ABSTRACT
Known variously as qasam, half, and yamīn, the oath was ubiquitous in medieval Islam. Apart from its formal use in judicial contexts, the oath—and its close relative, the vow (nadhr)—was a common means by which individuals affirmed commitments to one another in all areas of life, from high politics to business negotiation to relationships within the family. The treatment of oaths in the medieval law books attests to not only the ubiquity of this social practice but also the ongoing efforts of religious scholars to shape and control it.
