Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهَا مَالاً لَقِيَ اللَّهَ وَهْوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ، ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَصْدِيقَ ذَلِكَ {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ} إِلَى {عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ}. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الأَشْعَثَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ مَا يُحَدِّثُكُمْ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فَحَدَّثْنَاهُ بِمَا، قَالَ، فَقَالَ صَدَقَ لَفِيَّ أُنْزِلَتْ، كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ رَجُلٍ خُصُومَةٌ فِي شَىْءٍ، فَاخْتَصَمْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " شَاهِدَاكَ أَوْ يَمِينُهُ ". فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّهُ إِذًا يَحْلِفُ وَلاَ يُبَالِي. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهَا مَالاً وَهْوَ فِيهَا فَاجِرٌ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ وَهْوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ ". فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَصْدِيقَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ اقْتَرَأَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ.
`Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) said, "Whoever takes a (false) oath in order to grab some property (unjustly), Allah will be angry with him when he will meet Him. Allah confirmed that through His Divine Revelation: "Verily! Those who purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths . . . they will have a painful punishment." (3.77) Al-Ash'ath bin Qais came to us and asked, 'What is Abu `Abdur-Rahman (i.e. `Abdullah) telling you? 'We told him what he was narrating to us. He said, 'He was telling the truth; this Divine Verse was revealed in connection with me. There was a dispute between me and another man about something and the case was filed before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, 'Produce your two witnesses or else the defendant is to take an oath.' I said, The defendant will surely take a (false) oath caring for nothing.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever takes a false oath in order to grab (other's) property, then Allah will be angry with him when he will meet Him.' Then Allah revealed its confirmation. Al-Ashath then recited the above Divine Verse." (3.77)