Swearing and taking oaths should only be by Allah or by one of His attributes.In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) heard a man swearing, saying: “No, by the Ka`bah,” meaning he was swearing by something other than Allah. So Ibn `Umar, warning the man of the prohibition of such an oath, said that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed Shirk”, meaning he has associated something else with Allah, the Almighty. This statement serves as a stern warning and strong deterrent, emphasizing the prohibition and the need to avoid such oaths. However, it does not constitute major Shirk in and of itself. Rather, swearing by anything other than Allah is considered minor Shirk, according to the creed of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah. It is prohibited by the Shari`ah because it can lead to major Shirk and serves as a gateway to it. This differs from someone who intentionally swears by something associated with Allah in a religious sense, such as swearing by Christianity or other false beliefs, in which case it would be explicit disbelief (Kufr). Minor Shirk does not expel a person from the fold of Islam, but it remains one of the gravest major sins after major Shirk. For this reason, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “To swear by Allah while lying is more beloved to me than to swear truthfully by other than Him.” Accordingly, those who fall into minor Shirk are still treated as Muslims. If they are punished in the Hellfire, they will not remain there eternally, just like others who commit major sins, according to Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, in contrast to the beliefs of the Kharijites and the Mu`tazilites..