65/60.3. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4894 — Pledge, Sins, and Allah’s Judgment
"O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bai'a (pledge)..." (V.60:12)
Pledge of Allegiance Hadith: Reward, Expiation, and Mercy
Sahih Bukhari : 4894
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4894
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَاهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو إِدْرِيسَ، سَمِعَ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " أَتُبَايِعُونِي عَلَى أَنْ لاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ تَزْنُوا وَلاَ تَسْرِقُوا ". وَقَرَأَ آيَةَ النِّسَاءِ ـ وَأَكْثَرُ لَفْظِ سُفْيَانَ قَرَأَ الآيَةَ ـ " فَمَنْ وَفَى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَعُوقِبَ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَسَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فَهْوَ إِلَى اللَّهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُ} ". تَابَعَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ فِي الآيَةِ.
'Ubadah bin As-Samit Narrated from:
While we were with the Prophet, he said, "Will you swear to me the pledge of allegiance that you will not worship any thing besides Allah, will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, and will not steal?" Then he recited the Verse concerning the women. (Sufyan, the subnarrator, often said that the Prophet: added, "Whoever among you fulfills his pledge, will receive his reward from Allah, and whoever commits any of those sins and receives the legal punishment (in this life), his punishment will be an expiation for that sin; and whoever commits any of those sins and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive them."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4894In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 414USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 417
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4894
This hadith about the pledge of allegiance records the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asking those with him to pledge that they would not worship anything besides Allah, would not commit illegal sexual intercourse, and would not steal. He then recited the verse concerning women. The narration adds an important teaching: whoever fulfills the pledge has his reward with Allah. Whoever commits one of those sins and receives the legal punishment in this life, that punishment is an expiation for him. Whoever commits something and Allah screens him is left to Allah; He may punish or forgive. This hadith is balanced. It warns against major sins, but it also leaves the final matter to Allah’s justice and mercy.
What we learn from this hadith
- The pledge included avoiding shirk, illegal sexual intercourse, and theft.
- Fulfilling the pledge is tied to reward from Allah.
- Legal punishment in this life is described as expiation for that sin.
- If Allah screens a sin, the final matter is with Allah.
