A questioner began his question by saying: I ask you by Allah not to read this question to the Shaykh.

The questioner : He began his question by saying: I ask you by Allah not to read this question to the Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Not to read it?

The questioner : Not to read this question.

The Shaykh : Yes, I thought he said: not to read it, not to read it.

The questioner : To read this question.

The Shaykh : Yes, please go ahead.

The questioner : What is the comment on his saying, “I ask you by Allah not to read”?

The Shaykh : Yes. Not to read.

The questioner : Not to read this question.

The Shaykh : Yes. First of all: It is not befitting for a person to pressure his brother and put him in an awkward position by saying, “I ask you by Allah.” This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So if you say to a person, “I ask you by Allah,” you put him in an awkward position, because he remains hesitant whether to answer you or not. And it may be that answering you would cause him harm, so it is not befitting for a person to ask his brother this question. However, some scholars said that the meaning of “whoever asks you by Allah” is: whoever asks you by the religion of Allah, meaning a permissible question, then answer him. The meaning is not whoever says, “I ask you by Allah,” because that is problematic. A person might say to another, “I ask you by Allah, tell me what is happening in your house with your family?” That is a calamity. Therefore, I advise all my Muslim brothers to say to their brothers: “I ask you by Allah.” Then, if there is harm in the answer for the one asked, he is not obligated to answer. Yes.