Question

What is the punishment mentioned in Hadith for swearing a Muslim?

 

Answer

I have not come across a specific punishment for swearing a Muslim.

However, there are many narrations which discuss the severity of this sin:

1) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reported that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Swearing a Muslim is a serious sin and killing him is disbelief.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 48, 6044, Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 64)

 

Swearing is usually accompanied with obscenity and lewdness. The following Hadiths prohibit these:

1) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “A believer does not find fault/criticise [people], nor does he curse excessively, nor is he obscene and lewd.”

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 1977. See here)

 

2) Sayyiduna Abud Darda (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “There is nothing weightier than good character on the day of Judgement on the scales of a Believer, and Allah dislikes the obscene and lewd person.”

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2002. See here)

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

 

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

 

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar