27/3. Chapter:
Al-Lu'lu Wal-Marjan 1070 — The Book of Oaths
Whosoever took an oath to do something, and later he found that something else is better than the first, then it is advisable to do the better thing and make expiation for his oath.
Al-Lu'lu Wal-Marjan : 1070
Al-Lu'lu Wal-MarjanHadith Number 1070
حديث أَبِي مُوسى عَنْ زَهْدَمٍ، قَالَ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسى فَأُتِيَ ذَكَرَ دَجَاجَةً، وَعِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَيْمِ اللهِ أَحْمَرُ، كَأَنَّهُ مِنَ الْمَوَالِي، فَدَعَاهُ لِلطَّعَام، فَقَال: إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يَأَكُل شَيْئًا فَقَذِرْتُهُ؛ فَحَلَفْتُ لَا آكلُ فَقَالَ: هَلُمَّ فَلأُحَدِّثْكُمْ عَنْ ذَاك إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ النَبِيَّ ﷺ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلهُ، فَقَالَ: وَاللهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكمْ، وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِنَهْبِ إِبِلٍ، فَسَأَلَ عَنَّا، فَقَالَ: أَيْنَ النَّفَرُ الأَشْعَرِيُّونَ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِخَمْسِ ذَوْدٍ، غُرِّ الذُّرَى، فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قلْنَا: مَا صَنَعْنَا لَا يُبَارَكُ لَنَا فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ، فَقُلْنَا: إِنَّا سَأَلْنَاكَ أَنْ تَحْمِلَنَا فَحَلَفْتَ أَنْ لَا تَحْمِلَنَا، أَفَنَسِيتَ قَالَ: لَسْتُ أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ، وَلكِنَّ اللهَ حَمَلَكُمْ، وَإِنِّي وَاللهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَاّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ، وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا.
Zahdam Narrated from:
Once we were in the house of Abû Mûsa who presented a meal containing cooked chicken. A man from the tribe of Banî Taim-Allāh with red complexion, as if from the Byzantine war prisoners, was present. Abû Mûsa invited him to share the meal but he (apologized) saying, "I saw chickens eating dirty things and so I have had a strong aversion to eating them, and have taken an oath that I will not eat chickens."Abû Mûsa said, "Come along, I will tell you about this matter (i.e. how to cancel one's oath). I went to the Prophet ﷺ in the company of a group of Al-Ash'ariyûn, asking him to provide us with means of conveyance. He (ﷺ) said, 'By Allāh, I will not provide you with any means of conveyance and I have nothing to make you ride on.' Then some camels as booty were brought to Allâh's Messenger ﷺ and he asked for us saying, 'Where are the group of Al-Ash'ariyûn?' Then he ordered that we should be given five camels with white humps.When we set out we said, 'What have we done? We will never be blessed (with what we have been given).' So, we returned to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'We asked you to provide us with means of conveyance, but you took an oath that you would not provide us with any means of conveyance. Did you forget (your oath when you gave us the camels)?'He (ﷺ) replied, 'I have not provided you with means of conveyance, but Allâh ﷻ has provided you with it and by Allâh, if Allâh will, if ever I take an oath to do something, and later on I find that it is more beneficial to do something different, I will do the thing which is better, and give expiation for my oath.'(Sahih Al-Bukhârî, Hadîth No. 361, Vol. 4)
