Authored by: Allama Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jibreen (Hafizahullah)
Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is the only One deserving of absolute reverence and whose greatness demands submission, humility, and acknowledgment of His supreme authority.
Question:
What is the ruling on swearing by the Prophet (ﷺ) or by trust (amanah)?Answer:
It is not permissible to swear by any creation other than Allah.Evidence from the Quran and Hadith:
- The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever has to swear, let them swear by Allah or remain silent."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, #2670] - Swearing by other than Allah is considered shirk or disbelief:
"Whoever swears by anything other than Allah has committed disbelief or shirk."
[Musnad Ahmad, 2/125, Hadith #6072; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Nuzur wal-Aiman, #1535]- Imam al-Tirmidhi (رحمه الله) declared this Hadith as Hasan (good), and Imam al-Hakim (رحمه الله) graded it as Sahih (authentic).
- Every oath sworn by something other than Allah is shirk:
"Every oath sworn by anything other than Allah is shirk."
[Mustadrak al-Hakim, 1/18]
Explanation:
Swearing by any creation implies elevating it to a status of reverence that belongs exclusively to Allah. By swearing upon someone or something, a person expresses an exaggerated belief in its greatness, which is a form of shirk (associating partners with Allah).Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is the only One deserving of absolute reverence and whose greatness demands submission, humility, and acknowledgment of His supreme authority.
Examples from the Salaf (Early Generations):
- Weakness in Faith:
Those with weak faith often exhibit greater reverence for saints or peers than for Allah. For instance, they might lie when swearing by Allah but truthfully swear by a saint out of fear of consequences, which is a clear manifestation of shirk. - Swearing by Amanah (Trust):
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) explicitly prohibited swearing by amanah:
"Whoever swears by amanah is not one of us."
[Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitab al-Aiman, #3253; Musnad Ahmad, 5/352]- Imam Abu Dawood and Imam al-Mundhiri acknowledged this Hadith as acceptable (salih) for legal evidence.
- Some scholars argue that if a person says, "By the trust of Allah (wa amanatillah)," they must offer expiation (kafarah), but the stronger opinion is that it does not require expiation, as swearing by amanah itself is prohibited.
Conclusion:
- Swearing by the Prophet (ﷺ), amanah, saints, or any creation is prohibited in Islam.
- It is a form of shirk to swear by anything other than Allah.
- The proper way to swear is solely by Allah’s name or His attributes.