أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ عَنْ غَيْلَانَ بْنِ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَی الْأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنْ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لَا أَحْمِلُکُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُکُمْ ثُمَّ لَبِثْنَا مَا شَائَ اللَّهُ فَأُتِيَ بِإِبِلٍ فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِثَلَاثِ ذَوْدٍ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ لَا يُبَارِکُ اللَّهُ لَنَا أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لَا يَحْمِلَنَا قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَی فَأَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَکَرْنَا ذَلِکَ لَهُ فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا حَمَلْتُکُمْ بَلْ اللَّهُ حَمَلَکُمْ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَی يَمِينٍ فَأَرَی غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا کَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَأَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 3816
It was narrated that Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari said: “I came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم with a group of the Ash’ari people and asked him to give us animals to ride. He said: ‘By Allah, I cannot give you anything to ride and I have nothing to give you to ride.’ We stayed as long as Allah willed, then some camels were brought to him. He ordered that we be given three fine-looking camels. When we left, we said to one another: ‘We came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم to ask him for animals to ride, and he swore by Allah that he would not give us anything to ride, then he gave us something.” Abu Musa said: “We came to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم and told him about that. He said: ‘I did not give you animals to ride, rather Allah gave you them to ride. By Allah, I do not swear an oath and then see something better than it, but I offer expiation for my oath and do that which is better.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020