Mishkat al-Masabih

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone takes a vow but does not name it, its atonement is the same as that for an oath; if anyone takes a vow to do an act of disobedience, its atonement is the same as that for an oath; if anyone takes a vow he is unable to fulfil, its atonement is the same as that for an oath; but if anyone takes a vow he is able to fulfil, he must do so.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but some traced it no farther back than Ibn ‘Abbas.

Thabit b. ad-Dahhak said that in the time of God's Messenger a man took a vow to slaughter camels at Buwana and came and told him. God’s Messenger asked whether the place contained any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times and was told that it did not. He asked whether any pre-Islamic festival was observed there and was told that no such thing was observed. He then said to the man, “Fulfil your vow, for a vow to do an act of disobedience to God must not be fulfilled, neither must one to do something over which a human being has no control.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told of a woman who said, “Messenger of God, I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you,” to which he replied, “Fulfil your vow.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. Razin added that she said, “And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such and such a place,” a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre-Islamic times. He asked whether that place contained any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times, and she replied that it did not. He asked whether any pre-Islamic festival was observed there, and she replied that none was. He then said, “Fulfil your vow.” Razin

bu Lubaba told that she said to the Prophet, “To make my repentance complete* I should abandon my people’s abode in which I committed sin and divest myself of all my property to be given as sadaqa.” He replied, “A third will be enough for you to give.” Razin transmitted it. * The story is given in Ibn Hisham’s as-Sirat an nabawiya (Cairo, 1355/1936), iii. 247. Quraiza had consulted him as to whether they should surrender unconditionally, and while he replied that they should, he put his hand to his throat to indicate that if they did they would be put to death, thus giving them a warning. Al-Qur’an, 8:27 is said to be connected with this incident.

Jabir b. ‘Abdallah told that a man got up on the day of the Conquest and said, “Messenger of God, I have vowed to God who is great and glorious that if God conquers Mecca at your hands I shall pray two rak'as in Jerusalem.” He replied, “Pray here.” He repeated his statement to him and he replied, “Pray here.” He again repeated it to him and he replied, “Pursue your own course, then.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that the sister of ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir took a vow to perform the Pilgrimage on foot, but was unable to do so. God’s Messenger then said, “God is not in need of your sister’s walking, so let her ride and present a sacrificial camel.”* Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it. *Arabic budana In a version by Abu Dawud it says the Prophet ordered her to ride and offer animals for sacrifice.* In another version by him the Prophet said, “God gets no good from the affliction your sister imposes on herself, so let her perform the Pilgrimage riding and make atonement for her oath.” Abu Dawud. *Arabic hady

‘Abdallah b. Malik told that when ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir consulted the Prophet about a sister of his who had vowed to perform the Pilgrimage. If barefoot and bareheaded, he said, “Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib told that there were two brothers among the Ansar who shared an inheritance and that when one of them asked the other for the portion due to him he replied, “If you ask me again for the portion due to you, all my property will be devoted to the Ka'ba.”1 ‘Umar, telling him that the Ka'ba did not need his property, ordered I him to make atonement for his oath and speak to his brother, for he had heard God’s Messenger say, “An oath or a vow to disobey the Lord, t or to break ties of relationship, or about something over which one has no control is not binding on you.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. 1. Fi ritaj al-ka'ba. This phrase which speaks of the door of the Ka'ba is used as a phrase for the Ka'ba itself. 2. Mirqat, iii, 570 says it means he is to speak to his brother about repeating his request.

‘Imran b. Husain told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Vows are of two kinds, so if anyone vows to do an act of obedience, that is for God and must be fulfilled; but if anyone vows, to do an act of disobedience, that is for the devil and must not be fulfilled, but he must make atonement for it to the extent he would do in the case of an oath.”

Muhammad b. al-Muntashir told of a man who vowed to sacrifice himself if God rescued him from his enemy. He consulted Ibn ‘Abbas who told him to consult Masruq, and when he consulted him he replied, “Do not sacrifice yourself, for if you are a believer, you will kill a believing soul, and if you are an infidel you will hasten to hell; but buy a ram and sacrifice it for the poor, for Isaac was better than you and he was ransomed with a ram.”* He told Ibn ‘Abbas and he replied, “This is the decision I wanted to give you.” Razin transmitted it. *This agrees with the story in the Old Testament which says that Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac, whereas the usual Muslim version is that it was Ishmael.

a life for a life; a married man who commits fornication; and one who turns aside from his religion and abandons the community.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A believer will continue to find ample scope in his religion as long as he does not kill anyone unlawfully.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Shedding of blood will be the first matter about which judgment will be given on the day of resurrection.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad told that he said, “Tell me, Messenger of God, supposing I meet an infidel and we fight together and he strikes one of my hands with his sword and cuts it off, then flies for refuge from me to a tree and says he has submitted himself to God (or, in another version, says when I intend to kill him that there is no god but God), shall I kill him after he has said it?” He replied, “Do not kill him.” He protested, “But, Messenger of God, he cut off one of my hands.” God’s Messenger then replied, “Do not kill him, for if you do so, he will be in the position in which you were before you killed him, and you will be in the position in which he was before he made his testimony.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *i.e. he will now be one for whose killing retaliation may be demanded, and you will be one whose blood may lawfully be shed.

God’s Messenger sent us to some people of Juhaina, and I attacked one of them and was about to spear him when he said, “There is no god but God.” I then speared him and killed him, after which I went and told the Prophet. He said, “Did you kill him when he had testified that there is no god but God?” I replied, “Messenger of God, he did that only as a means to escape death.” He asked, “Why did you not split his heart?”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *He is here rebuked for attributing motives to the man when he could not know his inner motive. Splitting the heart is a figure of speech for examining the inner motives. In the version of Jundub b. ‘Abdallah al-Bajali God’s Messenger is reported as saying several times, “How will you deal with ‘There is no god but God’ when it comes on the day of resurrection?” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone kills a man who has made a covenant* he will not experience the fragrance of paradise, yet its odour can be experienced at a distance of forty years’ journey.” Bukhari transmitted it. * Mu'ahid. This is used of a member of protected communities, but is also used of anyone who belongs to a non-Muslim community with whom a treaty of peace has been made.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be thrown down in the fire of jahannam and remain in it for ever and ever; he who sips poison and kills himself will have his poison in his hand and sip it for ever and ever in the fire of jahannam; and he who kills himself with a piece of iron will have his piece of iron in his hand and will be stabbed with it in his belly in the fire of jahannam for ever and ever.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's Messenger as saying, “He who strangles himself will do so in hell, and he who thrusts a spear into himself will do so in hell.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Jundub b. ‘Abdallah reported God’s Messenger as saying that among those who lived before their time there was a man who had a wound and had so little patience to bear it that he took a knife with which he cut off his hand, but the blood did not cease to flow till he died. God most high said, “My servant has tried to outstrip me in taking his life, so I have excluded him from paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said that when the Prophet emigrated to Medina at-Tufail b. ‘Amr ad-Dausi did so also accompanied by one of his people who became ill and had so little patience to bear it that he took some arrow heads of his with which he cut his knuckles, and his hands flowed with blood till he died. Then at-Tufail b. ‘Amr saw him in a dream with a fine appearance and saw him covering his hands, so he said to him, “What did your Lord do to you?" He replied, “He forgave me because of my emigration to His prophet.” He asked, “How is it that I see you covering your hands? He replied that it had been said to him, “We will not put right what you have spoilt." At-Tufail told this to the Prophet and he said, “O God, forgive his hands also." Muslim transmitted it.