Hadith+
    Beta 2
Help
 
X
GO
Browse All Books    Browse All Topics
LiteView
 
Quick Search 
Sahih Muslim 1649c (Book 27, Hadith 12) #11376
Keeping One's Word

SUMMARY: This hadith is about the importance of keeping one's word and not breaking an oath, even if it means doing something better than what was promised.

Ayyub said: We were sitting in the company of Abu Musa that he called for food and it consisted of flesh of fowl. It was then that a person from Banu Tamim visited him. His complexion was red having the resemblance of a slave. He said to him: Come and (join me in food). He showed reluctance. He (Abu Masa) said: Come on, for I saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ eating it (fowl's meat), whereupon that person said: I saw it eating something (of filth and rubbish) and I found it repugnant and took an oath that I would never eat that. He (Abu Muds) said: Come, so that I would narrate to you about that (the incident pertaining to vow). (And he narrated thus): I came to Allah's Messenger ﷺ along with a group of people belonging to the tribe of Ash'ari, asking him to provide us with riding camels. He (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I cannot provide you with riding animals. And there is nothing with me with which I can provide you a mount. We stayed (for some time) there as Allah willed, and there was brought to Allah's Messenger ﷺ booty of camels. He called us and commanded that we should be given five white humped camels. As we were about to go back, some of us said to the other: As we made Allah's Messenger ﷺ forget oath, there would be no blessing for us (in his gift). We went back to him and said: Allah's Messenger, we came to you to provide us with riding animals and you took an oath that you would never equip us with mounts and then you have provided us with the riding beasts Allah's Messenger, have you forgotten? Thereupon he said: I swear by Allah that if Allah so wills, 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. So you go; Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has given you riding animals.
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الْعَتَكِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَيْدٍ - عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي، قِلاَبَةَ وَعَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زَهْدَمٍ الْجَرْمِيِّ، - قَالَ أَيُّوبُ وَأَنَا لِحَدِيثِ الْقَاسِمِ، أَحْفَظُ مِنِّي لِحَدِيثِ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ - قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسَى فَدَعَا بِمَائِدَتِهِ وَعَلَيْهَا لَحْمُ دَجَاجٍ فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَيْمِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَرُ شَبِيهٌ بِالْمَوَالِي فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلُمَّ ‏.‏ فَتَلَكَّأَ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ فَإِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا فَقَذِرْتُهُ فَحَلَفْتُ أَنْ لاَ أَطْعَمَهُ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ أُحَدِّثْكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَلَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِنَهْبِ إِبِلٍ فَدَعَا بِنَا فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِخَمْسِ ذَوْدٍ غُرِّ الذُّرَى قَالَ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ أَغْفَلْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمِينَهُ لاَ يُبَارَكُ لَنَا ‏.‏ فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا أَتَيْنَاكَ نَسْتَحْمِلُكَ وَإِنَّكَ حَلَفْتَ أَنْ لاَ تَحْمِلَنَا ثُمَّ حَمَلْتَنَا أَفَنَسِيتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا فَانْطَلِقُوا فَإِنَّمَا حَمَلَكُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
TOPICS
wad  *  oath  *  promise  *  atonement  *  will  *  yamin  *  kaffara  *  irada

QUICK LESSONS:
Keep your word no matter how difficult it may seem at first glance; Make sure you fulfill your promises; Be honest in your words; Make atonement for your broken promise or do something better instead; Have faithfulness towards God Almighty

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith is about the importance of keeping one's word and not breaking an oath, even if it means doing something better than what was promised. The narrator, Ayyub, was sitting with Abu Musa when a person from Banu Tamim visited him. Abu Musa invited him to eat some food which included fowl meat but the man refused because he had seen the fowl eating something repugnant and took an oath that he would never eat that. Abu Musa then told them a story about how he once asked Allah’s Messenger for riding camels but Allah’s Messenger said he could not provide them with any mounts. However, later on booty of camels were brought to Allah’s Messenger and he provided them with five white humped camels despite having taken an oath earlier that he would not be able to provide them with any mounts. He explained that if Allah wills, one should never swear an oath without making atonement for it or doing something better instead of what was promised in order to keep their word. This hadith teaches us the importance of being honest in our words and fulfilling our promises no matter how difficult they may seem at first glance as this is a sign of true faithfulness towards God Almighty.

Please use the feedback below to report any discrepancies or concerns.

Feedback           Discuss      Disclaimer     

haluk
  
Prev    Next