The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) suggested to some people that they should take an oath. When they hurried to do so, he said that lots should be cast to decide which of them should take the oath

Explanation

In this Hadīth two people were disputing over something that they did not possess and for which they had no evidence (of possession). The item was being held by a third party. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that they should take an oath. They both hurried to take the oath, so he said that a lot should be cast to decide who would take the oath first. The point of the Hadīth is that if two men claim possession of an item that a third party holds, and, if they have or do not have any proof and the third party does not know to which of them the item belongs, they should cast lots. The winner should then take an oath and will get the item.

Categories