His second question asks: What is your opinion regarding the following? He said: My wife, while angry, said, “It is forbidden for me, O our Lord, if you remove any of the adornment from one of her pieces of clothing,” so he left that action. Sometimes she swears by this formula, “By the life of Allah.” Sometimes some people say to another, “May Allah set a limit between you and him,” to prevent him from doing something, and he believes that if he does that thing, he believes he has committed a great sin as a result of not heeding the phrase “May Allah set a limit between you and him”?
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The questioner : His second question asks: What is your opinion regarding the following? She said: My wife, while angry, said, “It is forbidden for me, O our Lord, if you remove any of the adornment from one of her pieces of clothing,” so he left that action. Sometimes she swears by this formula, “By the life of Allah.” Sometimes some people say to another, “May Allah set a limit between you and him,” to prevent him from doing something, and he believes that if he does that thing, he believes he has committed a great sin as a result of not heeding the phrase “May Allah set a limit between you and him”?
The Shaykh : As for the formula of swearing by saying “By the life of Allah,” there is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because swearing is done by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by any of His names, and also by His attributes, such as life, knowledge, might, and power, and the like. So it is permissible for the one who swears to say “By the life of Allah,” “By the knowledge of Allah,” “By the power of Allah,” “By the might of Allah,” and the like of these, which are attributes of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
Similarly, it is permissible to swear by the Noble Qur'an because it is the speech of Allah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And by the mushaf as well, because it contains the speech of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for her saying “It is forbidden for me, O our Lord,” if she intends that Allah is forbidden to her, this has no meaning and such speech is not permissible, because the meaning of this prohibition—does it mean that worshipping Allah is forbidden to her, or I do not know what this speech means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if she means “It is forbidden for me to do this thing” or “It is forbidden for me that you do not do this thing,” and she intends by “O our Lord” the meaning of “O our Lord,” then this is a formula of prohibition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : A formula for prohibiting a thing, and when a thing is prohibited and a person intends by it to abstain from it, it becomes in the position of an oath, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[At-Tahrim 66:1-2].
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So He made this prohibition an oath, and He said:[At-Tahrim 66:2] So when a man or a person says “This is forbidden for me” or “It is forbidden for me not to do it” or “I will not do such and such,” and his intention by that is to abstain from this thing, its ruling is the ruling of an oath, meaning that we say it is as if you said, “By Allah, I will not do this thing.”
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or “By Allah, I will not wear this garment” or “By Allah, I will not eat this food.” And on this basis, as long as the husband left the clothes about which she swore this oath, then she owes nothing; she does not owe an expiation for an oath.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because her husband fulfilled her oath, and when the one about whom the oath was made fulfills it, there is nothing upon the one who swore. As for the third formula, “May Allah set a limit between me and you,” this is as if it is from the category of seeking refuge in Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And seeking refuge in Allah is something the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that a person be responded to, meaning that when a man seeks refuge in Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is obligatory for us to grant him refuge, except if he is an oppressor in this seeking of refuge, for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) does not grant refuge to one who is an oppressor. For example, if we wanted to take zakah from a person who does not pay it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he says, “I seek refuge in Allah from you,” then we do not grant him refuge, because granting him refuge means confirming him in the disobedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) does not approve of that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So if Allah does not approve of it, then we also do not agree with it. The important point is that when someone seeks refuge in Allah the Exalted, we are commanded to grant him refuge and protect him, as long as he does not seek refuge in Allah from a matter that is obligatory upon him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That he fears we will compel him to do it, then we do not grant him refuge in this case. Yes.
The questioner : In fact.
The Shaykh : As for the formula of swearing by saying “By the life of Allah,” there is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because swearing is done by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by any of His names, and also by His attributes, such as life, knowledge, might, and power, and the like. So it is permissible for the one who swears to say “By the life of Allah,” “By the knowledge of Allah,” “By the power of Allah,” “By the might of Allah,” and the like of these, which are attributes of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
Similarly, it is permissible to swear by the Noble Qur'an because it is the speech of Allah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And by the mushaf as well, because it contains the speech of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for her saying “It is forbidden for me, O our Lord,” if she intends that Allah is forbidden to her, this has no meaning and such speech is not permissible, because the meaning of this prohibition—does it mean that worshipping Allah is forbidden to her, or I do not know what this speech means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if she means “It is forbidden for me to do this thing” or “It is forbidden for me that you do not do this thing,” and she intends by “O our Lord” the meaning of “O our Lord,” then this is a formula of prohibition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : A formula for prohibiting a thing, and when a thing is prohibited and a person intends by it to abstain from it, it becomes in the position of an oath, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:
(1) O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (2) Allah has already ordained for you [Muslims] the dissolution of your oaths
يا أيها النبي لم تحرم ما أحل الله لك تبتغي مرضات أزواجك والله غفور رحيم * قد فرض الله لكم تحلة أيمانكمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So He made this prohibition an oath, and He said:
Allah has already ordained for you [Muslims] the dissolution of your oaths
قد فرض الله لكم تحلة أيمانكمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or “By Allah, I will not wear this garment” or “By Allah, I will not eat this food.” And on this basis, as long as the husband left the clothes about which she swore this oath, then she owes nothing; she does not owe an expiation for an oath.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because her husband fulfilled her oath, and when the one about whom the oath was made fulfills it, there is nothing upon the one who swore. As for the third formula, “May Allah set a limit between me and you,” this is as if it is from the category of seeking refuge in Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And seeking refuge in Allah is something the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that a person be responded to, meaning that when a man seeks refuge in Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is obligatory for us to grant him refuge, except if he is an oppressor in this seeking of refuge, for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) does not grant refuge to one who is an oppressor. For example, if we wanted to take zakah from a person who does not pay it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he says, “I seek refuge in Allah from you,” then we do not grant him refuge, because granting him refuge means confirming him in the disobedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) does not approve of that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So if Allah does not approve of it, then we also do not agree with it. The important point is that when someone seeks refuge in Allah the Exalted, we are commanded to grant him refuge and protect him, as long as he does not seek refuge in Allah from a matter that is obligatory upon him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That he fears we will compel him to do it, then we do not grant him refuge in this case. Yes.
The questioner : In fact.