ذِكْرُ الْإِبَاحَةِ لِلْحَالِفِ أَنْ يَحْنَثَ يَمِينَهُ إِذَا رَأَى ذَلِكَ خَيْرًا مِنَ الْمُضِيِّ فِيهِ

Abu Bakr invited a group of people and told me, "Look after your guests." Abu Bakr added, I am going to visit the Prophet ﷺ and you should finish serving them before I return." ʿAbdur-Rahman said, So I went at once and served them with what was available at that time in the house and requested them to eat." They said, "Where is the owner of the house (i.e., Abu Bakr)?" ʿAbdur-Rahman said, "Take your meal." They said, "We will not eat till the owner of the house comes." ʿAbdur-Rahman said, "Accept your meal from us, for if my father comes and finds you not having taken your meal yet, we will be blamed severely by him, but they refused to take their meals . So I was sure that my father would be angry with me. When he came, I went away (to hide myself) from him. He asked, "What have you done (about the guests)?" They informed him the whole story. Abu Bakr called, "O ʿAbdur Rahman!" I kept quiet. He then called again. "O ʿAbdur-Rahman!" I kept quiet and he called again, "O ignorant (boy)! I beseech you by Allah, if you hear my voice, then come out!" I came out and said, "Please ask your guests (and do not be angry with me)." They said, "He has told the truth; he brought the meal to us." He said, "As you have been waiting for me, by Allah, I will not eat of it tonight." They said, "By Allah, we will not eat of it till you eat of it." He said, I have never seen a night like this night in evil. What is wrong with you? Why don't you accept your meals of hospitality from us?" (He said to me), "Bring your meal." I brought it to him, and he put his hand in it, saying, "In the name of Allah. The first (state of fury) was because of Satan." So Abu Bakr ate and so did his guests.  

لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ دُونَكَ أَضْيَافَكَ فَإِنِّي مُنْطَلِقٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَافْرُغْ مِنْ قِرَاهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَجِيءَ فَانْطَلَقَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَأَتَاهُمْ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ اطْعَمُوا فَقَالُوا أَيْنَ رَبُّ مَنْزِلِنَا قَالَ اطْعَمُوا قَالُوا مَا نَحْنُ بِآكِلِينَ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ رَبُّ مَنْزِلِنَا قَالَ اقْبَلُوا عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ جَاءَ وَلَمْ تَطْعَمُوا لَنَلْقَيَنَّ مِنْهُ فَأَبَوْا فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَلَىَّ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ تَنَحَّيْتُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ مَا صَنَعْتُمْ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ فَسَكَتُّ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ فَسَكَتُّ فَقَالَ يَا غُنْثَرُ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْمَعُ صَوْتِي لَمَّا جِئْتَ فَخَرَجْتُ فَقُلْتُ سَلْ أَضْيَافَكَ فَقَالُوا صَدَقَ أَتَانَا بِهِ قَالَ فَإِنَّمَا انْتَظَرْتُمُونِي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَطْعَمُهُ اللَّيْلَةَ فَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى تَطْعَمَهُ قَالَ لَمْ أَرَ فِي الشَّرِّ كَاللَّيْلَةِ وَيْلَكُمْ مَا أَنْتُمْ لِمَ لاَ تَقْبَلُونَ عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ هَاتِ طَعَامَكَ فَجَاءَهُ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ فَقَالَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ الأُولَى لِلشَّيْطَانِ فَأَكَلَ وَأَكَلُوا  

There came to our house some guests. It was a common practice with my father to (go) and talk to Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the night. While going he said: 'Abd al-Rahman, entertain the guests. When it was evening we served the food to them, but they refused saying: So long as the owner of the house does not come and join us, we would not take the meal. I said to them: He ('Abd Bakr) is a stern person, and if you would not do that (if you do not take the food). I fear, I may be harmed by him, but they refused. As he (my father) came, the first thing he asked was: Have you served the guests? They (the peopleof the household) said: We have not served them sofar. He said: Did I not command 'Abd al-Rahman (to do this)? He ('Abd al-Rahman) said: I slunk away and kept myself away by that time. He again said: O stupid fellow, I ask you on oath that In case you hear my voice you come to me. I came and said: By Allah, there is no fault of mine. These are your guests; you may ask them. I provided them with food but they refused to eat until you came. He said to them: Why is it that you did not accept our food? By Allah, I shall not even take food tonight (as you have not taken). They said: By Allah, we would not take until you join us. Thereupon he Abu Bakr) said: I have never seen a more unfortunate night than this. Woe be to thee! that you do not accept from us food prepared for you. He again said: What I did first (that is the taking of vow for not eating the food) was prompted by the Satan. Bring the food. The food was brought, and he ate by reciting the name of Allah and they also ate, and when it was morning he came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ and said: Messenger of Allah, their oath (that of the guests) came to be true, but mine was not true, and after that he informed him of the whole incident. He said: Your oath came to be the most true and you are the best of them. He (the narrator) said. I do not know whether he made an atonement for it.  

وَكَانَ أَبِي يَتَحَدَّثُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ وَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ افْرُغْ مِنْ أَضْيَافِكَ قَالَ فَلَمَّا أَمْسَيْتُ جِئْنَا بِقِرَاهُمْ قَالَ فَأَبَوْا فَقَالُوا حَتَّى يَجِيءَ أَبُو مَنْزِلِنَا فَيَطْعَمَ مَعَنَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ حَدِيدٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا خِفْتُ أَنْ يُصِيبَنِي مِنْهُ أَذًى قَالَ فَأَبَوْا فَلَمَّا جَاءَ لَمْ يَبْدَأْ بِشَىْءٍ أَوَّلَ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ أَفَرَغْتُمْ مِنْ أَضْيَافِكُمْ قَالَ قَالُوا لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا فَرَغْنَا قَالَ أَلَمْ آمُرْ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ وَتَنَحَّيْتُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ فَتَنَحَّيْتُ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا غُنْثَرُ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْمَعُ صَوْتِي إِلاَّ جِئْتَ قَالَ فَجِئْتُ فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ مَا لِي ذَنْبٌ هَؤُلاَءِ أَضْيَافُكَ فَسَلْهُمْ قَدْ أَتَيْتُهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَطْعَمُوا حَتَّى تَجِيءَ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَا لَكُمْ أَلاَ تَقْبَلُوا عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ أَطْعَمُهُ اللَّيْلَةَ قَالَ فَقَالُوا فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى تَطْعَمَهُ قَالَ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ كَالشَّرِّ كَاللَّيْلَةِ قَطُّ وَيْلَكُمْ مَا لَكُمْ أَنْ لاَ تَقْبَلُوا عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَّا الأُولَى فَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ هَلُمُّوا قِرَاكُمْ قَالَ فَجِيءَ بِالطَّعَامِ فَسَمَّى فَأَكَلَ وَأَكَلُوا قَالَ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ غَدَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بَرُّوا وَحَنِثْتُ قَالَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ بَلْ أَنْتَ أَبَرُّهُمْ وَأَخْيَرُهُمْ قَالَ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغْنِي كَفَّارَةٌ  

Some guests visited us, and Abu Bakr was conversing with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at night. He (Abu Bakr) said: I will not return to you until you are free from their entertainment and serving them food. So he brought them food, but they said: We shall not eat it until Abu Bakr comes (back). Abu Bakr then came and asked: What did your guest do? Are you free from their entertainment ? They said: No. I said: I brought them food, but they refused and said: We swear by Allah, we shall not take it until he comes. They said: He spoke the truth. He brought it to us, but we refused (to take it) until you come. He asked: What did prevent you ? He said: I swear by Allah, I shall not take food tonight. They said: And we also swear by Allah that we shall not take food until you take it. He said: I never saw an evil like the one tonight. He said: Bring your food near (you). He ('Abd al-Rahman) said: Their food was then brought near them. He said: In the name of Allah, and he took the food, and they also took it. I then informed him that the dawn had broken. So he went to th Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what he and they had done. He said: You are the most obedient and most trustful of them.  

وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَتَحَدَّثُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِاللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ لاَ أَرْجِعَنَّ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى تَفْرَغَ مِنْ ضِيَافَةِ هَؤُلاَءِ وَمِنْ قِرَاهُمْ فَأَتَاهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَقَالُوا لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ مَا فَعَلَ أَضْيَافُكُمْ أَفَرَغْتُمْ مِنْ قِرَاهُمْ قَالُوا لاَ قُلْتُ قَدْ أَتَيْتُهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَأَبَوْا وَقَالُوا وَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ فَقَالُوا صَدَقَ قَدْ أَتَانَا بِهِ فَأَبَيْنَا حَتَّى تَجِيءَ قَالَ فَمَا مَنَعَكُمْ قَالُوا مَكَانُكَ قَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَطْعَمُهُ اللَّيْلَةَ قَالَ فَقَالُوا وَنَحْنُ وَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى تَطْعَمَهُ قَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ فِي الشَّرِّ كَاللَّيْلَةِ قَطُّ قَالَ قَرِّبُوا طَعَامَكُمْ قَالَ فَقُرِّبَ طَعَامُهُمْ فَقَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَطَعِمَ وَطَعِمُوا فَأُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّهُ أَصْبَحَ فَغَدَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِالَّذِي صَنَعَ وَصَنَعُوا قَالَ بَلْ أَنْتَ أَبَرُّهُمْ وَأَصْدَقُهُمْ  

There came to our house some guests. It was a common practice with my father to (go) and talk to Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the night. While going he said: 'Abd al-Rahman, entertain the guests. When it was evening we served the food to them, but they refused saying: So long as the owner of the house does not come and join us, we would not take the meal. I said to them: He ('Abd Bakr) is a stern person, and if you would not do that (if you do not take the food). I fear, I may be harmed by him, but they refused. As he (my father) came, the first thing he asked was: Have you served the guests? They (the peopleof the household) said: We have not served them sofar. He said: Did I not command 'Abd al-Rahman (to do this)? He ('Abd al-Rahman) said: I slunk away and kept myself away by that time. He again said: O stupid fellow, I ask you on oath that In case you hear my voice you come to me. I came and said: By Allah, there is no fault of mine. These are your guests; you may ask them. I provided them with food but they refused to eat until you came. He said to them: Why is it that you did not accept our food? By Allah, I shall not even take food tonight (as you have not taken). They said: By Allah, we would not take until you join us. Thereupon he Abu Bakr) said: I have never seen a more unfortunate night than this. Woe be to thee! that you do not accept from us food prepared for you. He again said: What I did first (that is the taking of vow for not eating the food) was prompted by the Satan. Bring the food. The food was brought, and he ate by reciting the name of Allah and they also ate, and when it was morning he came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ and said: Messenger of Allah, their oath (that of the guests) came to be true, but mine was not true, and after that he informed him of the whole incident. He said: Your oath came to be the most true and you are the best of them. He (the narrator) said. I do not know whether he made an atonement for it. (Using translation from Muslim 2057b)   

وَكَانَ أَبِي يَتَحَدَّثُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ وَقَالَ افْرُغْ مِنْ أَضْيَافِكَ قَالَ فَلَمَّا أَمْسَيْتُ جِئْتُ بِقِرَاهُمْ قَالَ فَأَبَوْا فَقَالُوا حَتَّى يَجِيءَ أَبُو مَنْزِلِنَا فَيَطْعَمُ مَعَنَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ حَدِيدٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا خِفْتُ أَنْ يَمَسَّنِي مِنْهُ أَذًى قَالَ فَأَبَوْا فَلَمَّا جَاءَ لَمْ يَبْدَأْ بِشَيْءٍ فَقَالَ أَفَرَغْتُمْ مِنْ أَضْيَافِكُمْ قَالُوا لَا وَاللهِ مَا فَرَغْنَا قَالَ أَلَمْ آمُرْ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ؟ قَالَ فَتَنَحَّيْتُ فَقَالَ يَا غُنْثَرُ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْمَعُ صَوْتِي أَلَّا أَجَبْتَ قَالَ فَجِئْتُ قُلْتُ وَاللهِ مَا لِي ذَنْبٌ هَؤُلَاءِ أَضْيَافُكَ فَسَلْهُمْ قَدْ أَتَيْتُهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَطْعَمُوا حَتَّى تَجِيءَ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَقْبَلُونَ عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ؟ فَوَاللهِ لَا أَطْعَمُهُ اللَّيْلَةَ قَالَ فَقَالُوا وَاللهِ لَا نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى تَطْعَمَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ كَالشَّرِّ مُنْذُ اللَّيْلَةِ لَا تَقْبَلُونَ عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَّا الْأُولَى فَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ هَلُمُّوا قِرَاكُمْ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ غَدَا عَلَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ بَرُّوا وَحَنِثْتُ قَالَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ بَلْ أَنْتَ أَبَرُّهُمْ وَأَخْيَرُهُمْ قَالَ وَلَمْ يَبْلُغْنِي كَفَّارَةٌ