He also cited what al-Dhuhlī recorded among the reports of al-Zuhrī: Saʿīd ibn Kathīr ibn ʿUfayr narrated to us: Abd Allāh ibn Wahb informed us, from Yūnus, from Ibn Shihāb, who said:
Qabīsa ibn Dhuʾayb informed me that a woman vowed to slaughter her son at the Kaaba if she did a certain thing. She then did that thing and came to Medina to seek a ruling concerning her vow. She approached Abd Allāh ibn Umar, who told her, “I know of nothing Allah has commanded concerning vows except that they be fulfilled.”
The woman asked, “Then should I slaughter my son?”
Abd Allāh ibn Umar replied, “Allah has forbidden you to kill yourselves.” Ibn Umar said nothing further to her.
She then approached Abd Allāh ibn Abbās and sought his ruling on the matter. He said, “Allah has commanded that vows be fulfilled and has forbidden you to kill yourselves. Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hāshim once vowed that, if he came to have ten sons, he would slaughter one of them. When he had ten, he drew lots among them to determine whom he would slaughter. The lot fell upon Abd Allāh ibn Abd al-Muttalib, who was the person dearest to him. Abd al-Muttalib said, ‘O Allah, is it to be him or a hundred camels?’ Then, in those pre-Islamic times, he drew lots between him and a hundred camels, and the lot fell upon slaughtering a hundred camels.”
Ibn Abbās told the woman, “My view, therefore, is that you should slaughter a hundred camels in place of your son.”
The report reached Marwān ibn al-Hakam, who was then governor of Medina. He said, “I do not think Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbās have given the correct ruling. ‘No vow to disobey Allah is binding.’ Ask Allah’s forgiveness, repent to Him, and do as much good as you can. As for slaughtering your son, Allah has forbidden you to do that.”
He said: The people were pleased with this and admired Marwān’s statement. They considered his ruling correct, and people continued thereafter to rule that no vow to disobey Allah is binding.