Hadith #210

Arabic Text

English Translation

Ismā‘īl narrated to us, from Ayyūb, from Abū Qilābah, from Abū al-Muhallab, from ‘Imrān ibn Husayn, who said: Thaqīf were allies of Banū ‘Uqayl. Thaqīf captured two men from the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ captured a man from Banū ‘Uqayl. Al-‘Adbā’ was also seized with him. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ came upon him while he was in bonds. The man said: O Muhammad! O Muhammad! He found it very distressing. the Prophet ﷺ said: I seized you on account of the crimes of your allies, Thaqīf. Then he turned away from him. The man called out: O Muhammad! O Muhammad! The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was merciful and gentle, so he went to him and asked: What is the matter? He said: I am a Muslim. He said: Had you said this when you were in control of your own affairs, you would have succeeded completely. Then he turned away. The man called: O Muhammad! O Muhammad! He came to him and asked: What is the matter? He said: I am hungry, so feed me; I am thirsty, so give me water. He said: This is your need. He was then ransomed in exchange for the two men. An Ansārī woman was also captured, and al-‘Adbā’ was seized with her. The woman was in bonds. One night she slipped free from her bonds and came to the camels. Whenever she approached a camel, it bellowed, so she left it. She came upon al-‘Adbā’, and it did not bellow. It was a well-trained she-camel. She sat on its rear, spurred it, and it set off. They noticed her and pursued her, but she outran them. She vowed that if Allāh — blessed and exalted is He — saved her on it, she would slaughter it. When she arrived in Madinah, the people saw it and said: Al-‘Adbā’, the she-camel of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ! She said: I vowed that if Allāh — blessed and exalted is He — saved me on it, I would slaughter it. They went to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned this. He said: Glory be to Allāh! What a terrible way to repay her! If Allāh saved her on it, she would slaughter it! There is no fulfillment of a vow involving disobedience to Allāh, nor of a vow regarding what the servant does not own.