Making the Oath Subject to Allaah's Will
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Question:
What is the meaning of the Hadeeth Of Ibn-'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with Him, which states that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:
من حلف على يمين فقال إن شاء الله فقد استثنى فلا حنث عليه
"Whoever swears upon an oath, saying: "If Allaah wills," he has not broken his oath." (Abu Dawud no. 3261, 3262 and At-Tirmithi no. 1531)
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Answer:
The meaning of this Hadeeth is that if a person swears to something and he adds the words "If Allaah wills", and then he breaks the oath, there is no atonement incumbent upon him. Such as by saying: "By Allaah, if Allaah wills, I will certainly do such-and-such," then he does not do it. Or: "By Allaah, if Allaah wills it, I will certainly not do such-and-such," then he does it. In this case, there is no atonement incumbent upon him, because he said: "If Allaah wills." Based upon this it is desirable for a person who swears something to link his oath to the words: "If Allaah wills", so that if it was difficult for him to fulfil his oath, there would not be any atonement incumbent upon him.
There is another benefit in the one who swears saying: "If Allaah wills", which is that he makes the thing he swore easier to accomplish, because he entrusted the matter to Allaah, Most High and Allaah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful has said:
وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا
"And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, than He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things." [At-Talaq 65:3]
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Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
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Fatawa Islamiyah, The book of Oaths, Vol. 6, pp. 371-372, DARUSSALAM
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