20/11. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1539 — Fulfill a Vow of I'tikaf
What Has Been Related About Fulfilling Vows
Hadith About Fulfilling a Vow of I'tikaf
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1539
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1539
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ نَذَرْتُ أَنْ أَعْتَكِفَ لَيْلَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ . قَالَ " أَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ عُمَرَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ إِلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالُوا إِذَا أَسْلَمَ الرَّجُلُ وَعَلَيْهِ نَذْرُ طَاعَةٍ فَلْيَفِ بِهِ . وَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَغَيْرِهِمْ لاَ اعْتِكَافَ إِلاَّ بِصَوْمٍ . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ لَيْسَ عَلَى الْمُعْتَكِفِ صَوْمٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُوجِبَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ صَوْمًا . وَاحْتَجُّوا بِحَدِيثِ عُمَرَ أَنَّهُ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ لَيْلَةً فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالْوَفَاءِ . وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَحْمَدَ وَإِسْحَاقَ .
'Umar Narrated from:
I Said:'O Messenger Of Allah! I Had Vowed To Perform I'Tikaf In Al-Masjid Al-Haram For A Night During The Era Of Jahiliyyah.' He Said: 'Fulfill Your Vow.''
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1539In-book reference : Book 20, Hadith 18English translation : Vol. 2, Book 18, Hadith 1539
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1539
This hadith about fulfilling a vow of i'tikaf records a question from Umar. He said to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم that he had vowed, during the era of Jahiliyyah, to perform i'tikaf for one night in Al-Masjid Al-Haram. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: fulfill your vow. The hadith is focused on a vow of worship, not a vow of disobedience. It also names the place, Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and the time length, one night. The main lesson is that a vow of obedience is not ignored when it remains a valid act of worship. The notes after the narration mention scholarly discussion about i'tikaf and fasting, but the central wording is the Prophet’s short answer: fulfill your vow.
What we learn from this hadith
- Umar asked about a vow of i'tikaf made before Islam.
- The vow was for one night in Al-Masjid Al-Haram.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to fulfill the vow.
- A vow of obedience is treated seriously in this narration.
