What is Sahih Muslim 4109 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Vows), narrated by Ibn Umar reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:, states: "The vow neither hastens anything nor defers anything, but is the means whereby (something) is extracted from the miserly person."

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 4109 in the Book of The Book of Vows.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

‹

#4108

#4109

Sahih Muslim

#4110

›

Sahih Muslim #4109

The Book of Vows

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ، دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ النَّذْرُ لاَ يُقَدِّمُ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يُؤَخِّرُهُ وَإِنَّمَا يُسْتَخْرَجُ بِهِ مِنَ الْبَخِيلِ ‏"‏ ‏.

The vow neither hastens anything nor defers anything, but is the means whereby (something) is extracted from the miserly person.

Narrated by Ibn Umar reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explains that making a vow does not hasten or delay anything; rather, it serves as a means to extract generosity from those who are stingy. This highlights the nature of vows as a tool for motivation rather than a means of influencing divine will. The takeaway is that intentions behind vows should be understood clearly.

Modern Application

In everyday life, this principle can be seen in how people make commitments to encourage themselves or others to act generously. It serves as a reminder that while intentions are important, the act of giving should come from a place of genuine willingness rather than obligation.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Oaths and Vows because it discusses the nature and implications of making vows and their purpose in motivating generosity.

Oaths and Vows