Ruling on Taking an Oath with “In Sha Allah” in Islam

Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri

Question:​

What is the ruling on taking an oath with the words “In shā’ Allāh”?

Answer:​

If a person says “In shā’ Allāh” immediately after taking an oath, then the oath becomes ineffective. If he later does not fulfill that oath, he will not be sinful.

❀ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) writes:

“There is consensus among the people of knowledge that whoever swears an oath in this manner: ‘By Allah, In shā’ Allāh, tomorrow I will pay the debt or the blood money, or I will return the usurped property, or I will pray Ẓuhr or ʿAṣr, or I will fast the days of Ramaḍān,’ and then he is unable to fulfill this oath, no expiation is due upon him. This is because he said ‘In shā’ Allāh,’ meaning: if Allah wills I will do it, and Allah did not will that he do so.”

Reference: Majmūʿat al-Rasāʾil wa al-Masāʾil: 5/151

❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥazm رحمه الله (456 AH) writes:

“After swearing an oath about an action, if one says: ‘By Allah, In shā’ Allāh I will do such-and-such,’ or says: ‘If Allah wills, I will do this,’ or says: ‘If Allah does not will, I will not do it,’ then all such expressions are valid. Likewise, if he says: ‘I will do it if I wish; if I do not wish, I will not,’ or says: ‘I will do it if Allah does not change my intention or if I am not required to do something else.’ Similarly, suspending the oath upon another person, such as saying: ‘If so-and-so wills, I will do it; otherwise I will not,’ also renders the oath ineffective. If he then breaks the oath, no expiation is due upon him.”

Reference: Al-Muḥallā bi al-Āthār: 6/301

① Ḥadīth of Sulaymān عليه السلام​

❀ Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates:

The Prophet of Allah, Sulaymān bin Dāwūd عليهما السلام, swore an oath that he would visit seventy wives in one night, and that each would give birth to a son who would fight in the path of Allah. His companion or an angel said to him: “Say In shā’ Allāh.” Sulaymān عليه السلام forgot to say In shā’ Allāh. As a result, only one woman gave birth, and that child was disabled.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“If Sulaymān عليه السلام had said In shā’ Allāh, his oath would not have been broken and his need would have been fulfilled.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1654

② General Principle Regarding Oaths with “In shā’ Allāh”​

❀ Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

من حلف على يمين فقال إن شاء الله فقد استثنى

Translation:
“Whoever swears an oath and says ‘In shā’ Allāh’ has made an exception (and no expiation is due).”

Reference: Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad: 2/10

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 3261

Reference: Sunan al-Nasāʾī: 3860

Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 1531

Reference: Sunan Ibn Mājah: 2105

Reference: Its chain is ṣaḥīḥ

In Musnad al-Ḥumaydī (707), Sufyān bin ʿUyaynah رحمه الله explicitly mentioned hearing (samāʿ), and this narration has many supporting chains. Imām al-Tirmidhī graded it ḥasan, while Imām Ibn al-Jārūd (928), Imām Abū ʿAwānah (5991), and Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (4339) graded it ṣaḥīḥ.

❀ Another narration states:

من حلف فاستثنى فإن شاء رجع وإن شاء ترك غير حنث

Translation:
“Whoever swears an oath with an exception (In shā’ Allāh), then if he wishes he may proceed, and if he wishes he may leave it—without incurring any expiation.”

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 3262

Reference: Its chain is ṣaḥīḥ

❀ Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله writes:

Most of the people of knowledge among the Companions acted upon this ḥadīth: if an oath is taken with ‘In shā’ Allāh,’ then no expiation is due. This is the view of Sufyān al-Thawrī, al-Awzāʿī, Mālik bin Anas, ʿAbdullāh bin al-Mubārak, al-Shāfiʿī, Aḥmad, and Isḥāq bin Rāhawayh رحمهم الله.

Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī, under ḥadīth: 1531

❀ Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:

من قال والله ثم قال إن شاء الله ثم لم يفعل الذى حلف عليه لم يحنث

Translation:
“Whoever says: ‘By Allah,’ then says ‘In shā’ Allāh,’ and then does not do what he swore upon, no expiation is due upon him.”

Reference: Muwaṭṭaʾ al-Imām Mālik: 2/477

Reference: Its chain is ṣaḥīḥ

❀ He also said:

كل استثناء موصول فلا حنث على صاحبه وإن كان غير موصول فهو حانث

Translation:
“Every exception that is connected (to the oath) entails no expiation, but if it is not connected, then expiation is due.”

Reference: Al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 10/47

Reference: Its chain is ḥasan

❀ Sayyidunā Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إني والله إن شاء الله لا أحلف على يمين فأرى غيرها خيرا منها إلا أتيت الذى هو خير وتحللتها

Translation:
“By Allah, In shā’ Allāh, whenever I swear an oath and then see something else that is better, I do what is better and offer expiation for my oath.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3133

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1649

❀ Ḥāfiẓ al-Nawawī رحمه الله نقل:

قال القاضي أجمع المسلمون على أن قوله إن شاء الله يمنع انعقاد اليمين بشرط كونه متصلا

Translation:
Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ رحمه الله said: “The Muslims are unanimously agreed that saying ‘In shā’ Allāh’ prevents an oath from becoming binding, provided it is said immediately after the oath.”

Reference: Sharḥ al-Nawawī: 11/119

❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله (463 AH) writes:

أجمعوا أن الاستثناء إن كان فى نسق الكلام دون انقطاع بين فى اليمين بالله أنه جائز

Translation:
“There is consensus that if the exception (In shā’ Allāh) is said in direct continuity of the speech, without a clear interruption in the oath by Allah, then it is permissible.”

Reference: Al-Tamhīd limā fī al-Muwaṭṭaʾ min al-Maʿānī wa al-Asānīd: 14/374

❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥazm رحمه الله (456 AH) writes:

إجماع لأمة على أن الله عز وجل حكم بأن من حلف فقال إن شاء الله أو إلا أن يشاء الله على أى شيء حلف فإنه إن فعل ما حلف عليه أن لا يفعله فلا حنث عليه ولا كفارة تلزمه …

Translation:
“There is consensus of the Ummah that Allah Almighty has ruled that whoever swears an oath and says ‘In shā’ Allāh’ or ‘unless Allah wills,’ regarding anything he swears upon, then if he does what he had sworn not to do, no expiation is due upon him. This is because if Allah had willed, He would have caused it to occur. Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَلِكَ غَدًا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ﴾ [Al-Kahf: 23]
“And never say of anything: ‘Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,’ except [by saying]: ‘If Allah wills.’”

Reference: Al-Faṣl fī al-Milal: 3/86

Conditions for a Valid Exception (Istithnāʾ) in an Oath​

① The intention of saying In shā’ Allāh must be to leave the matter to Allah’s will; it should not be said merely for blessing.
② In shā’ Allāh must be said at the time the oath is taken; saying it later is of no benefit.
③ Saying In shā’ Allāh only in the heart is not sufficient; it must be uttered verbally.

Benefit​

It is attributed to Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما:

إذا حلف الرجل على يمين فله أن يستثني ولو إلى سنة

Translation:
“If a person swears an oath, he may make an exception (In shā’ Allāh) even after a year.”

Reference: Al-Mustadrak ʿalā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn by al-Ḥākim: 4/336, ḥadīth 7833

However, its chain is weak, because al-Aʿmash is a mudallis and did not explicitly state hearing (samāʿ).