Is to swear by other than God regarded as a kind of polytheism?

Reply: The interpretation of the words “monotheism” [tawḥīd] and “polytheism” [shirk] must be in consistency with the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (ṣ) because the Glorious Qur’an and the conduct of the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) are the most valuable criteria for distinguishing the truth from falsehood as well as monotheism from polytheism.

Given this, every thought and behavior approved by the awakened and unbiased conscience should be assessed according to the touchstone of the logic of revelation and conduct of the Holy Prophet (ṣ).

The following are solid proofs which the Qur’an and the Sunnah introduced about the permissibility of swearing by other than God:

1. In the eternal verses of the Glorious Qur’an we find examples of swearing by prolific creatures such as the “life of the Prophet”, “soul of man”, “pen” which are manifestations of writing, “sun”, “moon”, “star”, “day and night”, “heaven and earth”, “time”, and “mountains and sea”. We shall cite some of these verses:

a.

﴾ يَعْمَهُوْنَ سَكْرَتِهِمْ لَفِى إِنَّهُمْ لَعَمْرُكَ ﴿

“By your life, they were bewildered in their drunkenness.”[1]

b.

﴿ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا ٭ وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا ٭ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا ٭ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا ٭ وَالسَّمَاء وَمَا بَنَاهَا ٭ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا ٭ وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا ٭ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا ﴾

“By the sun and her forenoon splendor, by the moon when he follows her, by the day when it reveals her, by the night when it covers her, by the sky and Him who built it, by the earth and Him who spread it, by the soul and Him who fashioned it, and inspired it with [discernment between] its virtues and vices.”[2]

c.

﴾ هَوَىٰ إِذَا وَٱلنَّجْمِ ﴿

“By the star when it sets.”[3]

d.

﴾ يَسْطُرُونَ وَمَا وَٱلْقَلَمِ ن^ج ﴿

“Nūn. By the Pen and what they write.”[4]

e.

﴾ خُسْرٍ لَفِى ٱلإِنسَٰنَ إِنَّ ٭ وَٱلْعَصْرِ ﴿

“By Time! Indeed man is at a loss.”[5]

f.

﴾ عَشْرٍ وَلَيَالٍ ٭ وَٱلْفَجْرِ ﴿

“By the Dawn, by the ten nights.”[6]

g.

﴿ وَالطُّورِ ٭ وَكِتَابٍ مَّسْطُورٍ ٭ فِي رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ ٭ وَالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ ٭ وَالسَّقْفِ الْمَرْفُوعِ ٭ وَالْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ ﴾

“By the Mount [Sinai], by the Book inscribed on an unrolled parchment; by the House greatly frequented; by the vault raised high, by the surging sea.”[7]