through many chains of transmission. It is recorded in Muslim through the narrations of Abū Hurayrah, ʿAdī ibn Hātim, and Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī. In both Sahīh collections, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said to ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Samurah:

“When you swear an oath and then see that something else is better, do what is better and release yourself from your oath.”

Both Sahīh collections also report from Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“For one of you to persist obstinately in an oath concerning his family is more sinful for him than offering the expiation Allah has prescribed.”

Al-Bukhārī gives the wording: “Whoever persists obstinately concerning his family incurs greater sin.” The Prophet’s expression “persists obstinately” derives from the word for obstinacy. Hence these oaths are called “vows of obstinacy and anger.”

The expressions people use concerning divorce are of three kinds.

The first is an immediate, unconditional pronouncement, such as saying, “You are divorced,” or, “You have been divorced.” Divorce takes effect through this by the agreement of the Muslims.

The second is an oath formula, such as saying, “Divorce shall be binding upon me: I will certainly do such-and-such,” or, “I will not do such-and-such.” This is an oath by the agreement of language scholars, the various groups of jurists, ordinary people, and the people of the earth.

The third is a conditional formula, such as saying, “If I do such-and-such, my wife is divorced.” As for this formula, if his intention in using it is to swear an oath—and this describes someone who dislikes divorce taking effect under any circumstances, just as he dislikes