Vows of Disobedience are Prohibited

Abu `Abdur-Rahman and Hibban bin 'Atiyya had a dispute. Abu `Abdur-Rahman said to Hibban, "You know what made your companions (i.e. `Ali) dare to shed blood." Hibban said, "Come on! What is that?" `Abdur-Rahman said, "Something I heard him saying." The other said, "What was it?" `AbdurRahman said, "`Ali said, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for me, Az-Zubair and Abu Marthad, and all of us were cavalry men, and said, 'Proceed to Raudat-Hajj (Abu Salama said that Abu 'Awana called it like this, i.e., Hajj where there is a woman carrying a letter from Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to the pagans (of Mecca). So bring that letter to me.' So we proceeded riding on our horses till we overtook her at the same place of which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had told us. She was traveling on her camel. In that letter Hatib had written to the Meccans about the proposed attached of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) against them. We asked her, "Where is the letter which is with you?' She replied, 'I haven't got any letter.' So we made her camel kneel down and searched her luggage, but we did not find anything. My two companions said, 'We do not think that she has got a letter.' I said, 'We know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has not told a lie.'" Then `Ali took an oath saying, "By Him by Whom one should swear! You shall either bring out the letter or we shall strip off your clothes." She then stretched out her hand for her girdle (round her waist) and brought out the paper (letter). They took the letter to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). `Umar said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! (Hatib) has betrayed Allah, His Apostle and the believers; let me chop off his neck!" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Hatib! What obliged you to do what you have done?" Hatib replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Why (for what reason) should I not believe in Allah and His Apostle? But I intended to do the (Mecca) people a favor by virtue of which my family and property may be protected as there is none of your companions but has some of his people (relatives) whom Allah urges to protect his family and property." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He has said the truth; therefore, do not say anything to him except good." `Umar again said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! He has betrayed Allah, His Apostle and the believers; let me chop his neck off!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Isn't he from those who fought the battle of Badr? And what do you know, Allah might have looked at them (Badr warriors) and said (to them), 'Do what you like, for I have granted you Paradise?' " On that, `Umar's eyes became flooded with tears and he said, "Allah and His Apostle know best."

The dawn prayer had commenced when the Messen- ger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a person observing prayer, whereas the Mu'adhdhin had pronounced the Iqama. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Do you say four (rak'ahs) of Fard in the dawn prayer?

"Sa'd bin 'Ubadah came to the Prophet and said: 'My mother died and she had sworn a vow, but she did not fulfill it.' He said: 'Fulfill it on her behalf.'"

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar, that 'Umar had vowed to spend a night in 'Itikaf during the Jahiliyyah. He asked the Messenger of Allah about that, and he ordered him to perform the 'Itikaf.

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever swears an oath and says: If Allah wills, then he has made an exception.'"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: A vow does not provide for the son of Adam anything which I did not decree for him, but a vow draws it. A Divine decree is one which I have destined, it is extracted from a miser. He is given what he was not given before.

Adba belonged to a man of Banu 'Aqil. It used to go ahead of pligrims. The man was then captivated. He was brought in chains to the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) was riding on a donkey with a blanket on him. He said: Muhammad, why do you arrest me and capture the one (i.e. the she-camel) which goes ahead of the pilgrims. He replied: We are arresting you on account of the crime committed by your allies Thaqid. Thaqif captivated two persons from among the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). He said (whatever he said) I am a Muslim, or he said: I have embraced Islam. When the Prophet (ﷺ) went ahead, he called him: O Muhammed, O Muhammed. Abu Dawud said: I learnt it from the version of the narrator Muhammad b. 'Isa. The Prophet (ﷺ) was compassionate and kind hearted. So he returned to him, and asked: What is the matter with you ? He replied: I am a Muslim. He said: Had you said it when the matter was in your hand, you would have succeeded completely. Abu Dawud said: I then returned to the version of the narrator Sulaiman (b. Harb). He said: Muhammad, I am hungry, so feed me. I am thirsty, so give me water. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: This is your need, or he said: This is his need (the narrator is doubtful). Later on the man was taken back (by Thaqif) as a ransom for the two men (of the Companions of the Prophet). The Prophet (ﷺ) retained 'Adba for his journey. The narrator said: The polytheists raided the pasturing animals of Medina and they took away 'Adba. When they took away 'Adba, they also captivated a Muslim woman. They used to leave their camels in the fields for rest at night. One night they slept and the (Muslim) woman stood up. Any camel on which she put her hand brayed until she came to 'Adba. She came to a she-camel which was docile and experienced. She then rode on her and vowed to Allah that if He saved her, she would sacrifice it. When she came to Medina, the people recognized the she-camel of the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) was then informed about it and he sent for her. She was brought to him and she informed him about her vow. He said: It is a bad return that you have given it. Allah has not saved you, on its (back) that you now sacrifice it. A vow to do an act of disobedience must not be fulfilled, or to do something over which one has no control.

Abu Dawud said: This woman was the wife of Abu Dharr.

A Marfu' narration (from the Prophet (ﷺ)), saying: "A crippled animal whose limp is obvious is not to be slaughtered as sacrifice, nor an animal with a bad eye whose blindness is obvious, nor a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, nor an emaciated animal that has no marrow (in its bones)."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There are some words, the reciters of which will never be disappointed. These are: Tasbih

[saying 'Subhan-Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)], thirty-three times, Tahmid

[saying 'Al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah)] thirty-three times and Takbir

[saying 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is Greatest)] thirty-four times; and these should be recited after the conclusion of every prescribed prayer."

[Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took hold of my hand and said, "O Mu'adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: "Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika (O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner)."

[Abu Dawud].