83/27. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 6695 — Vows, Trust, and Witnessing
The sin of him who does not fulfil his vow
Hadith About Broken Vows and Trustworthiness
Sahih Bukhari : 6695
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 6695
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَمْرَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ـ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ لاَ أَدْرِي ذَكَرَ ثِنْتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ ـ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ يَنْذُرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ، وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ، وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ، وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ ".
Zahdam bin Mudarrab Narrated from:
`Imran bin Hussain said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The best of you (people) are my generation, and the second best will be those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the second generation." `Imran added, "I do not remember whether he mentioned two or three (generations) after his generation. He added, 'Then will come some people who will make vows but will not fulfill them; and they will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy, and they will give their witness without being asked to give their witness, and fatness will appear among them.' "
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6695In-book reference : Book 83, Hadith 72USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 686
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6695
This hadith about trust and vows begins by praising the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم generation, then those who follow them, then those after them. Imran was not sure whether the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned two or three generations after his own. The hadith then describes people who would come later with troubling traits: they make vows but do not fulfill them, they are dishonest, they are not trusted, they give witness without being asked, and fatness appears among them. The main message is not about judging every later person. It is a warning against specific bad habits. A believer should take vows seriously, protect trust, and avoid careless testimony.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم generation and early followers are praised in this narration.
- Making vows and then breaking them is blamed.
- Dishonesty and being untrustworthy are serious moral problems.
- Giving testimony carelessly is warned against in the hadith.
