Oaths in the Quran — Introduction (al-Qasam)
A qasam is a sentence whose purpose is to affirm and emphasise a statement. All oaths in the Quran are instruments of emphasis — all scholars agree on this. Where they differ is in how the muksambi (the thing sworn by) achieves this emphasis.
Definition
| Scholar | Definition |
|---|---|
| Imām al-Zarkashī | "A sentence that confirms a statement through emphasis" |
| Imām al-Suyūṭī | "The purpose of an oath is to confirm a statement and place emphasis upon it" |
A broader definition: an oath is a statement of fact or promise taken as a sign of truthfulness, in which a deity or authority is made a witness and guarantor.
Structure of a Quranic Oath
Every qasam has exactly two parts:
| Part | Grammar term | Tafsir term | Example (Surah al-Najm 53:1–2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The oath | القَسَم (al-qasam) | المُقسَم به (al-muksambi) | وَالنَّجمِ إِذَا هَوَى |
| The response | جَوَابُ القَسَم (jawab al-qasam) | المُقسَم عليه (al-muksam alayhi) | مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُم |
Human Oaths vs. Divine Oaths
| Human Oath | Divine Oath | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Appoint Allah as witness | Not to appoint a witness |
| Function | Establishes accountability | Adds emphasis; draws attention to something great |
When Allah takes an oath, He is not "appointing a witness over Himself." Rather, He is drawing the listener's attention to something significant and emphasising the statement that follows.
Three Schools of Thought
The debate is about the relationship between the muksambi and the muksam alayhi.
School 1: Inherent Greatness of the Muksambi (al-Asma)
Proponents: Qatada (via Tabari), Zamakhshari, Razi.
The thing sworn by has an exalted status in Allah's eyes. Its sheer majesty adds emphasis without requiring any logical connection to what follows.
Critique: This fails to explain the traditional function of oaths in Arabic (and all human) culture, where the sworn-by object always relates to the claim being made.
School 2: The Muksambi as Proof/Testimony
Proponents: Baydawi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn al-Qayyim.
The muksambi is brought as evidence for the muksam alayhi — just as a poet swears by pots and knives to testify to a generous man's hospitality (the pots and knives are the instruments of that hospitality).
Example: Ibn al-Qayyim on Surah al-Duha — the day and night are brought as proof that Allah who alternates between light and darkness can also change the interruption of wahi into its revival.
School 3: Both (Recommended)
Most classical scholars actually hold both: the muksambi has inherent greatness AND it bears a logical-testimonal relationship to the muksam alayhi.
Case Study: Surah al-Tin
وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيتُونِ = land of Sham (home of prophets); وَطُورِ سِينِينَ = Mount Tur (Musa ﷺ); وَهَذَا البَلَدِ الأَمِينِ = Makkah (Rasulullah ﷺ). All three places witness the truth: We created the human in the best of forms... then reduced him to the lowest of the low.
Historical Usage of Oaths
Oaths were used across all human civilisations — religious and non-religious:
- Romans swore by swords; Greeks by fallen heroes
- Pre-Islamic Arabs swore by life, horses, stars, pots and knives
- The word for oath in Arabic (يَمِين / yamin) is the same as "right hand" — reflecting the universal physical gesture of swearing; this overlap exists in Hebrew and Aramaic too
First Dedicated Book
The first standalone book on Quranic oaths was Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qur'an by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (~700 AH). Before that, oaths were discussed within tafsir works. This gap reflects the fact that oath-usage was self-evident to the early Arabs; as Arabic changed and spread, explicit scholarly treatment became necessary.
Session References
- Oaths in Quran Session 1: Full introduction — history, definitions, schools of thought, Surah al-Tin case study
- Oaths in Quran Session 2: Grammar of oaths — particles, verbs, nouns, jawab al-qasam rules
- Oaths in Quran Session 3: Combination of kasam with shart; la-in construction