Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
What is the ruling on swearing by the Noble Qur’ān?
It is permissible to swear by the Noble Qur’ān, because the Qur’ān is the knowledge and speech of Allah, and not a creation.
❀ Imām Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله (d. 463 AH) said:
“There is consensus that whoever swears by Allah, or by one of His names, or by one of His attributes, or by the Noble Qur’ān or any part of it, and then breaks the oath, is liable to the expiation (kaffārah) that Allah has prescribed in the Qur’ān.
The scholars of all regions agree on this without dispute. It is the consensus of the scholars that the explicit wording of an oath by Allah includes: "Billāh", "Tallāh", and "Wallāh".
Al-Tamhīd, 14/369
❀ Imām Abū Jaʿfar Aḥmad bin Sinān al-Wāsiṭī رحمه الله (d. 259 AH) said:
“Whoever believes that there are two Qur’āns, or that the present Qur’ān is a mere narration (ḥikāyah), then by Allah—the One without partner—such a person is a Zindīq (heretic).
This Qur’ān is the very one revealed by Allah through Jibrīl عليه السلام to Muḥammad ﷺ.
There can be no alteration or distortion in it. Falsehood can neither approach it from the front nor from behind.
It is a revelation from the All-Wise, the Praiseworthy.
Allah says:
﴿قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ﴾
“Say: If all mankind and jinn were to come together to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they could not produce the like thereof.”
(Sūrah al-Isrāʾ: 88)
If someone swears, “I will not speak today,” and then offers ṣalāh, recites the Qur’ān, or says salām in prayer—no kaffārah is required.
Why? Because the Qur’ān is not to be equated with any other speech. It is the speech of Allah, its beginning and end are with Him.
Allah’s Names, Attributes, and Knowledge are not created.
Ikhtiṣāṣ al-Qurʾān by Ḍiyāʾ al-Maqdisī, p. 32 – Chain authentic
❀ Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله (d. 204 AH) said:
“Whoever swears by one of the Names of Allah and then breaks the oath must offer expiation, because the Names of Allah are not created.
But if someone swears by the Kaʿbah, or Ṣafā and Marwah, then no kaffārah is required because these are created entities, unlike the Name of Allah which is not created.”
Ādāb al-Shāfiʿī by Ibn Abī Ḥātim, p. 193; Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ: 9/113; al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 10/28; Manāqib al-Shāfiʿī: 1/405 – Chains authentic
❀ Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal رحمه الله (d. 241 AH) said:
“The Names of Allah are in the Qur’ān, and the Qur’ān is from the Knowledge of Allah.
Whoever claims that the Qur’ān is created is a disbeliever.
Likewise, whoever claims that the Names of Allah are created is also a disbeliever.”
Al-Miḥnah by Ṣāliḥ bin Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, p. 69
❀ The author of al-Hidāyah (Ḥanafī scholar, d. 593 AH) wrote:
“Swearing by anything other than Allah does not constitute a valid oath—like swearing by the Prophet ﷺ or the Kaʿbah.
Similarly, swearing by the Qur’ān was not commonly practiced, hence it should be avoided.”
Al-Hidāyah: 2/318
❀ Imām Ibn al-Humām رحمه الله (d. 861 AH) corrected this:
“It is clear that swearing by the Qur’ān is now commonly practiced, and thus it should be accepted as a legitimate oath—just as the three Imāms (Abū Ḥanīfah, Mālik, and al-Shāfiʿī) held.
The reason given by the author of al-Hidāyah—i.e., that the Qur’ān is not the speech of Allah but created—is not acceptable. That belief aligns with the Muʿtazilite sect and is misguidance.
The Qur’ān revealed by Allah comprises letters that indicate divine speech, though they themselves exist in the realm of causes (ʿālam al-asbāb). If we were to say these letters are the speech of Allah (kalam Allāh), it would be impossible to then claim that the real speech of Allah is non-existent.
However, telling the common people that the Qur’ān is created may lead them to misunderstand and think the Divine Speech itself is created, which is incorrect.
Hence, when someone swears by the Qur’ān, it should be treated as a valid oath in accordance with common understanding (ʿurf).”
Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 5/69; al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq by Ibn Nujaym: 4/311
❀ Imām Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz رحمه الله (d. 792 AH) said:
“Swearing by the Qur’ān is permissible, as per the opinion of the three Imāms, because it has become widely accepted and customary in our time.
The opinion that swearing by the Qur’ān is invalid because it is created is not to be considered.
Believing that the Qur’ān is created is the belief of the Muʿtazilah and is disbelief, because it is known with certainty that the Qur’ān is not created, but rather it is the speech of Allah.”
Al-Tanbīh ʿalā Mushkilāt al-Hidāyah: 4/86–87
① It is permissible and valid to swear by the Noble Qur’ān,
② Because the Qur’ān is the speech of Allah, not a creation.
③ This is supported by the consensus of scholars and the statements of leading Imāms.
④ Those who claim that the Qur’ān is created are upon the path of the Muʿtazilah and such a belief is disbelief (kufr).
⑤ In our time, swearing by the Qur’ān is common and accepted, thus the oath is binding and subject to kaffārah (expiation) if broken.
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on swearing by the Noble Qur’ān?
✿ Answer:
It is permissible to swear by the Noble Qur’ān, because the Qur’ān is the knowledge and speech of Allah, and not a creation.
❖ Scholarly Statements & Evidences:
❀ Imām Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله (d. 463 AH) said:
“There is consensus that whoever swears by Allah, or by one of His names, or by one of His attributes, or by the Noble Qur’ān or any part of it, and then breaks the oath, is liable to the expiation (kaffārah) that Allah has prescribed in the Qur’ān.
The scholars of all regions agree on this without dispute. It is the consensus of the scholars that the explicit wording of an oath by Allah includes: "Billāh", "Tallāh", and "Wallāh".
Al-Tamhīd, 14/369❀ Imām Abū Jaʿfar Aḥmad bin Sinān al-Wāsiṭī رحمه الله (d. 259 AH) said:
“Whoever believes that there are two Qur’āns, or that the present Qur’ān is a mere narration (ḥikāyah), then by Allah—the One without partner—such a person is a Zindīq (heretic).
This Qur’ān is the very one revealed by Allah through Jibrīl عليه السلام to Muḥammad ﷺ.
There can be no alteration or distortion in it. Falsehood can neither approach it from the front nor from behind.
It is a revelation from the All-Wise, the Praiseworthy.
Allah says:
﴿قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ﴾
“Say: If all mankind and jinn were to come together to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they could not produce the like thereof.”
(Sūrah al-Isrāʾ: 88)If someone swears, “I will not speak today,” and then offers ṣalāh, recites the Qur’ān, or says salām in prayer—no kaffārah is required.
Why? Because the Qur’ān is not to be equated with any other speech. It is the speech of Allah, its beginning and end are with Him.
Allah’s Names, Attributes, and Knowledge are not created.
Ikhtiṣāṣ al-Qurʾān by Ḍiyāʾ al-Maqdisī, p. 32 – Chain authentic❀ Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله (d. 204 AH) said:
“Whoever swears by one of the Names of Allah and then breaks the oath must offer expiation, because the Names of Allah are not created.
But if someone swears by the Kaʿbah, or Ṣafā and Marwah, then no kaffārah is required because these are created entities, unlike the Name of Allah which is not created.”
Ādāb al-Shāfiʿī by Ibn Abī Ḥātim, p. 193; Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ: 9/113; al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 10/28; Manāqib al-Shāfiʿī: 1/405 – Chains authentic❀ Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal رحمه الله (d. 241 AH) said:
“The Names of Allah are in the Qur’ān, and the Qur’ān is from the Knowledge of Allah.
Whoever claims that the Qur’ān is created is a disbeliever.
Likewise, whoever claims that the Names of Allah are created is also a disbeliever.”
Al-Miḥnah by Ṣāliḥ bin Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, p. 69❀ The author of al-Hidāyah (Ḥanafī scholar, d. 593 AH) wrote:
“Swearing by anything other than Allah does not constitute a valid oath—like swearing by the Prophet ﷺ or the Kaʿbah.
Similarly, swearing by the Qur’ān was not commonly practiced, hence it should be avoided.”
Al-Hidāyah: 2/318❀ Imām Ibn al-Humām رحمه الله (d. 861 AH) corrected this:
“It is clear that swearing by the Qur’ān is now commonly practiced, and thus it should be accepted as a legitimate oath—just as the three Imāms (Abū Ḥanīfah, Mālik, and al-Shāfiʿī) held.
The reason given by the author of al-Hidāyah—i.e., that the Qur’ān is not the speech of Allah but created—is not acceptable. That belief aligns with the Muʿtazilite sect and is misguidance.
The Qur’ān revealed by Allah comprises letters that indicate divine speech, though they themselves exist in the realm of causes (ʿālam al-asbāb). If we were to say these letters are the speech of Allah (kalam Allāh), it would be impossible to then claim that the real speech of Allah is non-existent.
However, telling the common people that the Qur’ān is created may lead them to misunderstand and think the Divine Speech itself is created, which is incorrect.
Hence, when someone swears by the Qur’ān, it should be treated as a valid oath in accordance with common understanding (ʿurf).”
Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 5/69; al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq by Ibn Nujaym: 4/311❀ Imām Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz رحمه الله (d. 792 AH) said:
“Swearing by the Qur’ān is permissible, as per the opinion of the three Imāms, because it has become widely accepted and customary in our time.
The opinion that swearing by the Qur’ān is invalid because it is created is not to be considered.
Believing that the Qur’ān is created is the belief of the Muʿtazilah and is disbelief, because it is known with certainty that the Qur’ān is not created, but rather it is the speech of Allah.”
Al-Tanbīh ʿalā Mushkilāt al-Hidāyah: 4/86–87
Conclusion:
① It is permissible and valid to swear by the Noble Qur’ān,
② Because the Qur’ān is the speech of Allah, not a creation.
③ This is supported by the consensus of scholars and the statements of leading Imāms.
④ Those who claim that the Qur’ān is created are upon the path of the Muʿtazilah and such a belief is disbelief (kufr).
⑤ In our time, swearing by the Qur’ān is common and accepted, thus the oath is binding and subject to kaffārah (expiation) if broken.
