadaqah (alms) for Allah and His apostle. He said: No. I said: The half of it. He said: No. I said: Then a third of it. He said: Yes. I said: I shall retain the portion I have at Khaybar.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 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 he is unable to fulfill, its atonement is the same as that for an oath, but if anyone takes a vow he is able to fulfill, he must do so.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Waki' and others on the authority of 'Abd Allah b. Sa'id b. Abi al-Hind, but they traced it no farther back than Ibn 'Abbas.

Narrated 'Uqbah bin 'Amir:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The atonement for a vow is the same as for an oath.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by 'Amr b. al-Harith from Ka'b b. 'Alqamah, from Ibn Shamasah on the authority of 'Uqbah.

A similar tradition has also been transmitted by 'Uqbah b. 'Amir from the Prophet (ﷺ) through a different chain of narrators.

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: That 'Umar said: Messenger of Allah, I took a vow in pre-Islamic times that I would stay in the sacred mosque (Masjid Haram) as a devotion (i'tikaf). The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Fulfill your vow.