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Refutations

Oaths in the Quran: Why Does Allah Swear by His Creation? The Eloquence and Purpose Explained

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The Apparent Oath Style in the Holy Quran: Its Eloquence and Purposes

Dr. Sami Atta Hassan — Al al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Table of Contents

Types of Apparent Oaths in the Quran

The oaths in the Holy Quran fall into two main categories: Allah swearing by His own Essence and Attributes, and Allah swearing by His creations.

First — Allah Swearing by His Essence and Attributes

This type appears in five places in the Quran. In each instance, Allah swears by His Lord — which, when the swearer is Allah Himself, constitutes swearing by His own Essence.
“But no, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in full, willing submission.” — Surah An-Nisa 4:65
“So by your Lord, We will surely question them all about what they used to do.” — Surah Al-Hijr 15:92–93
“So by your Lord, We will surely gather them and the devils.” — Surah Maryam 19:68
“So by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is the truth just as you speak.” — Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:23
“So I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able to substitute for them one better than them, and We will not be outdone.” — Surah Al-Ma’arij 70:40–41
As for the verses in Surah Yunus (10:53) and Surah At-Taghabun (64:7), where the Prophet ﷺ is commanded to say “Yes, by my Lord” — these are not instances of Allah swearing by Himself. Rather, they represent Allah teaching the Prophet ﷺ how to answer, so they are ultimately the Prophet’s oath by his Lord, in the manner Allah guided him to.

Second — Allah Swearing by His Creations

This category is abundant in the Quran. When examining these oaths, we find that Allah swears by the fundamental principles of faith that creation must know — sometimes by the oneness of God, sometimes by the resurrection, and sometimes by the state of man.

“And those who stand in rows. And those who drive with a drive. And those who recite the Reminder. Indeed, your God is One.” — Surah As-Saffat 37:1–4 (Oath affirming the Oneness of Allah)
“So I swear by the positions of the stars. And indeed, it is a great oath, if you but knew. Indeed, it is a noble Quran.” — Surah Al-Waqi’ah 56:75–77 (Oath affirming the truth of the Quran)
“Ya Sin. By the Wise Quran. Indeed, you are one of the messengers.” — Surah Yasin 36:1–3 (Oath affirming the truth of the Messenger ﷺ)
“And by the Mount. And a Book inscribed. In parchment spread out. And by the frequented House. And by the raised ceiling. And by the filled sea. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord will come to pass. There is none to avert it.” — Surah At-Tur 52:1–8 (Oath affirming the coming punishment)
“And by the night when it covers. And by the day when it appears. And by what He created — the male and female. Indeed, your efforts are diverse.” — Surah Al-Layl 92:1–4 (Oath affirming the varied states of man)

Doubts Raised About Quranic Oaths

Three doubts arise in the minds of many people regarding the Quranic oath style:
First doubt: The habit of swearing among us is not recommended in Islamic law. One who resorts to swearing is considered to be in need of support for a claim that is not self-evident. So why did Allah increase the number of oaths in the Quran?
Second doubt: The Prophet ﷺ forbade swearing by other than Allah. Swearing by other than Allah implies glorification of the object sworn by, and glorification belongs to Allah alone. So how can Allah swear by His creations — such as figs and olives?
Third doubt: The Quranic oath concerns very important matters — the foundations of faith. If the intended purpose is to establish these matters in the mind of the believer, then the believer is already a believer and does not need an oath. If the intended purpose is to establish them in the mind of the disbeliever, then the disbeliever does not believe in the authority of an oath, and nothing will convince him except clear evidence and conclusive proof.

The Basis of These Doubts

What caused these doubts to enter people’s minds is the assumption that the purpose of the oath is necessarily to sanctify or honour the object sworn by. This assumption is reinforced by the fact that most of what Allah swears by from His creations is honourable in itself — such as the Quran, the sun, and the moon. However, the oath in the Arabic language may also be by something of lesser status, to serve a specific purpose. As will become clear, swearing by creations is a distinct type that differs from the sanctifying oath and the honorary oath, brought to serve a great purpose that no other style can serve.

The Purposes and Objectives of the Quranic Oath

Ibn Ya’ish said: “The purpose of the oath is to confirm what is sworn upon, whether in terms of negation or affirmation.” Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The thing sworn upon is intended to be confirmed and fulfilled.” The Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, and among the Arabs’ customs was the oath when they wanted to confirm something — a device rarely found with such frequency in other languages and their literatures.

The speaker often needs to confirm news he is presenting or to document a promise he makes, especially in important matters such as alliances and treaties. The Arabs had various forms of confirmation, and the oath was the strongest among them, indicating certainty of validity and truthfulness. The status of the oath among them reached such a level that they were very cautious about false oaths, believing that they were a bad omen — destroying homes and leaving them desolate because of the treachery and betrayal in them.

The original purpose of the oath is to confirm the thing sworn upon. As for sanctifying or honouring the thing sworn by, it is not originally intended — even if it comes as a consequence.

Types of Oaths in Arabic

The Sanctifying Oath

This is a person’s oath by his deity. For Muslims, it is swearing by Allah or by one of His attributes — saying: I swear by Allah, or by His glory, or by His majesty, that I will do such-and-such. It is the strongest type of oath in confirming what is sworn upon, and it is the legal oath which a person is sinful for breaking after confirming it. Scholars said: Allah swore by the Prophet ﷺ in His statement “By your life, indeed, in their intoxication they are wandering blindly” (Al-Hijr 15:72), so that people would know his greatness with Allah and his status with Him. As for the servants, Islam has forbidden them from swearing by anything other than Allah or one of His attributes. The Prophet ﷺ heard a man swearing by his father and said: “Allah forbids you from swearing by your fathers. Whoever swears, let him swear by Allah or remain silent.”

The Honorary Oath

A person may feel pride and elevation in himself, leading him — when he wants to emphasize a statement — to say: “By my head,” or “By my life, I will do such-and-such.” He may also want to honour the person he is addressing, saying: “By your head,” or “By your life.” All of these forms indicate emphasis and give a sense of glorifying the one sworn by, though they do not reach the level of sanctification.

The Deductive Oath

This is the most significant category, and most of the Quranic oaths fall under it. In this type, the object sworn by is used as evidence for what is sworn upon — the speaker draws the listener’s attention to the evidence, presents it in the compelling form of an oath, and thereby closes the door on denial before the listener can retreat. Al-Fakhr al-Razi noted, regarding Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:1–6), that the oaths there, even though they appear in the form of an oath, are intended to use the object sworn by as evidence for what is sworn upon — the truth of the promise, resurrection, and recompense. As if it were said: “He who is able to do these wondrous things sworn by is able to restore the one He created first.”
Evidence that most Quranic oaths are deductive: First, carrying them on deductive reasoning befits the majesty of Allah and the majesty of His Book. It is neither appropriate nor correct to understand any of Allah’s oaths as sanctifying the creation sworn by, because such sanctification is permissible for humans but not valid with the Creator — except in the case of swearing by Allah Himself. Second, the Quran varies its styles — sometimes mentioning matters that indicate Allah’s existence, His Oneness, and His power, in the style of swearing by them, and sometimes presenting them as a sermon and guidance. In both cases they are clear evidence for those who ponder them. Third, it is not reasonable for a believer to imagine that Allah the Creator sanctifies His creatures by which He swears — creatures which the Quran repeatedly describes as subservient and obedient to Allah, possessing no benefit or harm for themselves or others. Fourth, the Holy Quran may mention the indicative signs, then follow with an oath by Allah Almighty, as if paving the way by mentioning them first to clarify the intended meaning of using them as evidence — as in Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:20–23.

The Matters Sworn Upon in the Quran

The matters sworn upon in the Holy Quran can be summarised in four principles, which are the foundations of faith:

First Principle — Establishing Monotheism

“And those who stand in rows. And those who drive with a drive. And those who recite the Reminder. Indeed, your God is One.” — Surah As-Saffat 37:1–4
Sheikh Taha al-Rawi said: “Allah swears by the souls of those who fight in the way of truth, united with each other like a solid structure. By this unity and solidarity, they deter the wrongdoers and guide them to the path of righteousness. He swears that there is no true god except One God who has no partner. It is an oath by those united on the basis of monotheism — indicating that just as strength and success are the offspring of unity, so too the Oneness of the Creator is the reason for the creation of this universe and the perfection of its system. If there were other gods with Allah, each would take what he created and some would rise above others, disturbing the system of the universe.” The majority of commentators agree that the angels are meant by those who stand in rows, drive with a drive, and recite the message — a view supported by other Quranic verses and by the hadith narrated by Muslim on the authority of Hudhayfah.

Second Principle — Confirming Prophethood and the Quran

“Ya Sin. By the Wise Quran. Indeed, you are one of the messengers.” — Surah Yasin 36:1–3
Allah swears by the wise Quran — miraculous in its composition, wonderful in its meanings, perfect in its legislation — that Muhammad ﷺ is a messenger from among the messengers. The emphasis of the oath is due to the intensity of their denial of his message. Allah’s oath by the Quran on the authenticity of the message is an oath by the very miracle that supports that message and the evidence that proves it — as if He said: “You are one of the messengers, as evidenced by the wise Quran.” He presented the evidence in the form of an oath because, as al-Fakhr al-Razi noted, when the speaker begins to swear at the start of his speech, the listener knows that great words are coming, and so he listens with full attention.
“And the star when it goes down. Your companion has neither strayed nor has he erred. Nor does he speak from his own inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed. He was taught by one mighty in strength.” — Surah An-Najm 53:1–5
Allah swore by the star — from which light emanates and by which guidance is provided in the darkness of land and sea — that Muhammad ﷺ was following the path of right guidance and righteousness. The Arabs used to cite the star as a symbol of guidance, saying: “So-and-so is more guided than the star,” and “So-and-so does not go astray until the star goes astray.” The connection between what is sworn by and what is sworn upon is clear and obvious: the star that does not lose its way is swearing upon the fact that Muhammad ﷺ is on the path of guidance, and that what he brought is divine revelation. Notably, Allah said “your companion” rather than “Muhammad” — to establish the proof against the Quraysh, who were his companions for forty years before the mission and knew him better than anyone, witnessing nothing from him except truthfulness, trustworthiness, and soundness of mind. Their claim that he was a magician or madman was therefore a manifest lie.

Third Principle — Establishing the Afterlife

“And the winds that scatter. And those that carry a heavy load. And those that run smoothly. And those that divide a matter. Indeed, what you are promised is true. And indeed, the Recompense is coming to pass.” — Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:1–6
Allah swore by four attributes of the winds — those that scatter vapour to form clouds, those that carry the clouds, those that run with the clouds after carrying them, and those that distribute rain to different regions — that the resurrection is true and that the recompense will inevitably come to pass. The connection between what is sworn by and what is sworn upon is clear: He who is able to compose clouds from vapour particles by means of dispersing winds, and then return them to their original state, is able to restore man and compose his scattered parts. This same analogy is presented in Surah Ar-Rum (30:48–50) in the style of a sign and lesson, not an oath — showing how the Quran alternates its styles while conveying the same evidence.

Fourth Principle — The States and Actions of Man

“By the fig and the olive and Mount Sinai and this secure city. Indeed, We created man in the best of stature. Then We returned him to the lowest of the low — except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them will be a reward uninterrupted.” — Surah At-Tin 95:1–6
The commentators said: By the fig and the olive, what is meant is the land where these trees are abundant — by way of metonymy — referring to the Holy Land where Jesus ﷺ appeared. Together with Mount Sinai and the secure land of Mecca, Allah is swearing by three places which are the manifestations of His prophets and messengers — the land of Jerusalem where the Gospel was revealed to Jesus, the mountain where Allah spoke to Moses, and the secure land which was the birthplace of the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. He swore by these three places — the places of revelation and prophethood — that what man encounters of reward or punishment is only the result of his faith or his disbelief and transgression, after the messengers came as bearers of good tidings and warners.
The oath in Surah At-Tin serves three functions: it is evidence of divine power over resurrection and recompense (“Indeed, We created man in the best of stature”); it is a severe and stern threat (“Then We returned him to the lowest of the low” — meaning the Fire, according to the correct view, expressed in the past tense to indicate its absolute certainty); and it is a good promise (“Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds — for them will be a reward uninterrupted”).

The Eloquence of the Quranic Oath

Brevity and Impact: The oath style is distinguished by its brevity, and for this reason it seizes the listener and takes hold of his feelings. The Arabs were fascinated by it precisely because of its conciseness — they were more inclined to brevity in their poetry and prose, which is why proverbs became so widespread among them.
The Performative Nature of the Oath: The oath is a type of performative speech, and the opponent has no choice but to acknowledge it — his denial, if he has one, must be directed at the answer to the oath, not the oath itself. The Holy Quran may combine an oath and a description, such as swearing by the Glorious Quran and the Promised Day — making the evidence greater in the soul and more effective.
The Omission of the Oath’s Answer: Sometimes the answer to the oath in the Quran is omitted, so that after the oath the speech moves to another statement linked to the omitted answer. The secret behind this is that it blocks the path of escape for the one being addressed — he cannot move from the oath to the answer and then deny the answer. The oath thus acts as an introduction and a warning, attracting the listener’s hearing so that he strains his ears to hear what comes after, and then hears what supports the intended evidence from the oath itself. An example is Surah Sad (38:1–2): “Sad. By the Quran full of Reminder. Rather, those who disbelieve are in arrogance and dissension” — where the answer to the oath is omitted because the context makes it understood.
Combining Multiple Evidences in Brief: One of the advantages of the oath is that it facilitates the combination of several pieces of evidence in one sentence or in successive sentences — as in Surahs At-Tin, Al-Balad, At-Tur, Ash-Shams, Al-Layl, and Al-Fajr — with remarkable brevity. If the evidence were detailed and expanded upon, the speech would lose its magnificence and impact.
Involving the Listener in Deduction: The deductive oath involves the listener in deducing the evidence himself, and reduces his stubbornness and contention. He feels that he has learned and contemplated, and imagines that he was the one guided to the truth. This is why performative styles are more attractive than informative styles — the clever and eloquent person diversifies his styles, alternating between construction and news, to activate the addressee and involve him in understanding, research, and deduction.
Documenting Truth Before Announcing the Claim: The oath knocks on the ears of the addressee so that he listens and anticipates what comes after it. The claim then comes and it is easy to lead him to it. But if he is surprised by a claim he denies, he turns away and flees. This is the wisdom behind Allah’s saying “Nun. By the pen and what they write, you are not by the grace of your Lord a madman” (Al-Qalam 68:1–2) — where the oath precedes and prepares for the denial of the accusation, rather than the accusation being stated before its refutation.

Conclusion

The Holy Quran swore in accordance with the Arabs’ custom of confirming news, so that the truth would settle in the soul and shake what contradicts it. Even when the oath does not immediately make the addressee believe, it weakens the opposing idea in his soul, leads to doubt about it, and prompts serious reflection upon what the oath was intended to establish.
Allah swore by all His creatures — those seen and unseen — regarding His existence, His Oneness, His power, the occurrence of the resurrection, and the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ, and to alert us to the magnificence in them which prompts reflection upon their Creator. The oath by Allah Almighty is intended for sanctification, because He is the Creator who deserves sanctification and worship. Other than that, sanctification and honour are not necessary companions of the oath — and the object sworn by may be great or small, depending on the purpose for which it is employed.
Formulating the evidence in the form of an oath confirms what is being sworn upon, alerts the listener to it, and prepares him for what it establishes in the mind. The Quran may use the oath style without stating the answer, as is consistent with Arabic custom. By examining the clear verses of Allah, it becomes apparent that the oath in them is most often introduced with the letter waw, and that it comes from Allah Almighty in most cases — swearing by whatever He wills upon whatever He wills. In presenting the evidence in the form of an oath, there is brevity in clarification, and clarification in brevity.