Is it permissible to say these words (I did not think, by Allah, that I would find you) when searching for one's friend and finding him?
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The questioner : There are people who say certain words, and we do not know whether they are permissible or forbidden. For example, a person is looking for a colleague, and when he finds him, he says to him: "I did not think, by Allah, that I would find you?"
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with this phrase because its meaning is "I did not think that I would find you." He did not say, "I did not believe in Allah," but rather he says, "I did not think, by Allah," meaning that he did not expect this to happen. As long as this is the intended meaning, the expression is permissible if it does not contain any religious objection in itself. Therefore, we see that there is nothing wrong with this phrase and no blame in it, because its intended meaning is clear and its structure does not indicate a defective meaning.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with this phrase because its meaning is "I did not think that I would find you." He did not say, "I did not believe in Allah," but rather he says, "I did not think, by Allah," meaning that he did not expect this to happen. As long as this is the intended meaning, the expression is permissible if it does not contain any religious objection in itself. Therefore, we see that there is nothing wrong with this phrase and no blame in it, because its intended meaning is clear and its structure does not indicate a defective meaning.