Giving Oaths beside Allah
We start off this khutba with an ayat from Sura Nisa, ayat 48 in which Allah SWT says:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is clear in our faith that it is not permissible to give an oath using a creation of Allah, not using the life of any martyr or the life of any living person, including the lives of the Prophets peace and blessings be upon them despite their high status.
Imaam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Book, (Riyath Al Saliheen) – section of forbidding oaths in name of a creation like the Prophets, or the Ka’ba, or the skies or fathers or life itself.
And he identified in this section the Hadith from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said :
Allah prevent you from taking oath using your father, and whoever has to take an oath, should take it with Allah or to be quiet.
And from the evidences of the danger of giving an oath using other than Allah is the hadith of Ibn Umar again, that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said:
Whoever gave an oath using other that Allah then he has done Shirk (Taking a God beside Allah).
Dear brothers and sisters, we can not take oath using other than Allah, as narrated by Sa’ad Ibn Abeeda, that Ibn Umar may Allah be pleased with him heard a person say, “No and the Ka’aba”, Ibn Umar said: Do not give oath beside Allah, as I heard the prophet peace and blessings be upon him said whoever took oath beside Allah has rejected (Kafar) or has taken God beside Allah.
Therefore if the person taking the oath using a person then he has glorified this person to put him in a status in comparison to Allah, and this is Shirk which can take a person out of the fold of Islam, and we take refuge from this.
And whoever is used to doing this, to keep giving oaths without thought using other than Allah, then he should say after that, that there is no Lord beside Allah.
This is because it has been shown in reality that if a person tried to do this as a habit then he/she will stop this bad habit.
Dear brothers and sisters, we need to understand the reasons behind an oath in order to understand just why this topic is so important and not one that is overlooked.
The purposes of oaths taken are plenty, but the major ones are:
- To demonstrate the greatness of Allah SWT
- Oaths present an argument and points to ponder upon
- The oaths are in fact evidences
- The real purpose of an oath is reasoning
- They set Allah SWT as a witness to the argument being presented
Therefore, it is imperative that we recognize that only Allah SWT can be the basis of oaths.
May Allah SWT enable us to understand the meaning of oaths. May Allah SWT enable us to give an oath in the correct manner. And May Allah SWT reward us for correct delivery of an oath.
Ameen, Walhamdullilahirabilalameen.
