20/9. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1537 — Allah Needs No Self-Punishment
What Has been Related About One Who Takes An Oath To Walk And He Is Not Able To
Hadith About Self-Punishing Vows and Riding
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1537
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1537
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدٌ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِشَيْخٍ كَبِيرٍ يَتَهَادَى بَيْنَ ابْنَيْهِ فَقَالَ " مَا بَالُ هَذَا " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَمْشِيَ . قَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنْ تَعْذِيبِ هَذَا نَفْسَهُ " . قَالَ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَرْكَبَ .حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى رَجُلاً فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Anas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) Passed By Old Man Walking (While Supported) Between His Two Sons, So He Said: 'What Is The Matter With This One?' They Said: "O Messenger Of Allah! He Vowed To Walk.' He Said: 'Verily Allah [The Mighty And Sublime] Is In No Need Of This Person Punishing Himself.'" He Said: "So He Ordered Him To Ride."Another Chain From Anas That The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Saw A Man, And He Mentioned Similarly.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1537In-book reference : Book 20, Hadith 15,16English translation : Vol. 3, Book 18, Hadith 1537
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1537
This hadith about self-punishing vows gives a moving example. Anas narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم passed by an old man walking while supported between his two sons. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked what was wrong with him. They said he had vowed to walk. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then said that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is in no need of this person punishing himself. He ordered him to ride. The text focuses on the old man’s weakness and the hardship caused by the vow. It teaches that a vow is not a reason to harm oneself. The Prophet’s response was not to praise the pain, but to remove the needless burden by telling him to ride.
What we learn from this hadith
- The old man was struggling while walking because of a vow.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said Allah had no need of him punishing himself.
- The man was ordered to ride.
- The hadith warns against turning vows into self-harm.
