Narrated from ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever swears by anything other than Allah has committed disbelief or shirk.” (1) Reported by al-Tirmidhī, who declared it sound, and authenticated by al-Ḥākim.

– “From ʿUmar”: the correct wording is “from Ibn ʿUmar.”

– “Whoever swears”: an oath is a statement reinforced by invoking something held in veneration, in a particular manner.

– “By other than Allah”: that is, by any created being whatsoever.

– “Has committed disbelief or shirk”: this may be a doubt on the part of the narrator; it is also possible that the conjunction “or” carries the sense of “and,” meaning he has fallen into both disbelief and shirk. What is intended here is minor disbelief and minor shirk.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: The Prophet (peace be upon him) is, in effect, forbidding the taking of oaths by anything besides Allah. Whoever does so has made the object of his oath a partner with Allah and has disbelieved in Him, because swearing by something entails magnifying it, and true greatness belongs solely to Allah. Hence, one may swear only by Allah Himself or by one of His attributes.

Relevance to the chapter: The ḥadīth shows that whoever swears by something other than Allah has set up that thing as a rival to Him.