The Ruling on Swearing by Allah Truthfully and Falsely
- Muiz As-Siddeeqi
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
Question to Shaykh Ibn Baaz:
I have a relative who often swears by Allah, whether truthfully or falsely. What is the ruling on that?
Shaykh Ibn Baaz Answer:
He should be advised and told:“
You should avoid swearing frequently, even if you are telling the truth.”
Because Allah, the Most High, says:
“And protect your oaths.”(Surah al-Mā’idah, 5:89)
And because the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Three people Allah will neither speak to, nor look at on the Day of Judgment, nor purify them, and theirs will be a painful punishment: an old man who commits adultery, a proud poor man, and a man who makes Allah his merchandise — he does not buy except through swearing oaths, nor sells except through swearing oaths.”
The Arabs used to praise a person who rarely swore oaths. One of their poets said:
"Little in making oaths, trustworthy with his oaths — when he swears, he fulfills."(The word "al-‘alīyah" here refers to an oath.)
Thus, it is legislated for the believer to limit swearing, even if truthful — because excessive swearing could easily lead a person into lying.
It is well known that lying is forbidden in Islam. And if a lie is combined with swearing an oath, it becomes even more severely forbidden.
However, if a real necessity or a strong benefit requires a false oath, then there is no sin in doing so.
This is based on the authentic narration from the Prophet ﷺ, reported by Umm Kulthum bint ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayṭ (may Allah be pleased with her). She said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The liar is not the one who seeks to reconcile between people, conveying good or saying good.'”
She added:
“I did not hear him allow lying in anything people say except in three matters: reconciliation between people, during war, and what a man says to his wife, or a woman says to her husband.”(Reported by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ.)
For example:
If a person says during reconciliation:
"By Allah, your companions wish for peace, they love that unity be restored, and they intend such-and-such,"
and then goes to the other party and says similar words — intending only goodness and reconciliation — then there is no problem in this, because of the hadith mentioned.
Similarly, if someone sees a person trying to unjustly kill or harm another person, and he says:
"By Allah, he is my brother,"
in order to protect him from the oppressor —
then if he knows that saying "he is my brother" will make the aggressor hold back out of respect, it would even become obligatory to say such a thing to save the innocent person from injustice.
The point is:
The original ruling regarding false oaths is that they are forbidden and sinful.
Except if there is a greater benefit and a major good achieved by it —
as clearly explained in the three situations mentioned in the hadith above.[1]
📚 Source: Majmū‘ Fatāwā Ibn Bāz (1/54)
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