Is It Shirk to Swear by Something Other Than Allah (Most High)?
Answered by Shaykh Bassem Itani
Question
What is the ruling on swearing by something other than Allah? Does it take a person out of the fold of Islam?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his Family, and all his Companions.
Ruling
It is not permissible to swear by anything other than Allah (Most High). This is considered prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) according to Islamic law, and the person who swears by other than Allah incurs sin. However, swearing by something other than Allah does not take a person out of the fold of Islam.
The prohibition of swearing by other than Allah is clearly established in the hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), who said:
“Indeed, Allah forbids you from swearing by your fathers. Whoever wants to swear should swear by Allah or remain silent.” [Bukhari]
Valid Oath
An oath is only valid when made by Allah or His attributes. It does not become binding if one swears by the prophets, the Ka‘ba, the Quran, honor, soul, or anything else. [See: Kasani, Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘]
However, swearing by other than Allah does not amount to shirk (associating partners with Allah) unless the person intends to glorify the thing sworn by to the same degree as Allah (Most High). This is the meaning of the hadith narrated by Abu Dawud, where ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say: ‘Whoever swears by something other than Allah has committed shirk.’” [Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih]
Summary
Swearing by Allah is permissible to confirm a statement or a promise. However, it is recommended to avoid excessive swearing, even by Allah.
Furthermore, it is obligatory to avoid swearing by anything other than Allah, and it is important to refrain from accusing Muslims of shirk if they swear by other than Allah, as they typically do not intend to glorify what they swear by in the same way they glorify Allah (Most High).
And Allah is the Grantor of success.
[Shaykh] Bassem Itani
Shaykh Dr. Bassem Hussayn Itani was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1965. He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies in 2005. Among his mentors were Shaykh Muhammad Taha Sukkar, Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, Shaykh Mulla Abdul ‘Alim al-Zinki, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Dib al-Bugha, Shaykh Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli, Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli, and others, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Shaykh Itani has a rich background in both academic and administrative fields. He has held significant positions in many governmental and non-governmental institutions in Lebanon and abroad. This includes his role as a member of the Academic Committee at SeekersGuidance and a senior teacher with the free online global seminary.
From 2020 to 2021, he served as the Dean of the College of Da‘wa – University for Islamic Studies (Lebanon) – Postgraduate Studies. He was the Director of Dar Iqra for Islamic Sciences from 1998 to 2018. Shaykh Itani is a well-versed teacher in several academic subjects, including Fiqh, Usul, Aqida, and Tafsir. He has supervised and examined numerous Master’s and Doctoral theses at various universities and colleges in Lebanon.
His contributions to Islamic sciences are also evident in his writings and research. His notable works include “The Relied-upon Statements of Imam Zufar in the Hanafi School,” “Collective Ijtihad: The Sublimity of Thought in the 21st Century,” and “Custom and its Impact in Islamic Jurisprudence.” Shaykh Itani has actively participated in numerous scientific conferences and seminars, both in Lebanon and internationally. He is linguistically adept, excelling in Arabic, proficient in French, and comfortably conversant in English.
