Breaking The Oath When That Is Better
باب الرَّجُلِ يُكَفِّرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَحْنَثَ
Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Oaths and Vows (Kitab Al-Aiman Wa Al-Nudhur)(view book)
Narrated Abu Burdah:
On the authority of his father that the Prophet ﷺ said: I swear by Allah that if Allah wills I shall swear on an oath and then consider something else to be better than it without making atonement for my oath and doing the thing that is better. Or he said (according to another version): But doing the thing that is better and making atonement for my oath.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا غَيْلاَنُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ : " إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ كَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي، وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ " . أَوْ قَالَ : " إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَكَفَّرْتُ يَمِينِي " .
Classification
Narrated 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah:
The Prophet ﷺ said to me: 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah, when you swear an oath and consider something else to be better than it, do the thing that is beter and make atonement for your oath.
Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) permitting to make atonement before breaking the oath.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ الْبَزَّازُ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ، وَمَنْصُورٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَاذَانَ - عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ : " يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ إِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا، فَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَكَفِّرْ يَمِينَكَ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ : سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ يُرَخِّصُ فِيهَا الْكَفَّارَةَ قَبْلَ الْحِنْثِ .
Classification
A similar tradition has been transmitted by 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah through a different chain if narrators. This version has:
"Make atonement for your oath and then do the thing that is better."
Abu Dawud said: The version of this tradition transmitted by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, 'Adi b. Hatim and Abu Hurairah are variant. Some of them indicate breaking the oath before making atonement, and other making atonement before breaking the oath.
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، نَحْوَهُ قَالَ : " فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ، ثُمَّ ائْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ : أَحَادِيثُ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ وَعَدِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ رُوِيَ عَنْ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ فِي بَعْضِ الرِّوَايَةِ الْحِنْثُ قَبْلَ الْكَفَّارَةِ وَفِي بَعْضِ الرِّوَايَةِ الْكَفَّارَةُ قَبْلَ الْحِنْثِ .