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 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

"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 set off to the Prophet ﷺ, intending to carry him. But he said, 'By Allah! I will not be carried by you.' So we turned back. He then sent us three spots on the earth, and told us, 'Some of us made a promise to one another that the Prophet ﷺ would not carry us. So we went to him and said, 'You have made a promise not to carry us.' He replied, 'I did not carry you. Rather, Allah the Almighty carried you. Whatever is on the earth, I take an oath by it. But I would not choose anything else over it, except that I would go to it.'"

انْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ فَرَجَعْنَا فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا بِثَلَاثٍ بُقْعِ الذُّرَى فَقَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ حَلَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ لَا يَحْمِلَنَا فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَقُلْنَا إِنَّكَ حَلَفْتَ أَنْ لَا تَحْمِلَنَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ إِنَّمَا حَمَلَكُمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ يَمِينٌ أَحْلِفُ عَلَيْهَا فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَتَيْتُهُ

[Machine] I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seeking his help to carry something for a group of my people. He said, "By Allah, I cannot carry anything for you, and by Allah, I do not have anything to carry you with." This happened twice. Then the Prophet ﷺ came with three loads of foodstuff (dates) tied and sent to us. We carried them and when he left, I said to my companions, "I think that the Prophet ﷺ blessed us in this task and made it easier for us, for he had taken an oath not to do so." Then we went to him and informed him about it. He said, "I did not remember my oath, but when I saw you carrying the loads, I remembered it as I disliked to unload the burden from you while you were already on it, and I prefer to fulfil my oath as best as I can."

أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قَوْمِي فَقَالَ «وَاللهِ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَاللهِ مَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ» مَرَّتَيْنِ فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ ثَلَاثَةُ أَحْمَالٍ مِنْ غُرِّ الذُّرَى فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا فَحَمَلَنَا فَلَمَّا مَضَيْنَا بِهِ قُلْتُ لِأَصْحَابِي مَا أُرَاهُ يُبَارَكُ لَنَا فِيهَا وَقَدْ حَلَفَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَنْ لَا يَحْمِلَنَا فَحَمَلَنَا فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَقَالَ «لَمْ أَنْسَ يَمِينِي وَلَكِنْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَيْتُ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَعَلْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَكَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي»

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." (Using translation from Bukhārī 6718)

أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فِي يَعْنِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ «وَاللهِ لَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ» ثُمَّ لَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللهُ فَأُتِيَ بِإِبِلٍ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِثَلَاثَةِ ذَوْدٍ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ لَا يُبَارِكُ اللهُ لَنَا أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ لَا يَحْمِلُنَا فَحَمَلْنَا قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى فَأَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ «مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُكُمْ بَلِ اللهُ حَمَلَكُمْ إِنِّي وَاللهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا كَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ»