It has been said: It is like his saying: "Nashadtuka Allah" (I adjure you by Allah). For this reason, the name of Allah the Almighty is in the accusative case (mansub) within it. If one says: "La-'umri" (By my life), "la-'umruka" (By your life), or "'umruka" (Your life), it is not an oath according to most of them. Al-Hasan said regarding his saying: "La-'umri": "He must pay an expiation (kaffarah)." Our position is that he has sworn by the life of a created being, so no expiation is binding upon him, just as if he had said: "By my life." This is because this expression functions as an oath by the life of the one to whom the life ('umr) is attributed; for the ellipsis is "La-'umruka qasami" (By your life is my oath), or "Ma uqsimu bihi" (That by which I swear), and the 'umr is life or duration.

Section: If he says: "Wa-aymu Allah" or "Wa-aymunu Allah" (29), it is an oath requiring an expiation, and the disagreement concerning it is the same as that which we mentioned in the previous section. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to swear by it, and the customary usage joined it, so it is necessary that it be construed as such. There is disagreement regarding its derivation: it is said that it is the plural of "yamin" (oath), and the "nun" was dropped in some instances for the sake of lightening, due to frequent use. It is also said that it is from "al-yamin" (the oath), as if he said: "Wa-yaminu Allah la-af'alanna" (And by the oath of Allah, I will surely do such and such). Its alif is an alif of connection (alif wasl).

Section: The particles of swearing are three: "Al-ba'", which is the primary one, and it attaches to both the apparent noun and the pronoun. "Al-waw", which is a substitute for "al-ba'", and it attaches only to the apparent noun and not the pronoun for that reason; it is more frequently used, and through it most of the oaths in the Book and the Sunnah have come. The reason "al-ba'" is primary is because it is the particle with which intransitive verbs connect to their objects; the ellipsis in an oath is "uqsimu billah" (I swear by Allah), as Allah the Almighty said: {And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths} (30). The "ta'" is a substitute for the "waw" and is reserved for only one of the names of Allah the Almighty, which is "Allah", and it does not attach to any other name; thus, one says: "Tallahi" (By Allah). If one said: "Ta-ar-Rahman" (By the Most Gracious) or "Ta-ar-Rahim" (By the Most Merciful), it would not be an oath. Thus, if one swears with any of these three particles in its appropriate place, it is a valid oath because it is established for that purpose. It has appeared in the Book of Allah the Almighty and the speech of the Arabs. Allah the Almighty said: {By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to fabricate} (31). {By Allah, Allah has certainly preferred you over us} (32). {By Allah, you will not cease to remember Yusuf} (33). {By Allah, you have certainly known} (34). {By Allah, I will surely plan against your idols} (35). The poet also said (36):

By Allah, there remains over the days one with curved horns, On a high mountain where the oleander and myrtle are (37)