Authored by: Imran Ayub Lahori
✿ Swearing Oaths in Trade is Not Permissible
❶ It is narrated from Hazrat Salman (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“ثلاثة لا ينظر الله إليهم يوم القيامة: أشيمط زان ، وعائل مستكبر ، ورجل جعل الله بضاعته لا يشترى إلا بيمينه ، ولا يبيع إلا بيمينه”
“There are three types of people whom Allah will not look at with mercy on the Day of Resurrection: an old man who commits fornication, a poor person who is arrogant, and a man who uses oaths in all his trade—he does not buy except by swearing, and he does not sell except by swearing.”
[Sahih: Sahih al-Targhib: 1788, Book of Trade: Chapter on Encouragement for Traders to be Truthful; Reported by Al-Tabarani in Al-Kabir]
❷ It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“أربعة يبغضهم الله: البياع الحلاف ، والفقير المختال ، والشيخ الزاني ، والإمام الجائر”
“There are four types of people whom Allah hates: the trader who constantly swears oaths, the arrogant poor person, the old man who commits fornication, and the unjust ruler.”
[Sahih: Sahih al-Targhib: 1790, Book of Trade: Chapter on Encouragement for Traders to be Truthful; Al-Nasa’i: 5/86; Ibn Hibban in his Sahih: 5532]
❸ It is narrated from Hazrat Qatadah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“إياكم وكثرة الحلف فى البيع فإنه ينفق ، ثم يمحق”
“Beware of excessive swearing in trade, for it may help to sell the goods, but it destroys the blessings.”
[Muslim: 1607; Al-Nasa’i: 7/246; Ibn Majah: 2209]
Summary:
These Hadiths strongly emphasize that swearing oaths during buying and selling is a blameworthy act in Islam. Such behavior may momentarily increase sales but ultimately leads to the loss of blessings and the displeasure of Allah. Traders are advised to uphold truthfulness and avoid the use of oaths as a business tactic.
