My Companions sent me to Messenger of Allah ﷺ to ask him for some animals to ride on as they were accompanying him in the army of Al-Usra, and that was the Ghazwa (Battle) of Tabuk, I said, "O Allah's Prophet! My companions have sent me to you to provide them with means of transportation." He said, "By Allah! I will not make you ride anything." It happened that when I reached him, he was in an angry mood, and I didn't notice it. So I returned in a sad mood because of the refusal the Prophet ﷺ and for the fear that the Prophet ﷺ might have become 'angry with me. So I returned to my companions and informed them of what the Prophet ﷺ had said. Only a short while had passed when I heard Bilal calling, "O ʿAbdullah bin Qais!" I replied to his call. Bilal said, "Respond to Messenger of Allah ﷺ who is calling you." When I went to him (i.e. the Prophet), he said, "Take these two camels tied together and also these two camels tied together,"' referring to six camels he had brought them from Saʿd at that time. The Prophet ﷺ added, "Take them to your companions and say, 'Allah (or Messenger of Allah ﷺ ) allows you to ride on these,' so ride on them." So I took those camels to them and said, "The Prophet ﷺ allows you to ride on these (camels) but by Allah, I will not leave you till some of you proceed with me to somebody who heard the statement of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Do not think that I narrate to you a thing which Messenger of Allah ﷺ has not said." They said to me, "We consider you truthful, and we will do what you like." The sub-narrator added: So Abu Musa proceeded along with some of them till they came to those who have heard the statement of Messenger of Allah ﷺ wherein he denied them (some animals to ride on) and (his statement) whereby he gave them the same. So these people told them the same information as Abu Musa had told them.  

أَرْسَلَنِي أَصْحَابِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْأَلُهُ الْحُمْلاَنَ لَهُمْ إِذْ هُمْ مَعَهُ فِي جَيْشِ الْعُسْرَةِ وَهْىَ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكَ فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَصْحَابِي أَرْسَلُونِي إِلَيْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ وَوَافَقْتُهُ وَهْوَ غَضْبَانُ وَلاَ أَشْعُرُ وَرَجَعْتُ حَزِينًا مِنْ مَنْعِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمِنْ مَخَافَةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَجَدَ فِي نَفْسِهِ عَلَىَّ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَصْحَابِي فَأَخْبَرْتُهُمُ الَّذِي قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَلَمْ أَلْبَثْ إِلاَّ سُوَيْعَةً إِذْ سَمِعْتُ بِلاَلاً يُنَادِي أَىْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ فَأَجَبْتُهُ فَقَالَ أَجِبْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدْعُوكَ فَلَمَّا أَتَيْتُهُ قَالَ خُذْ هَذَيْنِ الْقَرِينَيْنِ وَهَذَيْنِ الْقَرِينَيْنِ لِسِتَّةِ أَبْعِرَةٍ ابْتَاعَهُنَّ حِينَئِذٍ مِنْ سَعْدٍ فَانْطَلِقْ بِهِنَّ إِلَى أَصْحَابِكَ فَقُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَوْ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ فَارْكَبُوهُنَّ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهِنَّ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ وَلَكِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَدَعُكُمْ حَتَّى يَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى مَنْ سَمِعَ مَقَالَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ تَظُنُّوا أَنِّي حَدَّثْتُكُمْ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَقُلْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالُوا لِي إِنَّكَ عِنْدَنَا لَمُصَدَّقٌ وَلَنَفْعَلَنَّ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ فَانْطَلَقَ أَبُو مُوسَى بِنَفَرٍ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى أَتَوُا الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا قَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْعَهُ إِيَّاهُمْ ثُمَّ إِعْطَاءَهُمْ بَعْدُ فَحَدَّثُوهُمْ بِمِثْلِ مَا حَدَّثَهُمْ بِهِ أَبُو مُوسَى  

Once we were in the house of Abu Musa who presented a meal containing cooked chicken. A man from the tribe of Bani Taim Allah with red complexion as if he were from the Byzantine war prisoners, was present. Abu Musa invited him to share the meal but he (apologised) saying. "I saw chickens eating dirty things and so I have had a strong aversion to eating them, and have taken an oath that I will not eat chickens." Abu Musa said, "Come along, I will tell you about this matter (i.e. how to cancel one's oath). I went to the Prophet ﷺ in the company of a group of Al-Ashariyin, asked him to provide us with means of conveyance. He said, 'By Allah, I will not provide you with any means of conveyance and I have nothing to make you ride on.' Then some camels as booty were brought to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he asked for us saying. 'Where are the group of Al-Ashʿariyun?' Then he ordered that we should be given five camels with white humps. When we set out we said, 'What have we done? We will never be blessed (with what we have been given).' So, we returned to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'We asked you to provide us with means of conveyance, but you took an oath that you would not provide us with any means of conveyance. Did you forget (your oath when you gave us the camels)? He replied. 'I have not provided you with means of conveyance, but Allah has provided you with it, and by Allah, Allah willing, if ever I take an oath to do something, and later on I find that it is more beneficial to do something different, I will do the thing which is better, and give expiation for my oath."  

كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسَى فَأُتِيَ ذَكَرَ دَجَاجَةً وَعِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَيْمِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَرُ كَأَنَّهُ مِنَ الْمَوَالِي فَدَعَاهُ لِلطَّعَامِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا فَقَذِرْتُهُ فَحَلَفْتُ لاَ آكُلُ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ فَلأُحَدِّثْكُمْ عَنْ ذَاكَ إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِنَهْبِ إِبِلٍ فَسَأَلَ عَنَّا فَقَالَ أَيْنَ النَّفَرُ الأَشْعَرِيُّونَ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِخَمْسِ ذَوْدٍ غُرِّ الذُّرَى فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قُلْنَا مَا صَنَعْنَا لاَ يُبَارَكُ لَنَا فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْنَا إِنَّا سَأَلْنَاكَ أَنْ تَحْمِلَنَا فَحَلَفْتَ أَنْ لاَ تَحْمِلَنَا أَفَنَسِيتَ قَالَ لَسْتُ أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَمَلَكُمْ وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا  

The Prophet ﷺ said, "O ʿAbdur-Rahman bin Samura! Do not seek to be a ruler, because if you are given authority for it, then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking for it, then you will be helped in it (by Allah): and whenever you take an oath to do something and later you find that something else is better than the first, then do the better one and make expiation for your oath."  

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ لاَ تَسْأَلِ الإِمَارَةَ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أُوتِيتَهَا عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ وُكِلْتَ إِلَيْهَا وَإِنْ أُوتِيتَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ أُعِنْتَ عَلَيْهَا وَإِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

The Prophet ﷺ said, "O ʿAbdur-Rahman bin Samura! Do not seek to be a ruler, because if you are given authority for it, then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking for it, then you will be helped in it (by Allah): and whenever you take an oath to do something and later you find that something else is better than the first, then do the better one and make expiation for your oath."  

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ لاَ تَسْأَلِ الإِمَارَةَ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أُوتِيتَهَا عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ وُكِلْتَ إِلَيْهَا وَإِنْ أُوتِيتَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ أُعِنْتَ عَلَيْهَا وَإِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ