35/31. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3813 — False Oaths, Self-Harm, and Invalid Vows
A Vow Concerning Something That One Does Not Own
Serious Hadith Warnings About False Oaths, Self-Harm, and Vows
Sunan an-Nasai : 3813
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3813
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ ثَابِتِ بْنِ الضَّحَّاكِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ حَلَفَ بِمِلَّةٍ سِوَى مِلَّةِ الإِسْلاَمِ كَاذِبًا فَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ وَمَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِشَىْءٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا عُذِّبَ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَيْسَ عَلَى رَجُلٍ نَذْرٌ فِيمَا لاَ يَمْلِكُ " .
Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam, telling a lie, will be as he said, and whoever kills himself with something, he will be punished with it in the Hereafter, and there is no vow concerning that which a man does not possess."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3813In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 53English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3844
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3813
This hadith brings together three serious warnings. It says that a person who falsely swears by a religion other than Islam will be as he said. It then warns that whoever kills himself with something in this world will be punished with it in the Hereafter. Finally, it states that a man has no vow concerning what he does not possess. Each statement should be read as given, without blending them into one event. The first concerns a lying religious oath. The second concerns self-killing and punishment. The third concerns the limit of ownership in vows. For readers seeking a hadith about false oaths and invalid vows, the text stresses careful speech, the grave nature of self-harm, and the fact that a person cannot bind himself regarding what he does not own.
What we learn from this hadith
- A lying oath by a religion other than Islam carries a severe warning.
- The hadith gives a grave warning against killing oneself.
- There is no vow regarding what a person does not possess.
- Speech, personal actions, and ownership all carry responsibility.
