35/4. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3765 — Do Not Swear by Forefathers
The Stern Warning Against Swearing By Anything Other Than Allah
Do Not Swear by Your Forefathers
Sunan an-Nasai : 3765
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3765
أَخْبَرَنِي زِيَادُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَجُلٌ، مِنْ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فِي مَجْلِسِ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عُمَرَ - وَهُوَ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَنْهَاكُمْ أَنْ تَحْلِفُوا بِآبَائِكُمْ " .
Yahya bin Abi Ishaq Narrated from:
A man from Banu Ghifar told me, in the gathering of Salim bin 'Abdullah, Salim bin 'Abdullah said: 'I heard 'Abdullah -that is, Ibn 'Umar- say: The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah forbids you to swear by your forefathers.'"'"
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3765In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 5English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3796
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3765
This hadith reports a plain command from the Messenger of Allah: Allah forbids you to swear by your forefathers. Its core topic is oaths in Islam, especially the ban on using ancestors in an oath. The wording is brief, but it leaves little room for confusion. Respect for parents and family history does not make them proper objects of an oath. For people searching for the hadith about swearing by forefathers, this narration gives the direct statement transmitted by Abdullah ibn Umar. It also shows that the rule is connected to Allah's prohibition, not merely to manners or local custom. The hadith asks believers to remove inherited forms of speech that do not fit an Allah-centered oath. An oath is serious speech, so its wording should be kept clear and directed only to Allah.
What we learn from this hadith
- Allah forbids swearing by forefathers.
- Family respect does not make ancestors valid objects of an oath.
- Old habits of speech may need to be corrected.
- Oaths should remain centered on Allah.
