◈ Divine Favors and Human Ingratitude
Man is overwhelmed with countless favors from Allah ﷻ—blessings he cannot enumerate. Allah states:
❝وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا❞
(“And if you try to count Allah’s blessings, you will never be able to enumerate them.”)
He granted us eyes to see, a tongue to speak, and lips to articulate. These blessings demand gratitude, not misuse in sinful actions. Using the tongue for false oaths or associating others with Allah through words amounts to kufr (disbelief) and shirk (polytheism).
❀ Taking Oaths by Other than Allah
An oath is an act of worship and should be reserved for Allah alone. Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
❝Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk.❞
Sadly, this prohibited act is common among the ignorant today—people often swear by their children, saints, or even sustenance. They consider Allah’s oath insufficient until one swears by a worldly entity, which is a form of kufr.
The Prophet ﷺ emphasized:
❝Allah forbids you from swearing by your ancestors. Whoever must swear should swear by Allah or remain silent.❞
◈ The Word “If” and Denial of Divine Decree
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Strive for what benefits you and seek help from Allah... If something fails, do not say, ‘If only I had done such and such.’ Rather say, ‘What Allah decreed came to pass,’ for ‘if’ opens the door to Shayṭān’s actions.❞
Using “if” in a way that negates belief in divine decree is a gateway to disbelief.
◈ Examples of Disbelieving Statements Commonly Heard
➊ “O Allah, give me sustenance and don’t oppress me with poverty.”
This implies attributing oppression to Allah, which is disbelief.
Allah says:
❝وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ❞
("And your Lord is never unjust to His servants.")
➋ “Allah is with the patient—this is all nonsense!”
Such a statement aligns with heretical beliefs (ḥulūliyyah and ittiḥādiyyah) and is blatant disbelief.
Allah affirms:
❝إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ❞
("Indeed, Allah is with the patient.")
➌ Upon someone’s death: “Allah should not have done this.”
This challenges divine wisdom and decree.
Allah says:
❝لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ❞
("He is not questioned about what He does...")
➍ “The Prophet ﷺ was pure light; he cast no shadow.”
This contradicts the Qur’anic affirmation of the Prophet’s humanity:
❝هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا❞
("I am only a human messenger.")
The Qur’an confirms that all messengers were men from among the people, not beings of light or angels.
◈ The Belief of Omnipresence (Ḥāḍir Nāẓir)
Another widespread yet heretical belief is that the Prophet ﷺ is present everywhere and physically attends multiple places simultaneously. Such claims contradict the Qur’an, where Allah ﷻ tells His Prophet ﷺ:
❝وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ...❞
("You were not with them when they devised their plans...")
Thus, attributing such omnipresence to the Prophet ﷺ opposes divine revelation.
◈ Final Reflections
These common utterances reflect ignorance of core Islamic beliefs. It is the duty of Islamic scholars to educate the masses, eradicate these kufr and shirk expressions, and revive correct Islamic understanding.
فَاعْتَبِرُوْا يَٰأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ
“So take heed, O people of insight.”
May Allah guide us to purity in creed and speech.
وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ التَّوْفِيقِ وَالسَّدَادِ
وصلى الله على نبيه محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم.
Man is overwhelmed with countless favors from Allah ﷻ—blessings he cannot enumerate. Allah states:
❝وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا❞
(“And if you try to count Allah’s blessings, you will never be able to enumerate them.”)
He granted us eyes to see, a tongue to speak, and lips to articulate. These blessings demand gratitude, not misuse in sinful actions. Using the tongue for false oaths or associating others with Allah through words amounts to kufr (disbelief) and shirk (polytheism).
❀ Taking Oaths by Other than Allah
An oath is an act of worship and should be reserved for Allah alone. Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
❝Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk.❞
Sadly, this prohibited act is common among the ignorant today—people often swear by their children, saints, or even sustenance. They consider Allah’s oath insufficient until one swears by a worldly entity, which is a form of kufr.
The Prophet ﷺ emphasized:
❝Allah forbids you from swearing by your ancestors. Whoever must swear should swear by Allah or remain silent.❞
◈ The Word “If” and Denial of Divine Decree
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Strive for what benefits you and seek help from Allah... If something fails, do not say, ‘If only I had done such and such.’ Rather say, ‘What Allah decreed came to pass,’ for ‘if’ opens the door to Shayṭān’s actions.❞
Using “if” in a way that negates belief in divine decree is a gateway to disbelief.
◈ Examples of Disbelieving Statements Commonly Heard
➊ “O Allah, give me sustenance and don’t oppress me with poverty.”
This implies attributing oppression to Allah, which is disbelief.
Allah says:
❝وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ❞
("And your Lord is never unjust to His servants.")
➋ “Allah is with the patient—this is all nonsense!”
Such a statement aligns with heretical beliefs (ḥulūliyyah and ittiḥādiyyah) and is blatant disbelief.
Allah affirms:
❝إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ❞
("Indeed, Allah is with the patient.")
➌ Upon someone’s death: “Allah should not have done this.”
This challenges divine wisdom and decree.
Allah says:
❝لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ❞
("He is not questioned about what He does...")
➍ “The Prophet ﷺ was pure light; he cast no shadow.”
This contradicts the Qur’anic affirmation of the Prophet’s humanity:
❝هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا❞
("I am only a human messenger.")
The Qur’an confirms that all messengers were men from among the people, not beings of light or angels.
◈ The Belief of Omnipresence (Ḥāḍir Nāẓir)
Another widespread yet heretical belief is that the Prophet ﷺ is present everywhere and physically attends multiple places simultaneously. Such claims contradict the Qur’an, where Allah ﷻ tells His Prophet ﷺ:
❝وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ...❞
("You were not with them when they devised their plans...")
Thus, attributing such omnipresence to the Prophet ﷺ opposes divine revelation.
◈ Final Reflections
These common utterances reflect ignorance of core Islamic beliefs. It is the duty of Islamic scholars to educate the masses, eradicate these kufr and shirk expressions, and revive correct Islamic understanding.
فَاعْتَبِرُوْا يَٰأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ
“So take heed, O people of insight.”
May Allah guide us to purity in creed and speech.
وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ التَّوْفِيقِ وَالسَّدَادِ
وصلى الله على نبيه محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم.
