Chapter: Encouragement for anyone who swears an oath and then realizes that something else is better to carry out the better course of action and afterwards expiate for his oath.

1715 – ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me, “…And if you swear an oath and later see that something else is better, then do what is better and make expiation for your oath.” Agreed upon.

1716 – Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever swears an oath and then perceives something better than it should expiate for his oath and do what is better.” Narrated by Muslim.

1717 – Abū Mūsā (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “By Allah—if Allah so wills—I never swear an oath and then see something better without expiating for that oath and acting upon what is better.” Agreed upon.

1718 – Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “For one of you to stubbornly persist in an oath concerning his family is more sinful in Allah’s sight than if he were to pay the expiation that Allah has obligated upon him.” Agreed upon.

In this ḥadīth, yalij (with an open lām and a doubled jīm) means to persist in the oath without expiating for it, while āthamu (with a thāʾ) means “more sinful.”

[Commentary]
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—places this chapter in his book Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn under the heading: “Recommendation for one who swears an oath and then sees something better than it to expiate for his oath and do what is better.”