Can I swear by anything other than Allah?

What is forbidden

The rule is that an oath belongs to Allah alone. The scholars derive it from the Prophet's ﷺ instruction to swear by Allah or say nothing, and from his statement that swearing by other than Allah is disbelief or shirk. Shaykh Ibn Baz explains that the polytheists of the pre-Islamic era used to swear by the Ka'bah, by honour, by the Prophet, by angels, by elders, by kings, by forefathers and by swords — and that all such oaths are forbidden.

The prohibition is not limited to grand objects. The documents list, as forbidden objects of oath:

• The Prophet ﷺ and other prophets: swearing by Muhammad, Isa or Musa ﷺ عليهم السلام is not permitted, even though they are the most honoured of creation.
• The Ka'bah and sacred places: swearing by the Ka'bah or by a grave is forbidden.
• Angels: Jibril and Mika'il are named among the forbidden.
• People and their qualities: swearing by a scholar, a wali (a righteous friend of Allah), a caliph, one's father or mother, one's honour, one's life, or "by the life of so-and-so".
• Abstract loyalties: nationalism, patriotism and tribal or national pride — "by the nation", "by the homeland" — are all included.
• Trust and honesty as such: "by the trust" (al-amanah) is specifically forbidden; the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever swears by the trust is not of him.

Why it is shirk

The reasoning the scholars give is that an oath is an act of veneration. When a person swears by something, he is raising it to the rank of that by which one may bind oneself — and that rank belongs to Allah alone. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen puts it plainly: swearing by other than Allah is shirk whether the object sworn by is highly esteemed with Allah or is among ordinary servants.

The Prophet ﷺ prescribed a remedy that shows what the sin is. Whoever swore by al-Lat and al-Uzza was told to follow it by saying "there is no god but Allah" — because the oath was an act of shirk, and the word of pure monotheism erases it.

"Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed disbelief or shirk."— Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1535, from Ibn Umar

"Whoever swears and says in his oath 'by al-Lat and al-Uzza' should say: there is no god but Allah."— Sahih al-Bukhari 4860, from Abu Hurayrah

Minor or major shirk

Shaykh Ibn Baz draws a distinction that matters for how a person understands what he has done. Swearing by a created thing is minor shirk — a grave sin, but one that does not expel a person from Islam. It becomes major shirk if the heart holds that the thing sworn by deserves the veneration due to Allah, or that it disposes of the affairs of the universe, or that it may be worshipped alongside Allah. The act is the same; the belief behind it decides the category.

What is permitted

An oath is valid only by Allah's names or His attributes. The scholars give these examples:

• By Allah's names: "by Allah", "by the Most Merciful", "by the Lord of the Worlds", "by the Lord of the Ka'bah".
• By His attributes: "by Allah's might", "by Allah's power", "by Allah's knowledge", "by Allah's life".
• By the Qur'an: both Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaymeen permit this, because the Qur'an is the speech of Allah — an attribute of His. The person swearing by the Qur'an intends the speech of Allah, not the paper and binding.

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen adds a distinction on the phrase "by the signs of Allah": if what is meant is the revealed signs — the Qur'an — it is permitted; if what is meant is the created signs such as the sun, moon, night and day, it is not.

If you have sworn by something else

The scholars do not leave the person who has fallen into this without a way back. Shaykh Ibn Baz advises that whoever swears by other than Allah should repent sincerely — by ceasing the practice, regretting what has passed, and resolving firmly not to return to it. The Prophet ﷺ gave the immediate remedy: say "there is no god but Allah". And because the practice is a wrong, the one who is used to it should warn his family and those who sit with him, following the instruction to change a wrong by hand, by tongue, or at least by heart.

A note on the Hanbali report

The Hanbali school's own manual, al-Mughni of Ibn Qudamah, states the rule as: it is not permitted to swear by other than Allah and His attributes — by one's father, the Ka'bah, a Companion or an imam. Al-Shafi'i said he feared it was a sin, and Ibn Abd al-Barr said this is a principle on which there is agreement. Ibn Qudamah also records a report that Imam Ahmad permitted swearing by the Prophet ﷺ on the reasoning that honouring the Prophet ﷺ is honouring Allah — but the Hanbali scholar al-Shanqiti, in his commentary on Zad al-Mustaqni', states clearly that this view is weighed down (marjuh) and that the correct position is that no oath is valid except by Allah, His names or His attributes.

Key takeaways

• Swearing by anything other than Allah is forbidden — the Prophet ﷺ, the Ka'bah, parents, honour, the trust, the nation, or any created thing.
• It is minor shirk, and becomes major shirk if the heart believes the object sworn by shares Allah's greatness or control.
• Valid oaths are by Allah's names and attributes, including the Qur'an, because it is His speech.
• If you have done it, repent and say "there is no god but Allah"; and if you are used to it, warn those around you.
• Do not be misled by the claim that Allah swears by His creation — He may swear by whatever He wills; His servants may not.

Further reading

• Majmu' Fatawa wa Maqalat al-Shaykh Ibn Baz — the sections on oaths
• Al-Mughni, Ibn Qudamah — the chapter on oaths
• Sharh Zad al-Mustaqni', al-Shanqiti — the chapter on oaths

And Allah knows best.