Weakness of the Hadeeth: The Prophet taking an oath by saying: "By his father!"

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said regarding the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

أَفْلَحَ وَأَبِيهِ إِنْ صَدَقَ

“By his father, he shall succeed if he were true (to what he professed).” [Saheeh Muslim (11b)] ^{[1] [2] [3]}

“Swearing (by the father) was permissible in the beginning of Islaam and then it was abrogated and it became Haraam due to his صلى الله عليه وسلم saying:

مَنْ كَانَ حَالِفًا فَلْيَحْلِفْ بِاللَّهِ أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ

“Whoever has to take an oath should swear by Allaah or remain silent.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2679, 6646) and Saheeh Muslim (4038)]

In the begging of Islaam, the people used to swear by their fathers and their mothers. Then later on it was made Haraam in the Sharee`ah. What is prescribed is to swear by Allaah alone due to his صلى الله عليه وسلم saying:

مَنْ حَلَفَ بِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ أَوْ أَشْرَكَ

“He who swears by anyone or anything other than Allaah, has indeed committed an act of Kufr or Shirk.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (3251), Sunan Tirmidhee (1535) and the wordings are his, and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]”

Source:

 الفوائد الجلية من دروس الشيخ ابن باز العلمية (ص 18- 19)

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[1] This Hadeeth is also reported by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (392, 3252) and Shaikh al-Albaanee said: “It is “Shaadh” (irregular) with the wordings “By his father.””

Shaadh Hadeeth is the one which is reported by a trustworthy person but goes against the narration of a person more reliable than him.

[2] Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said about this Hadeeth in another place:

“The answer to such a claim is that it is a Shaadh narration that contradicts authentic Ahaadeeth. Therefore no action should be based on it and this is the ruling concerning a Shaadh (Hadeeth) according to religious scholars, in which a (single) narrator of it contradicts the majority of trustworthy narrators. Rather, it is likely that the wording involves distortion, as is stated by Ibn `Abdul-Bar رحمه الله, and that the correct wording is: “By Allaah, he shall succeed if he were true (to what he professed).” It, thus, could be that some scribes or narrators misquoted the original wording or that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that before the proscription of swearing by other than Allaah تعالى was revealed. Anyway, this is a Shaadh single narration, and it is not permissible for the one who believes in Allaah and in the Day of Resurrection to stick to it and contradict the (more) authentic Ahaadeeth that clearly indicates the prohibition of swearing by other than Allaah and that it is a forbidden act that is tantamount to Shirk.” [Majmoo` al-Fataawa wa Maqaalat of Shaikh Ibn Baaz (3/143)]

[3] The complete incident is reported in another Hadeeth:

It is reported on the authority of Talha bin `Ubaidullaah that a person with disheveled hair, one of the people of Najd, came to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. We heard the humming of his voice but could not fully discern what he had been saying, till he came nigh to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. It was then (disclosed to us) that he was asking questions pertaining to Islaam. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

خَمْسُ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ

“Five prayers during the day and the night.” (Upon this) he said: Am I obliged to say any other (prayer) besides these? He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لاَ ‏.‏ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ وَصِيَامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

“No, but whatever you observe voluntarily (out of your own free will), and the fasts of Ramadan.” The inquirer said: Am I obliged to do anything else besides this? He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لاَ ‏.‏ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ

“No, but whatever you do (out of your own free will).” And the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم told him about the Zakaah. The inquirer said: Am I obliged to pay anything else besides this? He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لاَ ‏.‏ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ

“No, but whatever you pay voluntarily (out of your own free will).” The man turned back and was saying: I would neither make any addition to this, nor will decrease anything out of it. The Prophet remarked:

أَفْلَحَ إِنْ صَدَقَ

“He is successful, if he is true to what he affirms.” [Saheeh Muslim (11a)]