Presented by Zia H Shah MD with help of Gemini

Audio teaser: Three letters behind Quranic oaths

The Quranic oath, known in Arabic as al-Aqsam, constitutes a sophisticated rhetorical mechanism employed to authenticate divine truths and heighten the ontological significance of the message. In the classical Arabic linguistic tradition, an oath is defined as a sentence utilized to reinforce a statement through various forms of emphasis, technically termed jumlatun yu’akkadu biha’l-khabaru. The structural composition of these oaths typically involves three primary components: the jurative particle or verb (adat al-qasam), the object by which the oath is taken (muqsam bihi), and the subject or response upon which the oath is taken (muqsam ‘alayhi or jawab al-qasam). Within the Quranic corpus, these oaths are categorized by their initiation through three primary particles: Wa (و), Ba (ب), and Ta (ت), each serving distinct grammatical roles and rhetorical purposes that align with the thematic requirements of the revelation.   

The theological foundation of Quranic oaths differs fundamentally between the Creator and the created. While Islamic jurisprudence strictly prohibits human beings from swearing by anything other than Allah or His attributes—viewing oaths by creation as a form of shirk (associating partners with God)—Allah, in His capacity as the Creator, swears by various phenomena of His own making. According to Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, these oaths taken by Allah by His creation ultimately serve as a testament to His own attributes and greatness, as every created object acts as a sign (ayah) pointing toward the majesty of the Originator. Historically, the use of oaths was deeply embedded in pre-Islamic Arabian culture as a method of contractual validation and dispute resolution, often involving the physical act of holding right hands, which led to the synonymity between qasam (oath) and yamin (right hand).   

Section 1: The Particle Wa (و)—The Cosmic Witness and Universal Emphasis

The particle Wa, or waw al-qasam, is the most prevalent jurative device within the Quranic text, particularly in the shorter, high-impact surahs of the early Meccan period. Grammatically, this particle functions as a preposition that induces the genitive case (jarr) on the noun following it. Its usage is restricted to explicit nouns (ism zahir) and cannot be used with pronouns, a restriction that distinguishes it from the Ba particle. In the context of Quranic rhetoric, the Wa particle is frequently used to initiate “Phenomenal Oaths,” “Historical Oaths,” and “Conjugate Oaths,” all of which serve to present the physical world as evidence for the metaphysical claims of revelation.   

Phenomenal and Cosmic Oaths

The majority of oaths initiated with Wa concern natural phenomena, emphasizing the cosmic order as a witness to the inevitability of the Day of Judgment. These verses often appear in rapid succession, creating a rhythmic and persuasive force that compels the listener to reflect on the divine design of the universe.   

Surah and Verse	Arabic Text	MAS Abdel Haleem Translation	Analytical Insight
91:1	وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا	By the sun and its brightness	Links physical light to spiritual guidance.
91:2	وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا	By the moon as it follows it	Establishes the celestial order as proof of divine law.
92:1	وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ	By the night, and what it envelops	Symbolizes the concealment of human deeds.
93:1	وَالضُّحَىٰ	By the morning brightness	Reassurance to the Prophet following a period of silence.
86:1	وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ	By the sky and the night-comer	Points to the constant guardianship of Allah over the soul.
85:1	وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ	By the sky containing great stars	Demonstrates the magnitude of the Creator’s power.
89:1	وَالْفَجْرِ	By the dawn	Signifies the transition from ignorance to revelation.
51:1	وَالذَّارِيَاتِ ذَرْوًا	By the scattering winds	Winds as agents of both mercy and destruction.
51:7	وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْحُبُكِ	By the heaven full of ways	Refers to the intricate paths of stars or spiritual truths.
52:1	وَالطُّورِ	By the mountain	Specifically Mount Sinai, a site of divine communication.
53:1	وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ	By the star when it goes down	Validation of the Prophet’s vision and integrity.
68:1	ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ	Nun. By the pen and what they write	Exalts the value of knowledge and preservation of truth.

The usage of the Wa particle in Surah Ash-Shams (91:1-10) is perhaps the most celebrated example of the “Conjugate Oath”. Here, Allah swears by pairs of opposites—sun and moon, day and night, heaven and earth—to establish that just as the physical world exists in a state of complementary opposition, the human soul is likewise balanced between the potential for wickedness (fujur) and piety (taqwa). The muqsam ‘alayhi (response) to these oaths is found in the declaration that successful is the one who purifies the soul, and failure is the lot of those who corrupt it. This structural correspondence between the cosmic witness and the human outcome serves as a profound second-order insight: the stability of the physical cosmos is a moral argument for the necessity of human accountability.   

In Surah Al-Fajr (89:1-5), the Wa particle initiates a series of four oaths—by the dawn, the ten nights, the even and the odd, and the night when it passes—concluding with a rhetorical question: “Is there not in that an oath for the thoughtful mind?”. This suggests that for those endowed with hijr (intellect or restraint), the very cycle of time and the mathematical precision of the “even and the odd” are sufficient oaths to validate the truth of the divine warning regarding the fate of past civilizations.   

Oaths of Human and Historical Significance

Beyond natural phenomena, the Wa particle is used to swear by historical sites and human endeavors, elevating these elements to the status of sacred testimony. In Surah At-Tin (95:1-3), the particle connects the biological (fig and olive) with the geographic and historical (Mount Sinai and Makkah). This cluster of oaths aims to prove that the human being was created in “the best make” (ahsani taqwim), suggesting that the sites of previous and final revelations are the witnesses to the high potential—and the subsequent low fall—of humanity.   

Surah and Verse	Arabic Text	MAS Abdel Haleem Translation	Thematic Significance
95:1	وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ	By the fig and the olive	Symbolic of the lands of Adam and Jesus.
95:2	وَطُورِ سِينِينَ	By Mount Sinai	The site of the Mosaic revelation.
95:3	وَهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ	By this secure city	Makkah, the center of the final revelation.
100:1-2	وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا	By the charging steeds, panting, and the producers of sparks	Contrast between animal loyalty and human ingratitude.
103:1	وَالْعَصْرِ	By the declining day	History as a witness to the ruin of the unrighteous.

The oath in Surah Al-Asr (103:1) is particularly notable for its brevity and comprehensive implication. By swearing by “Time” or “The Afternoon,” Allah presents history itself as the muqsam bihi. The implication is that throughout the passage of time, the observable rise and fall of nations governed by moral laws proves that humankind is in a constant state of loss, except for those who adhere to faith, good works, and the mutual counseling of truth and patience. This “Historical Oath” uses the entire chronological experience of humanity as the evidence for the specific behavioral prescription that follows.   

In Surah Al-Adiyat (100:1-5), the Wa particle introduces a series of high-energy descriptions of war horses. The detail—panting breath, sparks from hooves, dawn raids, and clouds of dust—serves as a witness to the horse’s total submission to its master’s will, even in the face of death. This is then contrasted with the human being’s ingratitude toward the Divine Master in verse 6: “Verily man is ungrateful to his Lord”. The choice of the Wa particle here facilitates a vivid, sensory introduction that makes the eventual moral indictment more poignant.   

Section 2: The Particle Ba (ب)—The Foundation of Divine and Judicial Oaths

The particle Ba, or ba al-qasam, is traditionally regarded as the fundamental jurative particle in the Arabic language. Its linguistic utility is significantly broader than that of Wa or Ta, as it can be utilized with both explicit nouns and pronouns, and it is the only particle that can be preceded by a verb of swearing (fi’il al-qasam) such as uqsimu (I swear) or ahlifu (I take an oath). In the Quranic text, the Ba particle is instrumental in two specific contexts: the “La uqsimu” (I swear) rhetorical construction and the “Bi-Rabbi” (By the Lord) oaths where Allah swears by His own essence or attributes.   

The Rhetorical Power of “La Uqsimu”

A recurring and distinctive feature of the Quranic style is the initiation of an oath with the negative particle La followed by the verb uqsimu and the jurative Ba. While some early commentators suggested this might be a literal negation, the dominant linguistic consensus, supported by al-Samarrai, is that the La functions as a rhetorical device for intense emphasis. It serves to signal that the matter being sworn by is so great and the truth being affirmed so manifest that the oath itself is almost superfluous, yet it is taken to further solemnize the message.   

Surah and Verse	Arabic Text	MAS Abdel Haleem Translation	Object of Oath (Muqsam bihi)
75:1	لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ	I swear by the Day of Resurrection	The Resurrection itself.
75:2	وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ	And I swear by the self-reproaching soul	The human conscience.
90:1	لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ	I swear by this city	Makkah (during the Prophet’s residence).
56:75	فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ	I swear by the positions of the stars	The cosmic order/Celestial mansions.
69:38	فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ	I swear by what you see	The manifest physical world.
69:39	وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ	And what you do not see	The unseen spiritual realm.
70:40	فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ	I swear by the Lord of all points of sunrise and sunset	Allah as Master of Space and Time.
81:15	فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالْخُنَّسِ	I swear by the retreating stars	The planetary cycles.
84:16	فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالشَّفَقِ	I swear by the twilight glow	The transition of day to night.

In Surah Al-Qiyamah (75:1-2), the Ba particle is used to swear by the Day of Resurrection and the “self-reproaching soul” (al-nafs al-lawwamah). This is categorized as an “Experiential Oath”. The second-order insight here is the linguistic linking of the macro-event (Resurrection) with the micro-experience (conscience). The Quran suggests that the internal human experience of guilt and the yearning for justice serve as a miniature, personal proof that a final Day of Judgment must occur to settle the cosmic scales of justice.   

Similarly, in Surah Al-Waqi’ah (56:75-76), the oath by the “positions of the stars” is followed by a parenthetical emphasis: “And indeed, it is an oath—if you could know—most great”. This explicitly draws the reader’s attention to the magnitude of the muqsam bihi. The use of the Ba particle here allows for a transition from the physical vastness of the universe to the spiritual nobility of the Quran, which is the subject of the oath in verse 77: “Indeed, it is a noble Quran”.   

Divine Self-Oaths: Swearing by the Lord

The Quran contains precisely seven instances where Allah swears by His own Essence, using the Ba particle attached to the term Rabb (Lord). These instances occur at critical junctures of theological denial, where the veracity of the Prophet or the reality of the Hereafter is challenged.   

Surah and Verse	Arabic Text	MAS Abdel Haleem Translation	Thematic Context
4:65	فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ	But no, by your Lord, they will not be believers	Authentication of the Prophet’s judicial authority.
19:68	فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْ	By your Lord, We shall certainly gather them	Certainty of Resurrection for the skeptics.
15:92	فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ	By your Lord, We shall question them all	Universal accountability.
51:23	فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ	By the Lord of the heavens and earth, it is as true	The truth of the promised sustenance/reckoning.
70:40	فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ	I swear by the Lord of the easts and wests	Divine power over all creation.
10:53	قُلْ إِي وَرَبِّي إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ	Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, it is certainly true’	Command to the Prophet to swear by Allah.
64:7	قُلْ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّي لَتُبْعَثُنَّ	Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, you will surely be raised’	Refutation of the denial of Resurrection.

The oath in Surah An-Nisa (4:65) is foundational to Islamic political and legal theory. By swearing by His own Self (Wa-Rabbika), Allah declares that faith is incomplete until one accepts the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the ultimate arbiter in all disputes, finding no internal resistance to his decisions. The use of the Ba particle in this “Lord-oath” provides the highest possible level of linguistic and theological certainty, leaving no room for equivocation regarding the Prophet’s mandate.   

Legal and Contractual Oaths involving Ba

The Ba particle also appears frequently in verses regulating human conduct, specifically regarding oaths in testimony and legal disputes. These verses emphasize the sanctity of the oath and the severe consequences of its violation.   

Surah and Verse	Arabic Text	MAS Abdel Haleem Translation	Juristic Insight
5:106	فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِاللَّهِ إِنِ ارْتَبْتُمْ	Let them both swear by Allah if you doubt	Requirement of an oath in testamentary disputes.
5:53	وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَهَٰؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ	The believers will say, ‘Are these the ones who swore their most solemn oaths by God?’	Condemnation of the false oaths of the hypocrites.
16:38	وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ ۙ لَا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ	They swear by God with their most solemn oaths that He will not raise the dead	Use of oaths to reinforce theological error by disbelievers.
9:74	يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا	They swear by God that they said nothing	Denial of treasonous speech through false oaths.
2:224	وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِأَيْمَانِكُمْ	Do not make [your oath by] Allah an excuse	Prohibition of using oaths to avoid doing good deeds.

The verse in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:224) provides a critical ethical guideline: one should not use a previous oath taken in the name of Allah as a pretext to avoid acts of righteousness or reconciliation. If a person swears not to speak to a relative, for example, the Quran instructs them to break that oath, perform the necessary expiation (kaffarah), and prioritize the greater good of piety. This demonstrates that the Ba particle in a legal oath creates a binding spiritual contract, but one that remains subordinate to the overarching moral objectives of the faith.   

Section 3: The Particle Ta (ت)—The Exclusive Oath of Wonder and Conviction

The particle Ta, or ta al-qasam, is the most restrictive jurative device in Arabic grammar. It is used exclusively with the word “Allah” (Tallahi), and unlike Ba, it cannot be used with pronouns or other attributes of God. Rhetorically, the Ta particle is used to convey intense emotion, such as astonishment, wonder, or a bold, unwavering conviction that defies common expectations.   

Tallahi in Prophetic Narratives

The vast majority of Tallahi oaths are situated within the narrative arcs of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf) and Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), where they serve to highlight the dramatic peak of a confrontation or the revelation of a hidden truth.   

Surah and Verse	Arabic Text	MAS Abdel Haleem Translation	Character Context
12:73	قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِي الْأَرْضِ	They said, ‘By God! You know we did not come to make mischief’	Joseph’s brothers denying theft in Egypt.
12:85	قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ	They said, ‘By God! You will never stop remembering Joseph’	Jacob’s sons expressing wonder/irritation at his grief.
12:91	قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ آثَرَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا	They said, ‘By God! God has indeed preferred you to us’	Brothers confessing their guilt to the revealed Joseph.
12:95	قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِي ضَلَالِكَ الْقَدِيمِ	They said, ‘By God! You are still in your same old delusion’	Jacob’s family mocking his intuition of Joseph’s return.
21:57	وَتَاللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُمْ	By God, I will certainly have a plan for your idols	Abraham’s secret vow to destroy the idols.
16:63	تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ	By God, We have sent messengers before you	Allah swearing by His own name to reassure the Prophet.
26:97	تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ	By God, we were clearly in the wrong	The remorseful admission of those in Hell.
37:56	قَالَ تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كِدْتَ لَتُرْدِينِ	He will say, ‘By God, you almost brought me to ruin’	A believer in Paradise addressing his former companion in Hell.

In Surah Yusuf, the Ta particle tracks the psychological journey of Joseph’s brothers. When they initially use the oath (12:73), it is a defensive tool meant to bolster a false reputation of righteousness. However, the particle’s ultimate usage in the surah (12:91) represents a moment of “ontological shock” where they finally recognize the divine preference for Joseph, which they had spent their lives trying to subvert. The exclusivity of the Ta particle to the name “Allah” signals that they are no longer just swearing to men, but are standing in the presence of a divine miracle that has exposed their long-hidden sin.   

In the case of Prophet Abraham (21:57), the Tallahi oath is an expression of holy defiance. By swearing by Allah to destroy the idols, Abraham contrasts the living, powerful Reality of the God he serves with the impotence of the statues his people worship. The Ta particle here provides a sense of absolute finality; there is no turning back from the vow, and the subsequent action is presented as a necessary fulfillment of the oath.   

Divine Affirmation through Tallahi

Surah An-Nahl (16:63) provides a rare instance of Allah using the Ta particle to swear by His own Name. This divine self-oath serves as a powerful historical affirmation: “By God, We have sent messengers before you [Muhammad] to other communities…”. The purpose of this oath is twofold: it provides consolation (tasliyah) to the Prophet by confirming that rejection is the historical norm for truth-bearers, and it emphasizes the predictability of Satanic deception (fazayyana lahumush-shaitan) throughout human history. The use of Tallahi here, as opposed to Wallahi, suggests a divine “amazement” at the persistent blindness of nations despite the clarity of the messengers’ signs.   

Synthesis: The Comparative Rhetoric of Wa, Ba, and Ta

The distribution and selection of these three particles reveal a deliberate linguistic economy that aligns with the Quranic objective of guidance and warning. While they are often translated identically in English as “By…” or “I swear by…”, their Arabic roots imply a hierarchy of evidence and emotional resonance.

Hierarchy of Jurative Engagement

The Wa particle is the “Cosmic Witness.” It is used for the signs that are visible to every human being—the sun, the moon, the clouds, and the passage of time. It is the most accessible level of the oath, inviting the listener to observe the physical world as a prelude to spiritual belief.   

The Ba particle is the “Judicial and Essential Witness.” It is used for the definitive authentication of truth, such as when Allah swears by His own Self or by the “Day of Resurrection”. It is the language of the contract and the law, providing the ultimate verification of the Prophet’s mandate and the finality of the afterlife.   

The Ta particle is the “Witness of Wonder.” It is reserved for moments of profound personal conviction, dramatic irony, or divine historical affirmation. It marks the intersection of the human heart’s deepest emotions with the absolute name of Allah, representing a level of emphasis that goes beyond standard jurative formulas.   

Second-Order Implications for Modern Interpretation

The structural use of these particles suggests that the Quranic argument for truth is not merely a collection of assertions, but an evidentiary framework where every element of existence is called to the witness stand. The “Phenomenal Oaths” initiated with Wa imply a theology of nature where the environment itself is a moral text. The “Experiential Oaths” initiated with Ba imply a theology of the self where the human conscience is a reliable witness to the divine. The “Narrative Oaths” initiated with Ta imply a theology of history where the unfolding drama of the prophets reveals a consistent divine pattern.   

Through the synthesis of these particles, the Quran creates a “rhetoric of certainty” that aims to move the reader from doubt to conviction (yaqin). The oaths act as the bridge between the sensory perception of the world and the intellectual acceptance of its purpose. This analysis confirms that the linguistic precision of the particles Wa, Ba, and Ta is a central component of the Quran’s persuasive power, ensuring that the message of monotheism and accountability is anchored in every facet of the created and uncreated reality.   

Conclusion: The Integrated Legacy of Quranic Oaths

The study of al-Aqsam in the Quran reveals a linguistic landscape where grammar serves as the handmaiden of theology. By dividing the jurative corpus into the particles Wa, Ba, and Ta, we uncover a systematic approach to divine communication. The Wa particle engages the intellect through the observation of the cosmos; the Ba particle engages the soul through the affirmation of the Divine Self and the judicial reality of the afterlife; and the Ta particle engages the heart through the dramatic portrayal of prophetic conviction and divine historical constancy.

The legislative and ethical frameworks surrounding these oaths further establish their significance as pillars of Islamic social and spiritual life. From the requirements of expiation for broken vows to the severe warnings against false swearing, the Quran ensures that the name of Allah remains the ultimate anchor of truth and trust in human society. Ultimately, the Quranic oath is an invitation to witness—an invitation for the human being to recognize that every sunrise, every beat of a guilty heart, and every turning of a prophetic page is an oath taken by the Creator to lead His creation back to the Truth.