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Oaths (Al-Aqsaam) in the Quran

In the Qur’an, there is a relationship between oaths and what follows the oaths. When Allah
Subhana wa ta’ala swears by something, it shows the importance of the object He is swearing by and
it draws our attention.

Zarkashī (d. 1392 CE) defines an oath as a sentence that confirms a statement through emphasis
‘jumlatun yu'akkadu biha'l-khabaru’. [Badr al-Dīn `Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Bahadur al Zarkashī -,
Al-Burhān fī `Ulūm al-Qur’an]

Suyūtī (d: 1505 AD.) describes it in similar terms: al-qasdu bi'l-qasami tahaqiqu'l-khabari wa
tawkiduhu (The purpose of an oath is to confirm a statement and place emphasis upon it). In other
words, the muqsam bihi (object of oath) serves to emphasise the point made in the muqsam `alayh
(complement of oath). [Jalāl al-Dīn al Suyūtī -Al-Itqān fī `Ulūm al-Qur’an]

The Qur’an has been revealed in Arabic and it was/is a custom of the Arabs to take an oath to prove
a claim and hence Allah using the established literary style of Arabic should not be a surprise to
anyone.

According to Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 1356 CE), oaths taken by Allah have only one base and that is
the ‘attributes of Allah’. When Allah takes the oath of ‘the star when it descends’ or of ‘Al-Tariq (the
Knocker)’ or any other creation of His, the base behind them is the greatness of Allah. Therefore it is
evident that when Allah takes an oath of something, He does so of His own greatness.

Allah the Almighty takes an oath of Himself approximately seven times in;
1)      Surah Nisaa verse 65
2)      Surah Yunus verse 53
3)      Surah Taghaabun verse 7
4)       Surah Maryam verse 68
5)      Surah Hijr verse 92
6)      Surah Ma’aarij verse 4
7)      Surah ath-Dhaariyaat verse 23

Similarly, when Allah takes an oath of the sun or the moon, for example, He mentions them as His
signs in the Qur’an:
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are
signs for those of understanding [Qur’an 3:190].

“By the sun and its brightness. And [by] the moon when it follows it.” [Qur’an 91:1-2]

… He wrapped the night over the day that follows it quickly. The sun, the moon and the stars have all
been tamed by His command… [Qur’an 7:54].
Allah mentions some of His created things as evidence of His existence and of monotheism and asks
the readers of the Qur’an to ponder over these signs from Him. Then, when Allah takes an oath of
these created things, He is simply taking an oath of Himself, His qualities, and His greatness. These
signs of Allah confirm the Oneness of Allah as Allah states in the Qur’an 21:22:

“If there had been in them any gods except Allah, they would both have certainly been in a state of
disorder; therefore glory be to Allah, the Lord of the throne, above what they attribute (to Him).”

The point of the oath in 93:1-3 “By the morning brightness. And [by] the night when it covers with
darkness Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested you.”;
according to Imam Ibn Qayyim, is that God, who does not allow the darkness of night to persist
forever but dispels it by means of daylight, would, by renewing the process of sending revelation to
Muhammad, dispel the darkness caused by the interruption of revelation. [Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah,
Shams al-Dīn Muhammad Ibn Abī Bakr, Al-Tibyan fī Aqsam al-Qur’an]

According to Tabarī, Qatadah maintained that, when God swears by certain objects, he does so in
view of the exalted status they have in His eyes. Qatadah explains Quran 92:2-3 by saying that night
and day are 'two great signs God.’ [Tafsir Tabarī, Abu Ja`far Muhammad Ibn Jarīr al-, Jami` al-Bayān
'an Ta'wil al-Qur’an]

Dahhak, commenting on 89:2-3, says that God has sworn by other days, and has singled out the day
of sacrifice (shaf') and the day of 'Arafah (watr) because of their known excellence over all the other
nights.' [Tafsir Tabarī, Abu Ja`far Muhammad Ibn Jarīr al-, Jami` al-Bayān 'an Ta'wil al-Qur’an]

Zamakhsharī makes the following remark about Quran 68:1: 'He [God] has sworn by the pen in order
to exalt it; for it points to the great wisdom that inheres in creating it and making it well, and
because it carries countless benefits and advantages.' [Zamakhsharī - Al-Kashshāf 'an Haqa'iq Tanzil
wa 'Uyun al-Aqawil]

Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA) commented on Quran 90:1-2 by stating that the oath testifies to the great
honour the town of Makkah possesses. [Fakhr al-Dīn Rāzī al-, Al-Tafsir al-Kabīr]

Rāzī, commenting upon Quran 44:2, observes that the fact that God has sworn by the Qur’an is proof
of the excellence (sharaf) of the Qur’an. [Fakhr al-Dīn Rāzī al-, Al-Tafsir al-Kabīr]

Imam Ibn Kathīr (d. 1398 CE) remarks on 92:1-4 as follows: Since the objects sworn by in the oath
are characterised by contrariety (night and day, male and female), the complement of the oath
('Indeed your efforts are diverse') is characterised by contrariety as well. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Baydawī (d. 1286 CE) writes in reference to Quran 43:2: 'It may be that the God's swearing of an
oath by certain objects is a mode of presenting proofs; in view of the evidence those objects furnish
for the complement of the oath.’ [Tafsir of Baydawi]

Nisaburī (d: 1446 AD) on several occasions tries to bring out the harmony between the object of
oath and the complement of oath. Discussing Quran 84:16-19, he points out that a correspondence
(Mutabaqah) exists between verses 16-18 (So I swear by the twilight glow. And by the night and
what it envelops. And by the moon when it becomes full) and the verse 19 (You shall certainly travel
from stage to stage): the former speaks of the changes that take place in the heavens; the latter, of
the changes that will take place in the Hereafter. Undoubtedly, Nisaburī concludes, if God can effect
changes of the one type, He should be capable of effecting changes of the other types also. [Tafsir al-
Gharaeb al-Quran]

Hamiduddin Farahi holds that the principal function of the oath is to provide dalīl (argument) and
shahadah (evidence). An interesting aspect of Farāhī's theory is his attempt to see the oaths in a
historical-linguistic perspective. According to Farahi; the object of an oath was meant to serve as a
witness to the truth of the complement of the oath.  

Farāhī's explanation of some of the Qur’anic oaths is done by the divide of these oaths into four
categories. First category is the phenomenal oath, in which individual or multiple phenomena of
nature are sworn by. Second, the historical oath, which cites one or more events from the past.
Third, the experiential oath, in which a certain facet of human experience is presented as evidence.
Fourth, called the conjugate oath, one in which a certain entity is shown to be a member of a pair
and the existence of the other member in thus adduced. [Majmu'ah-i-Tafasir-i-Farāhī]

Historical Oath 

Two oaths (Quran 95:1-6 and S. 103) fall in this category. In Surah At-Tin, chapter 95, The surah
seeks to establish the meting out of recompense in the next life. Verses 4-6 are the complement of
the oath, and they imply that people who make proper use of their faculties will be rewarded, but
those who misuse them will be punished. Verse 7, by using the word din (recompense), elucidates
the point further. The object of oath is supported with reference to four historic sites on earth.
 
Tin (fig) in verse 1 is the fruit known by that name, but it is symbolic for Mount Judi, in accordance
with the Arab custom of calling a place after its main produce, the name of a place. Mujahid said,
"Tin is this fig that you have.'' Abdullah Ibn `Abbas (RA) interpreted At-Tin as the Masjid of Nuh
(Alaihissalam) that was built upon Mount Al-Judi. [Tafsir At-Tabari and Ibn Kathir]

At Tin, the principle of divine reckoning was implemented on two historic occasions. The first
occasion was when the disobedience of Adam and Eve cost them their celestial robes (Quran 7:27).
It is mentioned in Ibn Kathir’s book entitled ‘The beginning and the end’ that it was with fig-leaves
that they covered their nakedness. Adam and Even later repented and were forgiven and blessed
with guidance. Mount Tin, thus, represents the principle in both its twin aspects to reward and
punishment. The second occasion was when Noah's Ark stood atop Mount Judi and Noah and his
followers were saved and his opponents destroyed.

The fig tree, Farāhī adds, is symbolic of divine bounty and wrath: the bareness of this tree in Autumn
and its luxuriance in Spring are constant reminders of the story of Adam and Eve. [Majmu'ah-i-
Tafasir-i-Farāhī]
Zaytun (verse 2) is olive tree and it refers to the Land in which Olives are main produce, to which,
according to the Gospels, Jesus repaired to worship and pray. Ka`b Al-Ahbar, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and
others have said, "Zaytun is the Masjid of Jerusalem (Bayt Al-Maqdis).'' Mujahid and `Ikrimah said,
"It is this olive which you press (to extract the oil).'' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Farāhī cites the disobedience of Israelites on the Mount of Olives, Jesus invoked the principle of
reckoning, as a result of which the kingdom of heaven was taken from one Abrahamic line, the
Israelites, and given to the other, the Ishmaelites. The Mount of Olives thus also became a landmark
in the history of the enactment of that principle. 
The same is true of Mount Sinai (verse 3). It was here that the persecuted Israelites were rewarded
for their steadfastness and given the Torah as source of guidance.

It is not different with Makkah (verse 4). It was a result of Abraham's unqualified submission to Him
that God rewarded him and granted his prayer that Makkah be made 'a land of peace' and a prophet
raised in it. Also, Abraham was made 'a leader of the people', but was told that God's promise of
leadership for his progeny would not extend to the iniquitous among them (Quran 2:124).
Furthermore, Makkah was to be a land of peace, and those who tried to rob it of its peace (as did
Abrahah) would be punished. In this way Makkah, too, becomes a living testimony to the validity of
the principle of reckoning.

As for Surah Al-Asr, ch.103, the word 'asr is usually translated as 'time', but its principal use in Arabic
is for the time past. In citing 'asr as evidence of the loss that is in store for all men except the type
described in the surah, the Qur’an presents past history as evidence. According to the Qur’an, the
rise and fall of nations is governed by a set of moral laws, and the word 'asr constitutes a compact
reference to all those momentous events of history which the Qur’an elsewhere narrates in detail in
order to vindicate those moral laws. [Majmu'ah-i-Tafasir-i-Farāhī]

Experiential Oath 
Quran 75:1-2. The message of Surah Qiyamah is that the Hereafter is a certainty. But that precisely is
the object of oath also: in verse 1 the Resurrection is sworn by. According to Farāhī, sometimes a
thing is so self-evident as to be its own proof, and this is the case here: the Hereafter is so certain
and necessary that it would suffice to swear by it to prove its occurrence. However, verse 2, another
object of oath, provides proof as well: Our intuitive experience of conscience gives evidence that
God, who has planted this 'reproachful self' in our beings will bring about a day of recompense as
well.

Conjugate Oath  

Surah Ash-Shams chapter 91:1-10. On the Last Day, God will judge human beings. The surah presents
the argument from 'complementary opposites'. Things in this world exist in pairs whose members
are apparently opposites but in reality necessary complements to each other. Examples are the sun
and the moon, day and night, and the male and the female (verses 1-6). Like the physical world, the
spiritual realm, too, with its categories of good and evil (verses 7-10), displays such opposition. And
just as individual phenomena in the physical and spiritual realms have their complementary
opposites, so the world, taken as a whole, has its complementary opposite, the next world, without
which it would become inexplicable.

Phenomenal Oath 

Of the six oaths discussed by Farāhī, two (Quran 51:1-6 and 77:1-6) belong to this category. In Surah
Dhaariyaat; chapter 51, verses 5-6 (Indeed, what you are promised is true. And indeed, the
recompense is to occur.) assert that human actions shall be recompensed in the hereafter. Verses 1-
4 (By those winds scattering [dust] dispersing. And those [clouds] carrying a load [of water]. And
those [ships] sailing with ease. And those [angels] apportioning [each] matter,) produce the requisite
evidence. As agents of divine mercy, the winds and rains have wiped out many a rebellious nation.
But the same elements of nature which destroyed Noah's opponents and Pharaoh's troops also
delivered Noah and Moses and their followers. This shows that God is not indifferent to man's
conduct on earth: He rewards and punishes in this world, and He will do so in the next life as well.
[Majmu'ah-i-Tafasir-i-Farāhī]

Surah Al-Mursalat; chapter 77 is similar to Surah Dhaariyaat; chapter 51, and what has been said
about. S. 51 will hold for it, too.

Norman Ali Khan elaborates on the wisdom of the oaths mentioned in Surah Al-Mursalat. Allah azza
wa jal says:

ِ ‫ عُرْ ًفا َو ْالمُرْ َساَل‬and by the winds that scatter : ‘urf literally means the mane of a horse. If a horse has
‫ت‬
no reins, the rider only has the mane to hold on too, and if the rider let’s go, the horse will go wild.
This first ayah is showing how if Allah Subhana wa ta’ala let a wind go, it would spread wildly without
control.

ِ ‫ َعصْ ًفا َف ْالعَاصِ َفا‬and by the winds that blow violently: the “fa” at the beginning of this verse shows
‫ت‬
reason, due too, because of the mursalaati ‘urfaa: al-‘aasifaati ‘asfa. ‘asf literally means
inconsiderate movement, such as a bulldozer.It is a fierce wind that destroys everything in its path.

In these two verses, Allah Subhana wa ta’laa is talking about winds that brings destruction. Why?
This is a makkee surah, and Allah ta’ala is reminding the desbelievers of Quraysh–those who mock at
the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam to bring the punishment–these winds of punishment CAN be
let go and it has been done before, no intricate planning or arrangement is required for your
destruction. In Suratul Haqqah, Allah Subhana wa ta’ala describes the scene of ‘Aad who were
destroyed by a wind: for eight days their whole city were being tossed around like it was nothing.

Then Allah Subhana wa ta’ala says in the next ayah:

ِ ‫ َن ْشرً ا َوال َّناشِ َرا‬and by the winds that scatter: this ayah begins with a ‘wa’ so we know it is a new oath.
‫ت‬
Allah ta’ala swears by the winds that do nashr. Nashr means to spread randomly all over, such as the
act of taking seeds and scattering them on the soil. An-naashiraat are those winds that distribute.
What do they distribute? Clouds that bring the rain. If these winds did not distribute the clouds, then
cities would suffer from drought. Modern science learns now that pollen is also distributed by winds,
so without these winds there would be no vegetation. These naashiraat distribute from both the sky
(rain) and the ground (vegetation).
This verse shows the life that the winds carry, while the first two verses displayed death and
destruction.

Allah azza wa jal continues:

ِ ‫ َفرْ ًقا َف ْال َف‬and by those winds that separate: farq means to distribute and separate, with a very
ِ ‫ار َقا‬
‫ت‬
precise division.
These winds distribute mercy, just as the first two winds sent punishment. This verse shows us that
all of these winds, either bringing mercy or punishment, are precisely distributed.

‫ ِذ ْكرً ا َيات ِِق َف ْال ُم ْل‬and by those that deliver a message: Both of these winds, the ones of mercy and the
ones of destruction, carry a reminder for the people. The winds of mercy remind us that these winds
bring rain, which is a rizq (provision) from the sky, showing we are totally dependent on Allah ta’ala.
These verses remind us no matter how disobedient or how wild we are: we depend totally on Allah.
When the rain falls from the sky that these winds have scattered, we see the dead earth being
brought to life, reminding us that we will be resurrected just as the dead land.

These reminders are:

‫ ُن ْذرً ا أَ ْو ع ُْذرً ا‬as a justification or to warn: ‘uthra means to receive an excuse or a lesson, or an ignoring.
There are two people mentioned in this verse: those who take a reminder of these winds, and those
who ignore the reminder.
But either way:

َ ‫ َوا ِق ٌع َل ُتو َعد‬Surely, what you have been promised will definitely come to pass: the promise of the
‫ُون إِ َّن َما‬
Day of Judgment, of Resurrection and the destruction of those who disobey Allah. Those who reject
the signs will suffer.

Nouman Ali Khan also explains that the oath in Quran act as a reminder by the use of rhyme and
persuasive force;

Allah ta’ala says in Suratul ‘Aadiyaat,


‫ت‬ ِ ‫ضبْحً ا َو ْال َعا ِد َيا‬َ
‫ت‬ِ ‫ُور َيا‬ ْ
ِ ‫ْدحً اقَ َفالم‬
‫ت‬ ِ ‫ِيرا‬َ ‫صبْحً ا َف ْال ُمغ‬ ُ
‫َن ْق ًعا ِب ِه َفأ َ َثرْ َن‬
‫َجمْ ًعا ِب ِه َف َو َس ْط َن‬

By the (steeds) that run, with panting (breath),


Striking sparks of fire (by their hooves),
And scouring to the raid at dawn
And raise the dust in clouds the while,
Penetrating forthwith as one into the midst (of the enemy). (Quran 100:1-5)

Makkee surahs have amazing imagery, and these first five verses are dedicated to horses in battle.
Allah azza wa jal is painting a magnificent scene in the mind of the Quraysh:
The horses being described here are feminine ( ‫ت‬ ْ why? The Arabs preferred the female horses
.ِ ‫)ال َعا ِد َيا‬,
in battle because they were faster. Allah azza wa jal is describing the horses in the morning time,
when there is still moisture in the air and instead of the dust rising as it does in a desert, the
moisture causes the dust to settle. Imagine: these horses who are fast by nature, running so fast that
they are causing the dust to rise up–even with the moisture, sparks are flying even though there is
moisture on the rocks, and they don’t see in front of them because of the dust in the air–not
knowing if there is an enemy or spear waiting on the other side.
Think of the amazement of the Arabs listening to the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa salaam recite these
verses…Anyone amongst them who has a horse realized how loyal their horse is to them; how it will
even die for its owner just out of submission to the master.

Then right after these amazing images, Allah ta’ala says:

َ ‫لَ َك ُنو ٌد ل َِر ِّب ِه اإْل ِ ْن َس‬


َّ‫ان إِن‬

Indeed man is not loyal to his Rabb! (Quran 100:6) Just as this horse submits to its master, going into
the enemy range without even knowing what is there, completely loyal to the Master…Allah ta’ala
reminds them: man is not loyal to his Rabb.

Not only that he’s not loyal but also:

‌‫ي ٌد َش ِه َل ل َِك َذ َعلَى َوإِ َّن ُه‬


And to that fact he bears witness (Quran 100:7)

Man bears witness to the fact that he is not loyal! He knows! How? Allah azza wa jal just reminded
them of the loyalty of the steeds to their owner in the previous verses; if your horse submits to you,
then why do you not submit to your Owner?

Most of the Qur’anic oaths are composed of short, rhyming expressions and many have a highly
referential style shows that the form was supposed to have persuasive force independently of the
content. The form of the oaths is thus no less important than their content; it may even condition
the nature of that content. The oaths do not make an appeal to the mind only; rather; with their
rhymes, images, and staccato style, they also excite the imagination and stir the feelings. Their aim is
not only to convince but also to move, and what they present, therefore, is not just cold reasoning
َ ‫هّللا س‬
but vibrant thought. ‫ُبح َن‬

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