379. Is swearing in the name of other than God allowed in Islam?
In many verses of the Quran we find God swearing in the name of, Sun, Moon, Daylight, Night etc.,
The following are the verses:
15:72, 19:68, 37:1, 37:2, 37:3, 43:2, 44:2, 51:1, 51:7, 52:1, 52:2, 52:4, 52:5, 52:6, 68:1, 77:2, 77:3, 77:5, 81:17, 81:18, 84:17, 85:1, 85:2, 85:3, 86:1, 86:11, 86:12, 89:1, 89:2, 89:3, 89:4, 90:3, 91:1, 91:2, 91:3, 91:4, 91:5, 91:6, 91:7, 92:1, 92:2, 92:3, 93:1, 93:2, 95:1, 95:2, 95:3, 100:5, 103:1
It should not be misunderstood that people can do the same as God.
Because Prophet Muhammad prohibited swearing in the name of other than Allah.
Let those who desire to swear do it in the name of great God or remain silent. (Hadith Book: Bukhari 2679)
Beware! those who wish to swear, let them not do it in the name of others than Allah. The Quraishes were in the habit of swearing in the name of their fathers. (Book :Bukhari 3836)
Ibn Umar (RA) overheard a person swearing in the name of Kaaba, immediately he advised the person not to swear in the name of someone other than Allah. He also narrated that he had heard the prophet say, ‘Whoever swears in the name of other than Allah, he has committed infidelity (Book:Tirmidi 1455).
Hence swearing in the name of others like mother, father, and the Quran would lead to committing infidelity, a grave crime.
Here we need to understand the reason behind Allah swearing in the name of many creations. The reason for swearing is not the same in men and God.
We swear when we need to prove whatever we claim to be true. The belief in one that whatever he says is the truth, and Allah is aware of it, and he makes Allah the witness to it, is the idea behind swearing in the name of God, and the concept that Allah will punish if the swearing is false is embedded within.
When we swear in the name of the sun, we presume the sun has knowledge about what we swear is true or false. Since we believe the Almighty has knowledge when we swear in his name, the same criteria applies when we swear on others and believe those objects or persons possess the same powers as God, thus leading us to infidelity.
Hence whenever we do a swearing, it should necessarily be done in the name of the creator and not in the name of creations, which turns out to be a grave crime.
It can be seen in the Quran the Creator does not swear for insignificant reasons. Only when there is a power that monitors and regulates the Creator would there be a necessity for Him to make such swearing. Since there is no power greater than the Creator, and when He swears in the name of creations it must be comprehended as it is done to let men understand the specialty and significance of these creations to him.
Hence, when the Almighty swears in the name of something it should be understood, as because of its importance to humans.
When a man swears in the name of a creation, he considers that object superior to the Creator, hence we should not swear in the name of creations other than the Creator, just because He had done it.
