I went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ along with a group of people from (the tribe of) Al-Ashʿari, asking for mounts. The Prophet ﷺ said, "By Allah, I will not give you anything to ride, and I have nothing to mount you on." We stayed there as long as Allah wished, and after that, some camels were brought to the Prophet and he ordered that we be given three camels. When we set out, some of us said to others, "Allah will not bless us, as we all went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ asking him for mounts, and although he had sworn that he would not give us mounts, he did give us." So we returned to the Prophet; and mentioned that to him. He said, "I have not provided you with mounts, but Allah has. By Allah, Allah willing, if I ever take an oath, and then see that another is better than the first, I make expiration for my (dissolved) oath, and do what is better and make expiration."  

أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ مَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ ثُمَّ لَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَأُتِيَ بِإِبِلٍ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِثَلاَثَةِ ذَوْدٍ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ لاَ يُبَارِكُ اللَّهُ لَنَا أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لاَ يَحْمِلَنَا فَحَمَلَنَا فَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى فَأَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ حَمَلَكُمْ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ كَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَكَفَّرْتُ  

I went to the Prophet ﷺ along with a group of Al-Ashʿariyin in order to request him to provide us with mounts. He said, "By Allah, I will not provide you with mounts and I haven't got anything to mount you on." Then we stayed there as long as Allah wished us to stay, and then three very nice looking she-camels were brought to him and he made us ride them. When we left, we, or some of us, said, "By Allah, we will not be blessed, as we came to the Prophet ﷺ asking him for mounts, and he swore that he would not give us any mounts but then he did give us. So let us go back to the Prophet ﷺ and remind him (of his oath)." When we returned to him (and reminded him of the fact), he said, "I did not give you mounts, but it is Allah Who gave you. By Allah, Allah willing, if I ever take an oath to do something and then I find something else than the first, I will make expiation for my oath and do the thing which is better (or do something which is better and give the expiation for my oath).  

أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ لَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ نَلْبَثَ ثُمَّ أُتِيَ بِثَلاَثِ ذَوْدٍ غُرِّ الذُّرَى فَحَمَلَنَا عَلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قُلْنَا أَوْ قَالَ بَعْضُنَا وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُبَارَكُ لَنَا أَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لاَ يَحْمِلَنَا ثُمَّ حَمَلَنَا فَارْجِعُوا بِنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنُذَكِّرُهُ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ حَمَلَكُمْ وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ كَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ أَوْ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَكَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي  

I came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ along with a group of Ash'arites requesting to give us a mount. He (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I cannot provide you with a mount, and there is nothing with me which I should give you as a ride. He (the narrator) said: We stayed there as long as Allah willed. Then there were brought to him (to the Holy Prophet) camels. He (the Holy Prophet) then ordered to give us three white humped camels, We started and said (or some of us said to the others): Allah will not bless us. We came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ begging him to provide us with riding camels. He swore that he could not provide us with a mount, but later on he provided us with that. They (some of the Prophet's Companions) came and informed him about this (rankling of theirs), whereupon he said: It was not I who provided you with a mount, but Allah has provided you with that. So far as I am concerned, by Allah, if He so wills, I would not swear, but if, later on, I would see better than it, I (would break the vow) and expiate it and do that which is better.  

أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَلَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ أُتِيَ بِإِبِلٍ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِثَلاَثِ ذَوْدٍ غُرِّ الذُّرَى فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قُلْنَا أَوْ قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ لاَ يُبَارِكُ اللَّهُ لَنَا أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لاَ يَحْمِلَنَا ثُمَّ حَمَلَنَا فَأَتَوْهُ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَمَلَكُمْ وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ ثُمَّ أَرَى خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ كَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

We came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ requesting him to provide us with riding camels. He (the Holy Prophet) said: There is nothing with me with which I should equip you. By Allah, I would not provide you with (riding camels). Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent to us three camels with spotted bumps. We said: We came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ asking him to equip us with riding animals. He took an oath that he could not equip us. We came to him and informed him. He said: By Allah, I do not take an oath, but when I find the other thing better than that, I do that which is better.  

أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ مَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِثَلاَثَةِ ذَوْدٍ بُقْعِ الذُّرَى فَقُلْنَا إِنَّا أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لاَ يَحْمِلَنَا فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ أَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

"I came to the Messenger of Allah with a group of the Ash'ari people and asked him to give us animals to ride. He said: 'By Allah, I cannot give you anything to ride and I have nothing to give you to ride.' We stayed as long as Allah willed, then some camels were brought to him. He ordered that we be given three fine-looking camels. When we left, we said to one another: 'We came to the Messenger of Allah to ask him for animals to ride, and he swore by Allah that he would not give us anything to ride, then he gave us something.'" Abu Musa said: "We came to the Prophet and told him about that. He said: 'I did not give you animals to ride, rather Allah gave you them to ride. By Allah, I do not swear an oath and then see something better than it, but I offer expiation for my oath and do that which is better.'"  

أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ ثُمَّ لَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَأُتِيَ بِإِبِلٍ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِثَلاَثِ ذَوْدٍ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ لاَ يُبَارِكُ اللَّهُ لَنَا أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لاَ يَحْمِلَنَا قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى فَأَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ حَمَلَكُمْ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ كَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

[Machine] We came to the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , to carry him. He said, "No, by Allah, I will not carry you." So when we returned, the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , sent three measures of barley to us. He said, "So I said, the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , swore that he would not carry us, but then he carried us. So we came to him and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, indeed you swore not to carry us, but you carried us.' He said, 'I did not carry you, but Allah carried you. And by Allah, I do not swear an oath on my right hand, but if I see any other oath better than it, I fulfill it.'" Abu 'Abdur-Rahman said, "My father said, 'Abu As-Saleel Dhirayb ibn Nuqayr said...'"  

أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ لَا وَاللهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِثَلَاثِ ذَوْدٍ بُقْعِ الذُّرَى قَالَ فَقُلْتُ حَلَفَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَنْ لَايَحْمِلَنَا ثُمَّ حَمَلَنَا فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّكَ حَلَفْتَ أَنْ لَا تَحْمِلَنَا فَحَمَلْتَنَا فَقَالَ لَمْ أَحْمِلْكُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ حَمَلَكُمْ وَاللهِ لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَتَيْتُهُ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ أَبِي أَبُو السَّلِيلِ ضُرَيْبُ بْنُ نُقَيْرٍ  

[Machine] "We were on foot, and we went to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ to carry him. He said, 'By Allah, I will not let you carry me today,' or he said, 'By Allah, I will not let you carry me.' When we returned to the residence or when we returned to the residence, a herd of camels came to him. He sent us three pieces of barley, some of us said to each other, 'Should we ride while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has already ridden?' So we went to him and said, 'O Prophet of Allah, you have already ridden.' He said, 'By Allah, I do not let you carry me, Allah is the one who carries you, and whatever is on the earth from the right side, I take an oath on it, and then I see something better than it, I will go to it or I will go to it.'"  

كُنَّا مُشَاةً فَأَتَيْنَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ «وَاللَّهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكُمُ الْيَوْمَ» أَوْ قَالَ «وَاللَّهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ» قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَنْزِلِ أَوْ قَالَ حِينَ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَنْزِلِ أَتَاهُ قَطِيعٌ مِنْ إِبِلٍ فَإِذَا قَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا بِثَلَاثٍ بُقْعِ الذُّرَى قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ أَنَرْكَبُ وَقَدْ حَلَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَقُلْنَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ قَدْ حَلَفْتَ قَالَ «إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ إِنَّمَا حَمَلَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَمَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنْ يَمِينٍ أَحْلِفُ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ أَرَى خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَتَيْتُهَا أَوْ أَتَيْتُهُ»  

[Machine] We carried the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on our shoulders, and he said, "I swear by Allah, I am not carrying you. I do not have what I can carry you on." So when we returned, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent to us three camels, and I said, "O Messenger of Allah, you have sworn not to carry us, but you carried us." He said, "I did not carry you, but Allah carried you. By Allah, I do not swear by any right hand to show that there is something better than it unless I fulfill it."  

أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِثَلَاثٍ ذَوْدٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّكَ حَلَفْتَ أَنْ لَا تَحْمِلَنَا فَحَمَلْتَنَا قَالَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ حَمَلَكُمْ وَاللهِ لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَتَيْتُهُ