26/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1639a — Why the Prophet Forbade Taking Vows
The Prohibition Of Vows, And Confirmation That They Do Not Avert Anything
Hadith About Vows: They Do Not Avert What Allah Has Decreed
Sahih Muslim : 1639a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1639a
وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ، زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا يَنْهَانَا عَنِ النَّذْرِ وَيَقُولُ " إِنَّهُ لاَ يَرُدُّ شَيْئًا وَإِنَّمَا يُسْتَخْرَجُ بِهِ مِنَ الشَّحِيحِ " .
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) singled out one day forbidding us to take vows and said: It would not avert anything; it is by which something is extracted from the miserly person.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1639aIn-book reference : Book 26, Hadith 3USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 14, Hadith 4019
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1639a
This hadith about vows in Islam reports that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade people from taking vows. He said a vow would not avert anything, and that it is a means by which something is extracted from a miserly person. The wording teaches a balanced point. A vow should not be treated like a tool that changes what Allah has decreed. It also exposes a weakness in some people: they may only give when they bind themselves by a vow. The hadith does not say every act of giving is wrong. It speaks about taking vows in this way and warns against relying on them. The core message is trust in Allah’s decree and giving without needing pressure.
What we learn from this hadith
- A vow does not avert what has been decreed.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade taking vows in this report.
- A vow may draw spending from someone who is otherwise tight-fisted.
- Giving should not depend only on forcing oneself through a vow.
