The Ruling on Swearing by Other Than Allah and the Difference Between Minor and Major Shirk

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: I say "By your life," and when this phrase slips off my tongue out of habit without any intention, and the mind in the heart knows that a person is not held accountable for it, what is the understanding of the saying "By your honor," "By your blessing," "By your reputation," "By your eye," and others? Are they like it, or are they minor shirk? And what is the difference between them and the phrases that necessitate major shirk, as we read in the book of Tawhid and other books of creed?

Answer:
The letters of the oath are known: waw, ba, and ta. And Allah, and by Allah, these are the letters of the oath. So if one comes with a letter of the oath and says "By your life" or "By your head" or "By the trust" or something else, this is an oath. This is an oath, and it is shirk, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, but it is minor shirk. It does not take one out of the religion unless one exalts the thing by which he swears as Allah is exalted; then it becomes major shirk. And if it slips out of a person without intention, it does not take him out of the religion. Allah the Exalted said: This is the idle talk that slips off the tongue and is spoken with intention, even if its form is the form of an oath, but he did not intend it. However, with this, a person should not rely on himself in swearing by other than Allah and saying "I did not intend it" and "I was careless." He should be careful and avoid it, and if he avoids it, it will not come upon him, because it is a matter of habit. A person should avoid these circumstances. And it does not mean that if he does not intend it, there is nothing upon him, so that a person becomes lax in these matters. As long as there is nothing upon him, it compensates the person for this negligence. It does not happen. Record it. And as for shirk in phrases.
Shirk in phrases is minor shirk. And the meaning of "in phrases" is that it is not by belief, but it is the minor kind, such as "If not for Allah and you," or "What Allah willed and you willed." This is shirk in phrases, because it did not settle in his heart; rather, he merely uttered it, and he associated the created with the Creator in the phrase. "If not for Allah and you," it came with the paper, as a result of the testimony. "What Allah willed" is shirk, and so on. This is shirk in phrases. "If not for so-and-so, such and such would not have happened," "If not for the fact that the ship was burning, the ship would not have sailed," "If not for...," all of this is a complaint about some of it, and it is shirk that has become established, and in it is a great sin, and it is among the major sins, but it does not take one out of the religion. This is shirk in phrases. As for shirk in intentions, which is hidden shirk, this is showing off and seeking fame. Yes.