Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
What is the ruling on swearing by one’s father's name?
Swearing by one’s father’s name is ḥarām (forbidden) and impermissible.
Sayyidunā ʿAbdur-Raḥmān bin Samurah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لا تحلفوا بآبائكم ولا بالطواغيت
“Do not swear by your forefathers, nor by the idols.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1648)
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ heard ʿUmar رضي الله عنه saying: “By my father! By my father!”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah forbids you from swearing by your forefathers.”
ʿUmar رضي الله عنه then said:
“By Allah! After that, I never swore by my father—neither intentionally nor while quoting anyone else.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6647; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1646)
① Swearing by anyone other than Allah, including one’s father, is explicitly forbidden.
② The Prophet ﷺ directly instructed the Companions to refrain from such oaths.
③ Swearing by Allah alone is a part of pure Islamic monotheism (Tawḥīd).
✿ Question:
What is the ruling on swearing by one’s father's name?
✿ Answer:
Swearing by one’s father’s name is ḥarām (forbidden) and impermissible.
❀ Prophetic Evidence:
Sayyidunā ʿAbdur-Raḥmān bin Samurah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لا تحلفوا بآبائكم ولا بالطواغيت
“Do not swear by your forefathers, nor by the idols.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1648)
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ heard ʿUmar رضي الله عنه saying: “By my father! By my father!”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah forbids you from swearing by your forefathers.”
ʿUmar رضي الله عنه then said:
“By Allah! After that, I never swore by my father—neither intentionally nor while quoting anyone else.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6647; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1646)
Conclusion:
① Swearing by anyone other than Allah, including one’s father, is explicitly forbidden.
② The Prophet ﷺ directly instructed the Companions to refrain from such oaths.
③ Swearing by Allah alone is a part of pure Islamic monotheism (Tawḥīd).
