Is it permissible for a person to swear by the moon and sun?
هل يجوز للإنسان أن يحلف بالشمس والقمر؟
Allah, Glory be to Him, the Most High, swears in the Noble Quran by the sun, the moon, and others. This often brings up a logical question for believers: Is it permissible for a person to swear by them as well?
الله سبحانه وتعالى يقسم في القرآن الكريم بالشمس والقمر وغيرها. وهذا يطرح تساؤلا منطقيا لدى المؤمنين: هل يجوز للإنسان أن يحلف فيها أيضا؟
The Creator's Right | حق الخالق
Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, is the Creator of everything, so He swears by whatever He wills of His creation. When Allah swears by the sun, the moon, the dawn, or time, He is drawing human attention to the profound greatness, precision, and immense value of these creations, affirming His ultimate power over them.
الله عز وجل خالق كل شيء، فهو يقسم بما شاء من خلقه. وعندما يقسم الله بالشمس أو القمر أو الفجر أو العصر، فإنه يلفت انتباه البشر إلى العظمة البالغة والدقة والقيمة الهائلة لهذه المخلوقات، مؤكدا قدرته المطلقة عليها.
The Restriction on Humans | تقييد حلف الإنسان
While man can swear only by Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He. This is because the oath is fundamentally an act of glorification. An oath is by the greatest thing that ever exists, and Allah is the Greatest to man, so man is only allowed to swear by Him.
Therefore, it is entirely impermissible for a Muslim to swear by anyone or anything other than Allah Almighty. To swear by a creation is to elevate it to a status of magnification that belongs exclusively to the Creator.
بينما ليس للإنسان القسم إلا بالله عز وجل. وذلك لأن القسم في جوهره هو فعل من أفعال التعظيم، لأن القسم يكون بأعظم شيء عند القسم، وليس عند المسلم أعظم من الله.
ولذلك ليس للمسلم أن يقسم بغير الله عز وجل. فالحلف بمخلوق يعني رفعه إلى منزلة من التعظيم لا تليق إلا بالخالق وحده.
Scholarly Insight: Islamic theology establishes a clear boundary between the Creator and the created. The Prophet pbuh firmly stated that whoever swears by something other than Allah has committed an act of Shirk (associating partners with Allah), because an oath implies absolute reverence. Allah, being the Supreme Lord, is free to use His creations as evidence in His divine oaths, but humans must direct their absolute reverence solely to Allah.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why does Allah swear by the sun and moon in the Quran?
Allah swears by whatever He wills of His creation to highlight their immense importance, to draw our attention to His divine power in creating them, and to emphasize the truth of the statement that follows the oath.
Can I swear by my mother's life or my children?
No. It is strictly forbidden for a Muslim to swear by anything or anyone other than Allah, because an oath is an expression of ultimate magnification and greatness, which belongs to Allah alone.
What is the underlying reason humans can only swear by Allah?
The oath is always made by the greatest thing that exists in the heart of the one swearing. Since there is absolutely nothing greater to a Muslim than Allah, man is only allowed to swear by Him.