Oppressor's oath invoking divine power for swift punishment

Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 253

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 3, Chapter 253

Oppressor's oath invoking divine power for swift punishment
1 Ḥadīth
Ḥadīth 304

٢٥٣. وَكَانَ (عليه السلام) يَقُولُ: أَحْلِفُوا الظَّالِمَ إِذَا أَرَدْتُمْ يَمِينَهُ بِأَنَّهُ بَرِي‏ءٌ مِنْ حَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا حَلَفَ بِهَا كَاذِباً عُوجِلَ الْعُقُوبَةَ وَإِذَا حَلَفَ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِى لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَمْ يُعَاجَلْ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ وَحَّدَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى.

253. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, used to say: If you want an oppressor to take an oath ask him to swear like this that he is out of Allāh’s might and His power, because if he swears falsely in this way he will be quickly punished, while if he swears by Allāh Who is such that there is no god but He, he will not be quickly punished since he is expressing the Unity of Allāh, the Sublime. [1]