Partial Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 14:

Oaths (Kitab Al-Iman)


Book 14, Number 4043:

Narrated AbdurRahman ibn Samurah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not swear by idols, nor by your fathers.


Book 14, Number 4052:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

A person sat late in the night with Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him), 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 (peace_be_upon_him) and made mention of that to him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_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.


Book 14, Number 4056:

Narrated Adi ibn Hatim:

Tamim ibn Tarafah said: A beggar came to Adi ibn Hatim and he begged him to give him the price of a slave, or some portion of the price of the slave. He (Adi) said: I have nothing to give you except my coat-of-mail and helmet. I will, however, write to my family to give that to you, but he did not agree to that.

Thereupon Adi was enraged, and said: By Allah, I will not give you anything. The person (then) agreed to accept that, whereupon he said: By Allah, had I not heard Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) 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 (and thus paid you anything).


Book 14, Number 4064:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Your oath should be about something regarding which your companion will believe you. "Amr said: By which your companion will believe you.


Book 14, Number 4078:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

Zadhan AbuUmar said: I came to Ibn Umar as he had granted freedom to a slave. He (the narrator further) said: He took hold of a wood or something like it from the earth and said: It (freedom of a slave) has not the reward even equal to it, but the fact that I heard Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) say: He who slaps his slave or beats him, the expiation for it is that he should set him free.


Book 14, Number 4081:

Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn Suwayd:

I slapped a slave belonging to us and then fled away. I came back just before noon and offered prayer behind my father. He called him (the slave) and me and said: Do as he has done to you. He granted pardon.

He (my father) then said: We belonged to the family of Muqarrin during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him), and had only one slave girl and one of us slapped her. This news reached Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) and he said: Set her free. They (the members of the family) said: There is no other servant except she. Thereupon he said: Then employ her and when you can afford to dispense with her services, then set her free.


Book 14, Number 4086:

Narrated AbuMas'ud al-Ansari:

I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me: Understand, AbuMas'ud; but I did not recognise the voice due to intense anger. He (AbuMas'ud) reported: As he came near me (I found) that he was the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and he was saying: Bear in mind, AbuMas'ud, bear in mind, AbuMas'ud. He (AbuMas'ud) said: I threw the whip from my hand. Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Bear in mind, AbuMas'ud; verily Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave. I (then) said: I would never beat my servant in future.


Book 14, Number 4095:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: It is essential to feed the slave, clothe him (properly) and not burden him with work which is beyond his power.


Book 14, Number 4100:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: When a slave fulfils obligation of Allah and obligation of his master, there is dual reward for him.

I narrated this to Ka'b, and Ka'b said: (Such a slave) has not accountability, nor has a poor believer.


Book 14, Number 4108:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: In case the slave is owned by two persons, and one of them emancipates him, he will guarantee (his full freedom).


Book 14, Number 4112:

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:

A person who had no other property emancipated six slaves of his at the time of his death. Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) called for them and divided them into three sections, cast lots amongst them and set two free and kept four in slavery; and he (the Prophet) spoke severely of him.


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