By Asma bint Shameem
Today’s topic is about something that we do every day...something we hear everyday, see others do everyday…..and we do not think much about it….although, it’s something very GRAVE.
It is when we swear or take an oath on other than Allaah.
Swearing on ANYTHING, or ANYONE other than Allaah, is an extremely serious matter and is considered minor *SHIRK*, even if the person swearing is telling the truth.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Whoever swears by anything other than Allaah is guilty of *kufr* or *shirk*.”
(Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi; saheeh by al-Albaani)
Shirk!
Astaghfirullaah!
Yet, it is very common in our daily lives that we see and hear people swearing by a vast multitude of things.
We see people, especially from the Indo-Pak subcontinent, being greatly influenced by Bollywood, *frequently* and *so casually* swearing by other than Allaah and they don’t even realize the gravity of this sin.
For example they swear by their “life” (jaan ki qasam)
Or their “imaan” (Imaan say)
or “the life of their child” (meray bachchay ki qasam)
or “their aged mother” (boorhi maan ki qasam)
Or “their dead mother’s grave”
Or their “sister’s honor”, etc.,
And some people swear by the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, or Ali radhi Allaahu anhu, or AbdulQadir Jilani, or some other righteous person, or even the Kaa’bah or the angels.
Others swear by their honesty or honor, such as in the Scouts’ promise they say: “I promise by my honor…”
Subhaan Allaah!
Sheikh ibn Jibreen says:
“….swearing by something implies *veneration* of it, and a created being cannot venerate another created being.
This applies to swearing by the Prophets, angels, righteous people and all other created beings.
And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: “Whoever swears an oath, let him swear by Allaah or else remain silent.”
(Bukhaari, Muslim, others)
As far as the oaths that Allaah swears by in the Qur’aan are concerned, “…..these are oaths sworn by Allaah, and Allaah has the right to swear oaths by whatever He wills, but the created being can swear only be his Lord, may He be exalted.”
(al-Lu’lu’ al-Makeen min Fataawaa ibn Jibreen)
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam also said:
“Whoever swears by honesty is not one of us.” (Abu Dawud-Saheeh)
So we have to really beware of this serious issue and not swear by anything except by Allaah alone, or by one of His attributes, and only when absolutely needed.
And obviously only when it is the TRUTH.
Allaah says:
“And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much)” [al-Maa’idah:89]
And if someone LIES when he is swearing, then this is even worse!
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Of the major sins are: Associating anything in worship with Allaah, disobedience to the parents, killing without justification and taking a false oath (intentionally).''
[al-Bukhaari]
What if someone didn’t know and swore on something other than Allaah? What is the expiation for that?
Swearing by anything other than Allaah is not counted as an oath and there’s no expiation for it.
The only thing they have to do is to make *sincere Taubah* and *never repeat* this haraam action again.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyah said:
“Swearing by created things such as the Kaa‘bah, the angels, shaykhs, kings, parents, parents’ graves and so on is an oath that is not binding and *no expiation* has to be offered for it, according to scholarly consensus.
Rather it is *forbidden* according to scholarly consensus, and this prohibition means that it is haraam according to the more sound of the two opinions.”
(Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 3/222)
So be careful what you say.
And watch that tongue.
Don’t swear unnecessarily.
And if you do *have* to swear in some special circumstance, do so ONLY by swearing on Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and nothing else.
And Allaah knows best
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