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Fatwa CenterSaying to someone, ‘I would sacrifice my life for you’
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. Is there anything wrong with saying to one's loved ones, "I would sacrifice my life for you" to express your love in a poetic manner?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
We believe that there is no harm in saying this expression. Scholars held different views regarding saying to one's fellow Muslim, 'May Allah make me ransom for you,' or 'may I be sacrificed for you,' and similar expressions. Some held that it is permissible, and others held that it is disliked. Al-Bukhaari 
allocated a chapter in his book Saheeh Al-Bukhaari entitled, 'Chapter: Saying to someone 'May Allah make me ransom for you,'. Al-Qastallaani said in his commentary: 'Chapter: Permissibility of saying to the person's loved one, be they a scholar or otherwise: ‘May Allah make me ransom for you.’'"
Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar wrote:
"The chapter on saying, 'May Allah make me ransom for you', i.e. is it allowed or disliked? Abu Bakr ibn Abi ‘Aasim cited the reports indicating the permissibility of this expression in his book Aadaab Al-Hukamaa', and he decisively said that it is permissible for the person to say that to his ruler, leader, scholars, and his fellow Muslims whom he loves. It is not prohibited; rather, he is rewarded for it if he intended showing respect and appealing to him. If it were prohibited, the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would have forbidden those who said so, and he would have informed them that it was impermissible to say so to other than him." [Fat-h Al-Baari]
Imaam An-Nawawi wrote:
"The chosen view is that it is not disliked for the person to say to someone else, 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you,' or 'May Allah make me ransom for you.' There are many famous ahaadeeth cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim and other Hadeeth books that include these expressions ... An-Nahhaas said, 'Maalik ibn Anas held that it is disliked to say to someone, ‘May Allah make me ransom for you,’ while other scholars held that it is permissible.' Al-Qaadhi ‘Iyaadh said, 'The majority of the scholars held that it is permissible, whether this person (to be sacrificed) is a Muslim or a non-Muslim.'" [Al-Athkaar]
Imaam Ahmad was among the scholars who held that it is disliked. Ibn Muflih wrote, "Chapter on saying, 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you,' or 'May I be sacrificed for you': Al-Khallaal said under the heading: Dislike of greeting someone by saying, 'May I be sacrificed for you': 'Bishr ibn Moosa said that a man asked Abu ‘Abdullah (Imaam Ahmad) a question and said to him, ‘May I be sacrificed for you.’ Abu ‘Abdullah remarked, ‘Do not say so; it is disliked...’'" [Al-Aadaab As-Shar‘iyyah]
Allah knows best.
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