The Woman Who Escaped on al-ʿAḍbāʾ

Now, when the mushrikūn took the camels of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they also took with them a Muslim woman from Banū Ghifār. Whenever they rested at night, they would leave their camels in the area with them. So this woman, one night, while they were asleep, started walking towards each camel, in order to take it and ride away on its back to Madīnah. But each camel would refuse; it would make the sound that a camel makes. Until she came to al-ʿAḍbāʾ, and al-ʿAḍbāʾ was silent. And when she rode al-ʿAḍbāʾ, it was very well trained and very easy to lead.

So she made a vow to Allah (swt): if Allah (swt) saved her on the back of this camel, she would slaughter this camel for the sake of Allah. Look at what her vow was: this camel that would save her — if she rode safely to Madīnah, she would slaughter the camel for the sake of Allah. Now, she did arrive in Madīnah, and she told the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about her vow. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told her: what a bad reward you are giving this camel! This camel saved you and brought you to Madīnah, and now you want to slaughter it? And then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told her: there is no fulfilling of a vow that involves a sin — and this is a nadhr, not a promise to a human being; a vow made to Allah — and nor of a vow in something one does not own. She did not own this camel; this camel belonged to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told her not to sacrifice the camel.