excepting his
knowledge,
wrath, or
mercy.
It is not con-
ftituted by
«fing any
other name.
might of G od, becaufe an oath is ufually expreffed under one or other
of thofe qualities; and the fenfe of Tameen, namely, ßrength, is by
this means obtained, fince as the fwearer believes in the power, glory,
might, and other attributes of the Deity, it follows that the mention
of thefe attributes only is fufficient to ft lengthen the refolution in the
performance of the aft yowed, or the avoidance thereof.
If a man fwear “ by the knowledge of G od,” it does not confti-
tute an oath, becaufe an oath expreffed by the knowledge of G od is not
in u fe :— moreover, by knowledge is frequently implied merely that
which is known; and in this fenfe the word knowledge is not ex-
preflive either of the name of G od, or of any of his attributes.— In
the fame manner, fhould a perlbn fwear “ by the wrath of G od, ” or
“ by th? mercy of G od,” it does hot conftitute an oath, becaufe an
oath is not commonly expreffed by any of thefe attributes:— moreover,
by the word Rihmat [mercy] is fametira.es underftaod rain, and heaven
is alfo occafionally expreffed by that term; and by the word Ghazb
[wrath] is underftood punifhment; and none of thefe are either appellations
or attributes o f the Deity.
I f a perlbn fwear by any other name than that of G od,;— fuch as
the prophet, or the holy temple, this does not conftitute an oath,— as the
prophet has laid “ i f any man among ye take an oath, he muß fwear
“ by the name o f G od, or elfe his oath is void.”— I f a perfon alfo fwear
by the Koran, it does not conftitute an oath, although the Koran be
the word o f G od, becaufe men do not fwear by the Koran.— The compiler
-of the Heddya obferves that this is where the fwearer only fays
by- the prophet,” or “ by the temple,*’ or “ by the Koran,” — but
i f the fwearer fay “ if I a<ft contrary to what I now fay, may I be de-
'* prived o f the prophet,” or “ of the temple,” or “ of the Koran,” “
this conftitutes an oath, becaufe fuch privation would reduce the
fwearer to the ftate of an infidel, and the fufpenfion of infidelity upon a
condition amounts to Tameen.i
7 A n
A n oath is confirmed by the ufe of the particles of fwearin°-; and
thefe (in the Arabic) are three, , namely, the letters waw, and be, and
te * , as oaths are commonly repeated and underftood under this form;
and in this fenfe thefe particles occur in the Koran. Let it be alfo ob-
ferved that the particles o f fwearing are fometimes underfood, though
not exprefed, that is, are omitted in the expreffion, although implied
in the fenfe; and this conftitutes an oath; as if a man were to fay—
G od, I will not do this, — becaufe [in the Arabic] it is common to
rejedt the particle for the fake of brevity:— fometimes indeed the letter
lain is ufed for the fwearing particle, as it is capable (according to Moak-
tar -j-) of being fubftituted for be.
H an eefa alleges that i f a man fhould fwear “ by the truth of
G od, this does not conftitute an oath, and in this Imam Mohammed
coincides. There are two opinions o f Aboo TCoofcf recorded on this
point. according to one it is not an oath ; but according to the other
it is an oath, becaufe truth is one of the attributes of the Deity, fio-.
nifying the certainty of the divine exiftence, and hence it is the fame
as i f the fwearer were to fay “ by G od, the truth !” and as oaths are
common under this mode of expreffion, fo an oath is here conftituted.
T h e argument of Mohammed and Haneefa is that the term “ the truth,”
as here expreffed, relates merely to the identity of the godhead as the objea o f obedience, and hence an oath thus expreffed appears to be
taken by that which is neither an appellation nor an attribute of G od.
The learned, however, fiiy that if a perfon exprefs himfelf thus “ by
“ the truth I will do fo and fo,” this conftitutes an oath, becaufe the
truth is one o f the appellatives or proper names o f G od.— But if a perfon
were to fay “ I will do this truly,” it does not amount to an oath,
becaufe the word truly can only be taken, in this cafe, as a cOrrobora-
* Each of thefe letters, prefixed to the name of God, is expreflive of the Englifh by.
t A celebrated Arabic grammarian and rhetorician,
VOL. I. S f f
Particles o f
fwearing.
Swearing by
the truth of
God is not
an oath.