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  

My friends sent me to Messenger of Allah ﷺ asking him to provide them with mounts as they were going along with him in jaish al-'Usrah (the army of destitutes or of meagre means or army setting out during the hard times and that is the occasion of the expedition of Tabuk) I said: Apostle of Allah, my friends have sent me to you so that you may provide them with mounts. He (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I cannot provide you with anything to ride. And it so happened that he was at that time much perturbed. I little knew of it, so I came back with a heavy heart on account of the refusal of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and the fear that Messenger of Allah ﷺ might have some feelings against me. I returned to my friends and informed them about what Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said. I had hardly stayed for a little that I heard Bilal calling: 'Abdullah b. Qais. I responded to his call. He said: Hasten to Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he is calling you, When I came to the Prophet ﷺ he said: Take this pair, this pair, and this pair (i. e. six camels which he had bought from Sa'd), and take them to y, our friends and say: Verily Allah (or he said: Verily Messenger of Allah ﷺ has provided you with these animals. So ride upon them. Abu Musa said: I went along with them to my friends and said: Verily Messenger of Allah ﷺ has provided you with these animals for riding; but by Allah, I shall not leave you until some of you go along with me to him who had heard the talk of Messenger of Allah ﷺ then I asked him for you, and his refusal for the first time, and then his granting them to me subsequently; so you should not think that I narrated to you something which he did not say. They said to me: By Allah, in our opinion you are certainly truthful, and we would do as you like. So Abu Musa went along withsome of the menfrom them until they came to those who had heard the words of Messenger of Allah (may, peace be upon him) and his refusal to (provide) them with (animals) ; and subsequently his granting (the animals) to them; and they narrated to them exactly as Abu Masa had narrated to them.  

أَرْسَلَنِي أَصْحَابِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْأَلُهُ لَهُمُ الْحُمْلاَنَ إِذْ هُمْ مَعَهُ فِي جَيْشِ الْعُسْرَةِ وَهِيَ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكَ فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَصْحَابِي أَرْسَلُونِي إِلَيْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ وَوَافَقْتُهُ وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ وَلاَ أَشْعُرُ فَرَجَعْتُ حَزِينًا مِنْ مَنْعِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمِنْ مَخَافَةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ وَجَدَ فِي نَفْسِهِ عَلَىَّ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَصْحَابِي فَأَخْبَرْتُهُمُ الَّذِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ أَلْبَثْ إِلاَّ سُوَيْعَةً إِذْ سَمِعْتُ بِلاَلاً يُنَادِي أَىْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ فَأَجَبْتُهُ فَقَالَ أَجِبْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدْعُوكَ فَلَمَّا أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ خُذْ هَذَيْنِ الْقَرِينَيْنِ وَهَذَيْنِ 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 قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى أَصْحَابِي بِهِنَّ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ وَلَكِنْ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَدَعُكُمْ حَتَّى يَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى مَنْ سَمِعَ مَقَالَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ سَأَلْتُهُ لَكُمْ وَمَنْعَهُ فِي أَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ ثُمَّ إِعْطَاءَهُ إِيَّاىَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لاَ تَظُنُّوا أَنِّي حَدَّثْتُكُمْ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَقُلْهُ فَقَالُوا لِي وَاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ عِنْدَنَا لَمُصَدَّقٌ وَلَنَفْعَلَنَّ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ فَانْطَلَقَ أَبُو مُوسَى بِنَفَرٍ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى أَتَوُا الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا قَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَنْعَهُ إِيَّاهُمْ ثُمَّ إِعْطَاءَهُمْ بَعْدُ فَحَدَّثُوهُمْ بِمَا حَدَّثَهُمْ بِهِ أَبُو مُوسَى سَوَاءً  

We were sitting in the company of Abu Musa that he called for food and it consisted of flesh of fowl. It was then that a person from Banu Tamim visited him. His complexion was red having the resemblance of a slave. He said to him: Come and (join me in food). He showed reluctance. He (Abu Masa) said: Come on, for I saw Messenger of Allah ﷺ eating it (fowl's meat), whereupon that person said: I saw it eating something (of filth and rubbish) and I found it repugnant and took an oath that I would never eat that. He (Abu Muds) said: Come, so that I would narrate to you about that (the incident pertaining to vow). (And he narrated thus): I came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ along with a group of people belonging to the tribe of Ash'ari, asking him to provide us with riding camels. He (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I cannot provide you with riding animals. And there is nothing with me with which I can provide you a mount. We stayed (for some time) there as Allah willed, and there was brought to Messenger of Allah ﷺ booty of camels. He called us and commanded that we should be given five white humped camels. As we were about to go back, some of us said to the other: As we made Messenger of Allah ﷺ forget oath, there would be no blessing for us (in his gift). We went back to him and said: Messenger of Allah, we came to you to provide us with riding animals and you took an oath that you would never equip us with mounts and then you have provided us with the riding beasts Messenger of Allah, have you forgotten? Thereupon he said: I swear by Allah that if Allah so wills, I shall not swear 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. So you go; Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has given you riding animals.  

أَيُّوبُ وَأَنَا لِحَدِيثِ الْقَاسِمِ أَحْفَظُ مِنِّي لِحَدِيثِ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسَى فَدَعَا بِمَائِدَتِهِ وَعَلَيْهَا لَحْمُ دَجَاجٍ فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَيْمِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَرُ شَبِيهٌ بِالْمَوَالِي فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلُمَّ فَتَلَكَّأَ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ فَإِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا فَقَذِرْتُهُ فَحَلَفْتُ أَنْ لاَ أَطْعَمَهُ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ أُحَدِّثْكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ فَلَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِنَهْبِ إِبِلٍ فَدَعَا بِنَا فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِخَمْسِ ذَوْدٍ غُرِّ الذُّرَى قَالَ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ أَغْفَلْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمِينَهُ لاَ يُبَارَكُ لَنَا فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا أَتَيْنَاكَ نَسْتَحْمِلُكَ وَإِنَّكَ حَلَفْتَ أَنْ لاَ تَحْمِلَنَا ثُمَّ حَمَلْتَنَا أَفَنَسِيتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا فَانْطَلِقُوا فَإِنَّمَا حَمَلَكُمُ اللَّهُ ﷻ  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari with a slight variation of words.  

كَانَ بَيْنَ هَذَا الْحَىِّ مِنْ جَرْمٍ وَبَيْنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ وُدٌّ وَإِخَاءٌ فَكُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ فَقُرِّبَ إِلَيْهِ طَعَامٌ فِيهِ لَحْمُ دَجَاجٍ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ  

We were in the company of Abu Musa. The rest of the hadith is the same.  

كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسَى وَاقْتَصُّوا جَمِيعًا الْحَدِيثَ بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ حَمَّادِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ  

I visited Abu Musa and lie was eating fowl's meat. The rest of the hadith is the same with this addition that he (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I did not forget it.  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي مُوسَى وَهُوَ يَأْكُلُ لَحْمَ دَجَاجٍ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِنَحْوِ حَدِيثِهِمْ وَزَادَ فِيهِ قَالَ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا نَسِيتُهَا  

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  

We walked on foot and came to Allah's Apostle (may peace he upon him) asking him to provide us with mounts. The rest of the hadith is the same.  

كُنَّا مُشَاةً فَأَتَيْنَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ بِنَحْوِ حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ  

A person sat late in the night with Allah's Apostle ﷺ, and then came to his family and found that his children had gone to sleep. His wife brought food for him. but he took an oath that he would not eat because of his children (having gone to sleep without food) He then gave precedence (of breaking the vow and then expiating it) and ate the food He then came to Allah s Messenger ﷺ and made mention of that to him, whereupon Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: He who took an oath and (later on) found something better than that should do that, and expiate for (breaking) his vow.  

أَعْتَمَ رَجُلٌ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَوَجَدَ الصِّبْيَةَ قَدْ نَامُوا فَأَتَاهُ أَهْلُهُ بِطَعَامِهِ فَحَلَفَ لاَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ أَجْلِ صِبْيَتِهِ ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُ فَأَكَلَ فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِهَا وَلْيُكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ  

He who took an oath and then found another thing better than (this) should expiate for the oath (broken) by him and do (the better thing).  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيُكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَلْيَفْعَلْ  

He who took an oath and (later on) found another thing better than that, he should do that which is better, and expiate for the vow (broken by him).  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَلْيُكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ  

" He should expiate for (breaking) the vow and do that which is better."  

حَدَّثَنِي سُهَيْلٌ فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ مَالِكٍ فَلْيُكَفِّرْ يَمِينَهُ وَلْيَفْعَلِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

A beggar came to ʿAdī b. Hatim and he begged him to give him the price of a servant, or the approximate price of the slave. He said: I have nothing to give you except my coat of mail and my helmet. I will, however, write to my family to give that to you, but he did not agree to that. Thereupon ʿAdī became upset and said: By Allah, I will not give you anything. The person ˹then˺ agreed.

Whereupon he said: By Allah, had I not heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying:" He who took an oath, but then found something more pious in the sight of Allah, he should ˹break the oath˺ and do that which is more pious," I would not have broken the oath.  

جَاءَ سَائِلٌ إِلَى عَدِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ فَسَأَلَهُ نَفَقَةً فِي ثَمَنِ خَادِمٍ أَوْ فِي بَعْضِ ثَمَنِ خَادِمٍ۔ فَقَالَ: لَيْسَ عِنْدِي مَا أُعْطِيكَ إِلاَّ دِرْعِي وَمِغْفَرِي فَأَكْتُبُ إِلَى أَهْلِي أَنْ يُعْطُوكَهَا۔ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَرْضَ۔ فَغَضِبَ عَدِيٌّ فَقَالَ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لاَ أُعْطِيكَ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ رَضِيَ۔

فَقَالَ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ ثُمَّ رَأَى أَتْقَى لِلَّهِ مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِ التَّقْوَى۔» مَا حَنَّثْتُ يَمِينِي۔  

He who took an oath, but he found something else better than that, should do that which is better and break his oath.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَلْيَتْرُكْ يَمِينَهُ  

When anyone amongst you takes an oath, but he finds (something) better than that he should expiate (the breaking of the oath), and do that which is better.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا حَلَفَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى الْيَمِينِ فَرَأَى خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيُكَفِّرْهَا وَلْيَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

This hadith is reported on the authority of Adi b. Hatim through another chain of transmitters.  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ  

You asked me for one hundred dirhams and I am the son of Hatim; by Allah, I will not give you. But then he said: (I would have done that) if I had not heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: He who takes an oath, but then finds something better than that, should do that which is better.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ ثُمَّ رَأَى خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ  

I heard 'Adi b. Hatim say that a person asked that and then narrated (the hadith) like one (mentioned above), but he made this addition:" Here are four hundred (dirhams) for you out of my gift."  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَهُ فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ وَزَادَ وَلَكَ أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ فِي عَطَائِي  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "O ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Samurah, don't ask for authority, for if it is granted to you for asking for it, you would be held responsible for it ˹without Divine blessings˺. However, if you are granted it without your asking for it, you would be helped ˹by Allah˺ in it."

"And when you take an oath and find something else better than that, expiate for ˹breaking˺ your oath, and do that which is better."  

قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ، لاَ تَسْأَلِ الإِمَارَةَ، فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أُعْطِيتَهَا عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ وُكِلْتَ إِلَيْهَا، وَإِنْ أُعْطِيتَهَا عَنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ أُعِنْتَ عَلَيْهَا۔»

«وَإِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ، وَائْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ۔»  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samura through another chain of transmitters but there is no mention of the word" authority".  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَلَيْسَ فِي حَدِيثِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ذِكْرُ الإِمَارَةِ