Swearing by someone other than Allah Q- What is the ruling on swearing by other than Allah, is it Shirk? A – Swearing by other than Allah, whether an angel, prophet, pious person or any created being is forbidden. This is based upon the authentic Hadith of Ibn Umar that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw Umar Bin Al-Khattab while he was riding with a group of horsemen and he heard Umar swearing by his father. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called out to them: “Verily, Allah the Almighty and Majestic has forbidden you from swearing by your fathers. Whoever swears, he should swear by Allah or be silent.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 1646, At-Tirmidhi, no. 1534) In another narration it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever swears should not swear except by Allah.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 1646) The Quraish used to swear by their fathers and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said (to them): “Do not swear by your fathers.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 1646) These were narrated by Muslim and others. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited swearing by other than Allah, and a prohibition normally means Tahrim (to make something Haraam). Indeed, it has been authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he called it Shirk. Umar Bin Al-Khattab said that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever swears by anything other than Allah, has committed Shirk. (Ahmad, 1/47, 2/34) It has been reported on the authority of Ibn Umar that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever swore by other than Allah, he has committed Shirk or disbelief.” (Abu Dawud, no. 3251 and At-Tirmidhi, no. 1535) Scholars have interpreted this to mean minor Shirk. But it is one of the great major sins. This is why Ibn Masud said: “That I should swear by Allah to a lie is better than I should swear by other than Allah to the truth.” This is supported by what Abu Hurairah reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), that he said: “Whoever among you swore by other than Allah, saying in his oath: ‘By Al-Lat, should say: La ilaha illAllah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) and whoever said to his brother: ‘Come, and I will gamble with you,' he should give in charity.” (Al-Bukhari, no. 6650 and Muslim, no. 1647) So the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered any Muslim who swore by Al-Lat to say afterwards: La ilaha illAllah to negate the swearing by other than Allah, the belief in Whose Asolute Oneness is obligatory. This is because of the glorification of other than Allah, which results from ascribing to another what should only be for Him – i.e. swearing (an oath) by Him. As for those Hadiths which contain swearing by parents, they are from before its prohibition, in accordance with the customs of Quraish in the days of pre-Islamic ignorance. – Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 1, pg. 107. __
