Definition:
An oath (Qasam) affirms a statement by invoking something venerable — Allah swears by many things in the Quran with profound wisdom, not out of need.
Three Components:
- Oath particle: Waw, Ba, Ta — "By the sun and its brightness."
- Object of oath (Muqsam bihi): Allah or His creations that point to Him.
- Response (Jawab al-Qasam): The affirmed matter.
Rhetorical Purposes:
- Affirming the truth of a statement to the denier or doubter.
- Magnifying the importance of the object sworn by and alerting the addressee.
- Magnifying the subject sworn upon and establishing its gravity.
Note: Allah does not swear by His creation out of reverence for it — but to alert minds to His signs within it.
Question: What are the three components of a Quranic oath, and what is its rhetorical purpose?
Answer: Oath particle, object sworn by, and the response — purpose: affirming truth and magnifying both the object and subject of the oath.