35/24. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3801 — Why Vows Do Not Bring Good
The Prohibition Against Vows
Hadith About Vows in Islam: A Vow Does Not Bring Good
Sunan an-Nasai : 3801
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3801
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مَنْصُورٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنِ النَّذْرِ وَقَالَ " إِنَّهُ لاَ يَأْتِي بِخَيْرٍ إِنَّمَا يُسْتَخْرَجُ بِهِ مِنَ الْبَخِيلِ " .
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah forbade vows and said: "They do not bring any good; they are just a means of taking wealth from the miserly."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3801In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 41English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3832
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3801
This hadith explains why making vows is discouraged. The Messenger of Allah forbade vows and said that they do not bring any good. He also described them as a means by which wealth is taken from a miserly person. The statement keeps the focus on the nature of the vow itself. A person may avoid giving or doing an act freely, then make it binding through a vow. The hadith about vows in Islam teaches that a vow is not a tool for producing good outcomes. It may instead push a reluctant person to part with wealth. The lesson is not to treat a vow as a way to secure a result. The wording calls people away from this habit and toward a more willing approach to good deeds and spending.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet forbade making vows.
- A vow does not itself bring good.
- A vow may make a reluctant person part with wealth.
- Good deeds should not be tied to the belief that a vow creates the result.
