Is swearing by other than Allah a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes its perpetrator out of the religion?

Question:
We ask your Eminence to kindly clarify the types of shirk (associating partners with Allah), and whether swearing by other than Allah is a type of shirk that takes its perpetrator out of the religion?

Answer:
Shirk (associating partners with Allah) is of two types: major shirk and minor shirk. Major shirk is directing worship to other than Allah, or part of it, such as supplicating to the dead, calling upon them for aid, or making vows for them, or for the jinn, or for the angels. This is called major shirk, just as Quraysh and other Arabs used to do that at their idols and statues. Also included in this is a person denying a matter that is known from the religion by necessity, whether it is obligatory or forbidden. So whoever denies it is a disbeliever and a polytheist committing major shirk. For example, if someone says: "Prayer is not obligatory for the Muslim who is accountable," or says: "Zakah (the obligatory alms) is not obligatory for one who possesses wealth," or says: "Fasting Ramadan is not obligatory for the accountable Muslim," or if he legalizes what Allah has forbidden, as is known from the religion by necessity, such as saying: "Zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) is lawful," or "drinking intoxicants is lawful," or "undutifulness to parents is lawful," or "sorcery is lawful," or the like of that. Then this person becomes a disbeliever and a polytheist committing major shirk.
The rule is that whoever directs worship, or part of it, to other than Allah, whether to idols, statues, the dead, or others among the absent, is a polytheist committing major shirk. The same ruling applies to whoever denies what Allah has made obligatory, or what Allah has forbidden, from that which is known from the religion by necessity and upon which the Muslims have reached scholarly consensus. This person becomes a disbeliever and a polytheist committing major shirk. And whoever commits any of the nullifiers of Islam becomes a polytheist committing major shirk, as we have said.
As for minor shirk, it is also of various types: such as swearing by other than Allah, swearing by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), swearing by trust, swearing by the head of so-and-so, and the like of that. This is minor shirk; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And likewise is riya' (showing off in worship); if one reads for the sake of riya' or gives charity for the sake of riya', this is minor shirk; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): So he was asked about it, and he said: And likewise, if one says: "What Allah willed and so-and-so willed" — with the conjunction "and" — or: "If not for Allah and so-and-so," or: "This is from Allah and so-and-so"; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And when a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, what Allah willed and you willed," he said: .
Minor shirk can become major shirk if its perpetrator believes that the one who swears by other than Allah, or says "What Allah willed and so-and-so willed," has control over the universe, or that he has a will that goes beyond the will of Allah and His decree, or that he has the power to harm or benefit without Allah, or if he believes that it is appropriate to worship him without Allah and to call upon him for aid. Then by this belief, he becomes a polytheist committing major shirk.
However, if it is merely swearing by other than Allah without any other belief, but his tongue utters the oath by other than Allah; out of reverence for this person, seeing him as a prophet or a righteous person, or because he is his father or mother and he reveres them for that, or the like of that, then it is from minor shirk and not from major shirk.