Is It Permissible to Swear by Anything Other Than Allah?
هل يجوز الحلف بغير الله؟
Is it permissible to swear by anything other than Allah?
The answer forbids swearing by other than Allah with two hadiths: whoever swears, let him swear only by Allah (Muslim 1646), and whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk (Abu Dawud 3251); swearing by one's father, mother, or any creature falls under this.
Taking an oath is a profound act of veneration in Islam. Because an oath elevates the subject to a status of absolute magnification, the religion sets definitive boundaries on who or what can be invoked to guarantee a statement.
1. The Prophetic Prohibition
The prohibition of swearing by anyone other than Allah was reported clearly in the following Ahadeeth. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: (Whoever swears, let him not swear by anything other than Allah.) (Sahih Muslim 1646) This establishes a universal rule for all believers.
2. The Severity of the Act
To demonstrate the immense gravity of this action, Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, also said: (Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk.) (Sunan Abi Dawud 3251) This highlights that elevating a creation to the level of the Creator in an oath constitutes a serious spiritual violation.
3. Examples of Prohibited Oaths
Examples of swearing by someone other than Allah occur frequently in daily culture, such as when a person swears by his father, his mother, or other creatures. A Muslim is commanded to completely abandon these habits and purify their speech.
هل يجوز الحلف بغير الله؟
يستدل الجواب على تحريم الحلف بغير الله بحديثين: من كان حالفا فلا يحلف إلا بالله (مسلم 1646)، ومن حلف بغير الله فقد أشرك (أبو داود 3251)، ومن ذلك الحلف بالأب والأم وسائر المخلوقات.
يعتبر القسم عملا عميقا من أعمال التعظيم في الإسلام. ولأن القسم يرفع المحلوف به إلى منزلة التعظيم المطلق، فإن الدين يضع حدودا قاطعة حول من أو ما الذي يمكن التوسل به لتأكيد القول.
النهي النبوي
ورد النهي عن الحلف بغير الله منها: قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (من كان حالفا فلا يحلف إلا بالله) (صحيح مسلم 1646). وهذا يؤسس لقاعدة عامة لجميع المؤمنين.
خطورة الفعل
أيضا قول الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم: (من حلف بغير الله فقد أشرك) (سنن أبي داود 3251). وهذا يبرز أن رفع المخلوق إلى مرتبة الخالق في القسم يشكل انتهاكا روحيا خطيرا.
أمثلة الحلف الممنوع
ومن أمثلة الحلف بغير الله: أن يحلف الإنسان بأبيه وأمه أو غير ذلك من المخلوقات. وقد أمر المسلم بترك هذه العادات تماما وتطهير لسانه.
1. Umar Never Swore by His Father Again | عمر وترك الحلف بالآباء
Umar said that the Messenger of Allah told him: Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers. Umar said: By Allah, I have not sworn by them since I heard the Prophet forbid it, neither on my own nor quoting someone else (Sahih al-Bukhari 6647). The Companions left this habit of their people at once.
قال عمر: قال لي رسول الله ﷺ: "إن الله ينهاكم أن تحلفوا بآبائكم". قال عمر: "فوالله ما حلفت بها منذ سمعت النبي ﷺ ذاكرا ولا آثرا" (صحيح البخاري 6647). فترك الصحابة هذه العادة من فورهم.
2. If It Slips Out, Say La Ilaha Illa Allah | إن سبق اللسان فليقل لا إله إلا الله
The Prophet said: Whoever swears and says in his oath, by al-Lat and al-Uzza, let him say: there is no god but Allah (Sahih al-Bukhari 6650). Ibn Kathir explains that this was said to people new to Islam whose tongues still ran on the oaths of their past, so they were told to say the word of sincerity to cancel what slipped out.
قال النبي ﷺ: "من حلف فقال في حلفه: باللات والعزى، فليقل: لا إله إلا الله" (صحيح البخاري 6650). وبين ابن كثير أن النبي ﷺ قاله لقوم حديثي عهد بجاهلية ألفت ألسنتهم الحلف باللات من غير قصد، فأمروا أن يتلفظوا بكلمة الإخلاص.
3. Swear Only by Allah, and Only Truthfully | لا تحلفوا إلا بالله ولا تحلفوا إلا صادقين
The Prophet said: Do not swear by your fathers, your mothers, or by rivals to Allah; do not swear except by Allah, and do not swear by Allah except when you are truthful (Sunan Abi Dawud 3248, graded sahih by al-Albani).
قال النبي ﷺ: "لا تحلفوا بآبائكم ولا بأمهاتكم ولا بالأنداد، ولا تحلفوا إلا بالله، ولا تحلفوا بالله إلا وأنتم صادقون" (سنن أبي داود 3248، وصححه الألباني).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Is it permissible to swear by the life of my mother or my children?
No. The Prophet said: do not swear by your fathers, your mothers, or by rivals to Allah; do not swear except by Allah (Sunan Abi Dawud 3248).
Why is swearing by someone else called shirk?
Because an oath magnifies what one swears by, and that belongs to Allah alone; the Prophet said: whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk (Sunan Abi Dawud 3251).
What if I swear by something other than Allah out of habit?
Correct it at once by saying la ilaha illa Allah, as the Prophet told whoever swore by al-Lat and al-Uzza (Sahih al-Bukhari 6650).
How did the Companions respond to this prohibition?
Umar said that once he heard the Prophet forbid swearing by fathers, he never swore by his own father again, on his own or quoting others (Sahih al-Bukhari 6647).