while knowingly lying and doing so deliberately; such an oath is a yamīn ghamūs (the “plunging oath”), so named because it plunges its perpetrator first into sin and then into the Fire. It counts among the gravest of sins. The same applies to a person who swears—while lying—in order to promote his merchandise when buying or selling: for example, he swears that he has already been offered a certain price, or that the item is of superior quality, or the like. Anyone who employs an oath in order to market his goods while he knows he is lying has committed a yamīn ghamūs. A Muslim must beware of this and keep away from it. Severe warnings have been reported concerning the one who makes Allah “his merchandise,” never selling or buying except by an oath, and it is said that such oaths wipe out all blessing.

In short, the Muslim can easily do without such practices: in truthfulness there is blessing, whereas in fraud and deception there is the loss of blessing and the accrual of sin.

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Receiving payment for giving testimony

Question: What is the ruling on someone who, after another person has testified for him concerning a rightful claim or helped him in a legitimate case, gives that person a sum of money, even though the witness or helper had not asked for anything?

Answer: It is impermissible to take payment for giving testimony. Whoever possesses testimony is required to present it for the sake of Allah, in order to make the truth clear and remove injustice. Allah the Exalted says, “...be steadfast in equity, witnesses for Allah” (An-Nisāʾ 135) and, “...and establish the testimony for Allah” (At-Ṭalāq 2)—not for some worldly gain. He also says, “Do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it—his heart is sinful; and Allah is fully aware of what you do” (Al-Baqarah 283).