If a Person Says “In Shāʾ Allāh” at the Time of an Oath
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
If someone says "In shāʾ Allāh" (If Allah wills) while taking an oath, it counts as an istithnāʾ (exception). In this case, breaking the oath will not count, and no kaffārah will be required.
① Ḥaḍrat Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"مَنْ حَلَفَ فَقَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمْ يَحْنَثْ"
“Whoever takes an oath and says In shāʾ Allāh, his oath will not be broken (i.e., no kaffārah will be due).”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2570; Al-Tirmidhī: 1532; Ibn Mājah: 2104; Al-Nasāʾī: 3855; Aḥmad: 2/309]
② Ḥaḍrat ʿIkrimah (رضي الله عنه) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ swore three times, saying:
"وَاللَّهِ لَأَغْزُوَنَّ قُرَيْشًا" — “By Allah, I will surely fight the Quraysh.”
Then at the end, he said:
"إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ" — “If Allah wills,”
and he did not end up fighting them.
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd: 2811; Al-Bayhaqī: 10/48]
③ The Prophet ﷺ mentioned about Sulaymān (عليه السلام) who said he would visit 70 wives in one night, each bearing a child. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَوْ قَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمْ يَحْنَثْ"
“If he had said In shāʾ Allāh, his oath would not have been broken.”
[Al-Bukhārī: 3424, 6639]
The Muslim Ummah has ijmāʿ (consensus) on this ruling.
[ʿĀriḍat al-Aḥwadhī 7/13]
Summary:
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
1. Ruling
If someone says "In shāʾ Allāh" (If Allah wills) while taking an oath, it counts as an istithnāʾ (exception). In this case, breaking the oath will not count, and no kaffārah will be required.
2. Evidence from Ḥadīth
① Ḥaḍrat Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"مَنْ حَلَفَ فَقَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمْ يَحْنَثْ"
“Whoever takes an oath and says In shāʾ Allāh, his oath will not be broken (i.e., no kaffārah will be due).”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2570; Al-Tirmidhī: 1532; Ibn Mājah: 2104; Al-Nasāʾī: 3855; Aḥmad: 2/309]
② Ḥaḍrat ʿIkrimah (رضي الله عنه) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ swore three times, saying:
"وَاللَّهِ لَأَغْزُوَنَّ قُرَيْشًا" — “By Allah, I will surely fight the Quraysh.”
Then at the end, he said:
"إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ" — “If Allah wills,”
and he did not end up fighting them.
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd: 2811; Al-Bayhaqī: 10/48]
③ The Prophet ﷺ mentioned about Sulaymān (عليه السلام) who said he would visit 70 wives in one night, each bearing a child. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَوْ قَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمْ يَحْنَثْ"
“If he had said In shāʾ Allāh, his oath would not have been broken.”
[Al-Bukhārī: 3424, 6639]
3. Scholarly Consensus
The Muslim Ummah has ijmāʿ (consensus) on this ruling.
[ʿĀriḍat al-Aḥwadhī 7/13]
Summary:- Saying In shāʾ Allāh when taking an oath protects from sin and kaffārah if the oath is not fulfilled.
- This is supported by authentic aḥādīth and scholarly consensus.
