Part 29

“..Verily, among yourselves your blood, wealth, and honor are inviolable, like the inviolability of this day of yours in this month of yours in this land of yours. Let the one who is present convey this to he who is absent, for perhaps the one who is present will convey to one who understands better than him this [message].141

b) Avoid saying, “The people are destroyed.” Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah # said, washes 55 2G She 2b dE bp “When a man says, ‘The ¢ people are destroyed, then he is most destroyed among them.”

"] Related by Bukhaaree (67), Muslim (1679), Ahmad (19873), and Ad: Daarimee (1916). And the wording mentioned above is taken from Bukhaaree’s narration of the hadith.

"1 Related by Muslim (2623), Ahmad (9678), Abu Daawood (4983), Maalik (1845), and Al-Bukhaaree in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (759).

Depending on the vowel of the word destroyed (Ahalakahum) at the end of the hadith, its meaning changes. If the vowel is a Dammah, whereby the word is pronounced, ‘Ahlakuhum,’ then the word indicates the superlative, i.e., he is most destroyed among the people. However, if the vowel is a Fathah, whereby the word is pronounced, ‘Ahlakahum,’ then the word is a verb indicating chat the subject - the person who says, ‘The people are destroyed’ - is in effect destroying the people.

4n-Nawawee said, “The scholars agree that this blame is leveled it one who says the phrase with the intention of belittling and lisparaging people, while signifying his superiority over them ind their miserable situation; he is so censured because he says he phrase without having knowledge of Allah’s secret in the eation (ie, His ways, for example, regarding His Divine Decrees for the creation). The scholars also say this: but the case s altogether different when one says the phrase with a sense of adness, sadness which results from a realization of his hortcomings and the shortcomings of people in their religious luties; to utter the said phrase with this intention in mind is tkay...”

\lso commenting on the hadith, Al-Khattaabee said, “It means hat a man will continually find faults in people, will persist in nentioning their faults, and will say, ‘The people are wicked, or, The people are destroyed,’ or other similar statements - to the legree that he will be in the worst situation among them and will vecome the most destroyed among them, all because of his sin of ittacking and vilifying them. Also, he might end up having an xxaggerated opinion of himself, feeling that he is better than weryone else, And Allah 3 knows best.”

) Do not take an oath by anyone other than Allah 3¢. It is Allah’s right to swear by whatsoever He 4¢ pleases from His creation, for He 4@ is the Creator and the One Who has complete power and control over the universe. Man, Jinn, trees, mountains, the sky, and the earth - these and everything else is from Allah’s creation, and so He % may

swear by anything from His creation that He 3 wants to swear by. Created beings, on the other hand, may swear by none but by their Creator, Allah 3%. Al-Haafidh said, “The scholars have said: The secret behind the prohibition of swearing by other than Allah 4¢ is that swearing by someone (or something) involves glorification of him; and in reality, all glory and might and power belong to Allah 4€ alone.”

Created beings can swear by Allah 8, using one of three letters in the Arabic language, which are designated for exactly that purpose: the Wauw, the Baa, and the Taa. So you can say, “Tallaahee (By Allah), Billaahee (by Allah), or Wallahee (by Allah), or you may swear by the ‘Izza (Might, Power, and Glory) of Allah, by His Attributes, and by His Words. One of the chapter titles of Bukhaaree’s compilation is this: “Chapter: Swearing By. The Glory (‘Izza) Of Allah, By His Attributes, And By His Words.” He then related a narration from Abu Hurairah 4, in which the Prophet #% described a man who will remain for a certain period between Paradise and the Hellfire; he will say, ‘O: my Lord, turn my face away from the Hellfire; no, by Your Glory (Wa-‘Izzatuk), I will not ask You for anything other than it. ome you may take an oath by ascribing something from Allah’s creation to Him; for example, by ascribing the Ka’bah or the sky: to Him, in which case you can say, ‘Wa-Rabbul-Ka‘bah (and by the’ Lord of the Ka’bah), or, ‘Wa-Rabbus-Samaa (and by the Lord of the sky).’ However, when taking an oath in this manner, you' must not ascribe anything that is wicked or despicable to Ailaht €, even though He is its Creator. We must adhere to the highest of manners with Allah 3, an example of which is exemplified in; the Prophet's supplication,

“And evil is not ascribed to You,” '

even though Allah 4 is the Creator of both good and evil. There, are other phrases for taking an oath which fall under the above-

' sahih Bukhaaree: Kitaab Al-Aiymaan Wan-Nudhoor.

mentioned categories; here are some examples from the Prophet's Sunnah: ‘Wa-Aimullah,’ ‘Walladhee Nafsee Biyadihee (And by the One Who has my soul in His hand),’ or, ‘Laa WaMugaalibil-Quloob (No, and by the One Who turns hearts around)."!]

Though people might take it lightly, it is a dangerous matter indeed to swear by other than Allah 3%; nowadays, one hears people swearing casually by their ‘dead mother, by ‘their father’s grave,’ or by anything or anyone else they revere and honor; however, what they must realize is that it is disbelief or Shirk (to associate partners with Allah in worship) to swear by other than Aflah 3é. Only Allah 3¢ is deserving of the glorification that is involved in an oath. Ibn ‘Umar once heard a man say, “No, and I swear by the Ka’bah.” Ibn ‘Umar # said, “An oath must not be taken by other than Allah, for I indeed heard the Messenger of Allah #% say,

‘Whosoever swears by other than Allah, has disbelieved or associated partners with Allah in worship.)

This is a general prohibition; under it falls oaths taken in the name of anyone other than Allah 4%; other Ahadeeth are more specific, mentioning the ruling for swearing by one’s father, for example; at any rate, it is permissible to swear by Allah 4 only. Ibn ‘Umar related that he caught up with his father, ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab 4, in a procession, and he was swearing by his father. The Messenger of Allah #¢ called out to them,

"I Related by At-Tirmidhee (1535), who said, “This hadith is Hasan.” Ahmad (2036) and Abu Daawood (3251) related it as well, and AlAlbaanee ruled that it is authentic.

“Lo! Verily, Allah 8 forbids you from swearing by your fathers, so whoever takes an oath, let him swear by Allah 38; otherwise, let him remain silent.)

Another example of a specific prohibition is found in a hadith related by Buraidah , in which the Messenger of Allah # said,

“Whoever swears by Al-Amaanah (the trust), then he is not from (2) us.

Similarly, many people swear by the Prophet #%, by life, or by someone's life; these oaths and all oaths that are taken by the: name of anyone other than Allah 3€ are forbidden.

d) Both in the past and up until today, many a foolish person has sworn that, if something he names happens, he will divorce his wife. For example, one will say, “If I do such and such (usually: mentioning some trifling matter), it becomes binding upon me to divorce my wife,” or, “If I don’t do such and such deed, it. becomes binding upon me to divorce my wife,” or, “If my wife does such and such deed, it becomes binding upon me to divorce my wife.” Such an ignorant person causes the destruction of his’ family and wrongs his wife for no sin of hers, but instead for his idiotic sin of letting his tongue loose without considering the results of his actions. And for the most part, people make this kind of oath over a trifling matter, and even if it is not trifling, it becomes so when compared to the result of destroying one’s family.

Scholars do differ, however, about one who breaks his oath and. decides to keep his wife with him. The majority of scholars hold that when a person makes an oath to divorce his wife and then

"] Related by Bukhaaree (6646), Muslim (1646), Ahmad (4534), At-Tirmidhee: (1533), An-Nassaaee (3766), Abu Daawood (3249), Ibn Maajah (2094), Maalik (1037), and Ad-Daarimee (2341).

'] Abu Daawood related it (3253) with the wording mentioned above, and Al-Albaanee ruled that his narration of the hadith is authentic, Ahmad also related it (22471).

wreaks that oath, the divorce occurs and becomes binding 1onetheless. But there is another group of scholars that give this sath the same ruling as any other oath: when one breaks it, all hat is binding upon him is to perform the Kaffaaratul-Yameen atonement that is prescribed for people who break their oaths).

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“O Prophet! Why do you ban (for yourselp that which Allah has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Allah has already ordained for you (O men), the dissolution of your oaths” (Quran 66:1,2)