1185 – On the authority of Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came upon ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab while he was travelling in a company of riders, and ʿUmar was swearing by his father. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called out to them: “Take heed! Allah forbids you to swear by your forefathers. Whoever feels compelled to swear, let him swear by Allah, otherwise let him remain silent.” Agreed upon. (1)
In a narration recorded by Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasāʾī, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), traced back to the Prophet, it says: “Do not swear by your fathers, by your mothers, or by your andād (rivals, i.e., idols). Swear only by Allah, and do not swear by Allah unless you are truthful.” (2)
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Hadith grading:
Ibn Ḥajar cites the report of Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasāʾī from Abū Hurayrah in Fath al-Bārī among the additional narrations of the chapter; according to the criterion he stated in the introduction to Fath al-Bārī, the report is authentic, or at least sound.
Vocabulary:
– andād: plural of nidd (with kasra on the nūn). It refers to something resembling another while opposing and contending with it; here it means the idols that people set up as deities besides Allah.
Points derived from the hadith:
1 – An oath (yamīn) is a form of swearing that employs particular expressions to reinforce the ruling being affirmed by invoking something venerated in a specific manner. When the one who swears seeks to confirm a matter—whether in affirmation or negation—