Sunan Abu Dawud

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)