The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came upon two men who were tied together, walking to the House. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "What is this binding?"They replied, "Messenger of Allah, we vowed to walk to the House tied together."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "This is not a vow," and he cut the cord binding them.Siraj said in his narration, "A vow is only what is intended for the sake of Allah ."
أن رسول الله ﷺ أدرك رجلين وهما مقترنان يمشيان إلى البيت. فقال رسول الله ﷺ: ما بال القرآن؟ قالا: يا رسول الله! نذرنا أن نمشي إلى البيت مقترنين فقال رسول الله ﷺ: ليس هذا نذرا فقطع قرانها. قال سريج في حديثه: إنما النذر ما ابتغي به وجه الله عز وجل.
Ahmad narrated it (6714), from Husayn bin Muhammad and Siraj, who both said, Ibn Abu Zinad narrated to us, from Abdul-Rahman bin Harith, from Amr bin Shuayb, from his father, from his grandfather, and he related it. Its chain is hasan because of Amr, for he is hasan al-hadith. In the chain is also Ibn Abu Zinad, who is Abdul-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Zakwan Abu Zinad, concerning whom there is disagreement, though he is hasan al-hadith when he does not contradict others or show inconsistency.Yahya bin Abdullah bin Salim corroborated him, narrating from Abdul-Rahman bin Harith with his chain, in abbreviated form, with the wording, "There is no vow except in that by which the pleasure of Allah Almighty is sought." Abu Dawud narrated it (2192).Mughira bin Abdul-Rahman likewise corroborated him, saying, My father Abdul-Rahman narrated to me, from Amr bin Shuayb, with the same chain, and its wording is, "There is no vow except in that by which the pleasure of Allah is sought, and there is no oath in severing family ties." Abu Dawud also narrated it (3273).Tahawi narrated it in Sharh Maani al-Athar (4728) through another route, from Amr bin Shuayb with his chain, in abbreviated form, with the wording, "A vow is only that by which the pleasure of Allah is sought."