39/18. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4180 — The Pledge Against Wailing
The Women's Pledge
Hadith About Wailing for the Dead and the Women’s Pledge
Sunan an-Nasai : 4180
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4180
أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا حَمَّادٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ، قَالَتْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْبَيْعَةَ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ نَنُوحَ .
Umm 'Atiyyah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah accepted our pledge that we would not wail (for the dead).
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4180In-book reference : Book 39, Hadith 32English translation : Vol. 5, Book 39, Hadith 4185
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4180
This hadith about wailing for the dead records a clear part of the pledge accepted by the Messenger of Allah. Umm ‘Atiyyah says that the women promised they would not wail when someone died. The main lesson is simple: grief does not remove a Muslim’s duty to keep the commitments made in faith. The narration does not deny sadness, tears, or the pain of losing someone. It speaks specifically about wailing, which was named in the pledge. It also shows that the women’s pledge included practical conduct, not only spoken belief. For readers searching for the Islamic ruling on wailing, this text gives a direct prophetic instruction: the women agreed to leave this practice as part of their commitment to the Messenger of Allah.
What we learn from this hadith
- A pledge made in faith should guide conduct during difficult moments.
- The women specifically promised not to wail for the dead.
- Grief should not lead a person to break a clear religious commitment.
- The Prophet included funeral conduct among the matters addressed in the pledge.
