Cleanse yourself if taking oath on a name other than of Allah (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

There are times when no one seem to believing a man and he is compelled to take an oath or swear on someone's name to prove one's innocence or clarify the position. This habit is in every culture and people use this option when hit against the wall. The same was the tradition among the pagans of Arabia before the advent of Islam and they would swear or take oath in the name of their idols, specially the two major ones, Al-Lat and AI-'Uzza.

Since this had become a habit among the pagans, those who embraced Islam would inadvertently swear on the names and would repent later on. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ cognizant of this habit of bygone days, asked the ones repeating swears and oaths of days of ignorance to immediately repent and say, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah" for revalidation of their faith. It must be remembered swearing on a name other than Allah is tantamount to Shirk.

This Hadith is mentioned in Sahi al-Bukhārī  (Book 65 - Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh)) /  كتاب  التفسير / Chapter 2: "Have you then considered Al-Lat and AI-'Uzza? (1) " (V.53:19) (1) :(Ch. 2) Lat and 'Uzza were two idols worshipped by the pagan Arabs during the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance. / باب {‏أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللاَّتَ وَالْعُزَّى‏}‏) as Hadith 4860, given herein under:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whomever takes an oath in which he mentions Lat and `Uzza (forgetfully), should say: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and whoever says to his companion. 'Come along, let us gamble' must give alms (as an expiation).

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ حَلَفَ فَقَالَ فِي حَلِفِهِ وَاللاَّتِ وَالْعُزَّى‏.‏ فَلْيَقُلْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ‏.‏ وَمَنْ قَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ تَعَالَ أُقَامِرْكَ‏.‏ فَلْيَتَصَدَّقْ ‏"‏‏.‏

Likewise, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also instructed his companions and general public to give charity if someone asks others for gambling or any foul play disliked by Allah, for these are enticements of the Satan and one must therefore refrain from these. 

We often see many a Muslims swearing on the names , like I swear on the name of my parents or children or any other saint. Even some take name of deities of other faiths even for fun sake, Such acts must never be adopted. Remember, anyone who is seen swearing excessively is often turns out to be a liar. So my sisters and brothers in Islam, do not swear as a habit and if it all a situation arises to take an oath or swear on someone's name, it should be none but the name of Allah. And one must never swear taking name of Allah if one is concealing the truth or is lying.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our exclusive page: Collection of Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read posts written on general matters.

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Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

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Posted in: Hadith,Oath,Swearing