Allah Swears by the Sun and Moon: May a Person Swear by Them?
الله سبحانه وتعالى يقسم في القرآن الكريم بالشمس والقمر وغيرها، هل يجوز للإنسان أن يحلف بها؟
Is it permissible for a person to swear by the moon and sun?
The answer explains that Allah, the Creator of everything, swears by whatever He wills of His creation, while a person may swear only by Allah, because an oath is made by the greatest thing to the one swearing, and nothing is greater to a Muslim than Allah.
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?
The Creator's Right
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.
The Restriction on Humans
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.
هل يجوز للإنسان أن يحلف بالشمس والقمر؟
يبين الجواب أن الله عز وجل خالق كل شيء فهو يقسم بما شاء من خلقه، وأن الإنسان ليس له أن يقسم إلا بالله، لأن القسم يكون بأعظم شيء عند الحالف، وليس عند المسلم أعظم من الله.
الله سبحانه وتعالى يقسم في القرآن الكريم بالشمس والقمر وغيرها. وهذا يطرح تساؤلا منطقيا لدى المؤمنين: هل يجوز للإنسان أن يحلف فيها أيضا؟
حق الخالق
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.
تقييد حلف الإنسان
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.
1. The Creator and the Created | الخالق والمخلوق
Ibn Kathir quotes al-Sha'bi and others: The Creator swears by whatever He wills of His creation, and the created should not swear except by the Creator (reported by Ibn Abi Hatim). This is exactly the answer's distinction: Allah's oaths by the sun, the moon, the dawn, and time draw attention to the greatness of what He created, while a person swears only by Allah. Allah's oaths by times of the day, such as By the dawn, By the forenoon and By al-Asr, are gathered in the parts of daytime mentioned in the Quran.
قال ابن كثير: "قال الشعبي وغيره: الخالق يقسم بما شاء من خلقه، والمخلوق لا ينبغي له أن يقسم إلا بالخالق. رواه ابن أبي حاتم". وهذا هو التفريق الذي ذكره الجواب.
2. Swear by Allah or Keep Silent | فليحلف بالله أو ليصمت
The Prophet caught up with Umar ibn al-Khattab while he was riding with a group and swearing by his father, and said: Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers; whoever must swear, let him swear by Allah or keep silent (Sahih al-Bukhari 6646).
أدرك رسول الله ﷺ عمر بن الخطاب وهو يسير في ركب يحلف بأبيه، فقال: "ألا إن الله ينهاكم أن تحلفوا بآبائكم، من كان حالفا فليحلف بالله، أو ليصمت" (صحيح البخاري 6646).
3. Swearing by Other Than Allah Is a Form of Shirk | الحلف بغير الله شرك
Ibn Umar heard a man swear: no, by the Kaaba. He told him: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: Whoever swears by other than Allah has associated partners with Him (Sunan Abi Dawud 3251, graded sahih by al-Albani). Even the Kaaba, the holiest place on earth, may not be sworn by.
سمع ابن عمر رجلا يحلف: لا والكعبة، فقال له: إني سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: "من حلف بغير الله فقد أشرك" (سنن أبي داود 3251، وصححه الألباني). فلا يحلف حتى بالكعبة، وهي أشرف البقاع.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why does Allah swear by the sun and moon in the Quran?
The answer explains that Allah, the Creator of everything, swears by whatever He wills of His creation, drawing attention to its greatness and to His power over it.
Can I swear by my mother's life or my children?
No. The Prophet said: Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers; whoever must swear, let him swear by Allah or keep silent (Sahih al-Bukhari 6646).
Why may a person swear only by Allah?
Because, as the answer explains, an oath is made by the greatest thing to the one swearing, and nothing is greater to a Muslim than Allah. Al-Sha'bi said: the created should swear only by the Creator.
Is swearing by the Kaaba or the Prophet allowed?
No. When a man swore by the Kaaba, Ibn Umar told him that the Prophet said: whoever swears by other than Allah has associated partners with Him (Sunan Abi Dawud 3251).