Tafsir Ibn Abbas: An-Nahl, Ayah 91

An-Nahl · Ayah 91 · View Ayah
وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allah, over you, a witness. Indeed, Allah knows what you do.

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Ibn Abbas Commentary

(Fulfil the covenant of Allah when ye have covenanted). This verse was revealed about the tribes of Kindah and Murad; it is also said that this means: honour your pledges when you swear by Allah, (and break not your oaths) i.e. the pledges that you pledge between yourselves (after the asseveration of them) after ascertaining and confirming them, (and after ye have made Allah surety over you) i.e. a Witness over you; it is also said that this means: a Guardian over you. Meaning: both parties made their pledge and said: Allah is witness that we will honour our pledge. (Lo! Allah knoweth what ye do) whether you break or honour your pledges.

Other Scholars on This Ayah

Tafsir

79%61%62%Al-JalalaynIbn AbbasIbn Kathir
Scholars offer complementary perspectives

And fulfil God’s covenant effected by way of pledges of allegiance and oaths and in other ways when you made a covenant and do not break your oaths after pledging them and having made God surety over you that you will fulfill the covenant for you have sworn the oath by Him the sentence wa-qad ja‘altumu’Llāha ‘alaykum kafīlan ‘and having made God surety over you’ is a circumstantial qualifier. Truly God knows what you do — this is a threat for them.

Related Hadiths

Sahih Muslim#4147Sahih

When anyone amongst you takes an oath, but he finds (something) better than that he should expiate (the breaking of the oath), and do that which is better.

Narrated by 'Adi reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Sunan Ibn Majah#1851Sahih

'When anyone of you swears an oath, let him not say: 'What Allah wills and what you will.' Rather let him say: 'What Allah wills and then what you will.'

Narrated by It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
Sunan Abu Dawud#3274Sahih

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A vow is binding in those things by which the pleasure of Allah is sought, and an oath to break ties of relationship is not binding.

Narrated by Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:
Sunan Abu Dawud#3279Da'if in chain

"Make atonement for your oath and then do the thing that is better." Abu Dawud said: The version of this tradition transmitted by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, 'Adi b. Hatim and Abu Hurairah are variant. So...

Narrated by A similar tradition has been transmitted by 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah through a different chain if narrators. This version has:
Sahih Muslim#4153Sahih

Your oath should be about something regarding which your companion will believe you. 'Amr said: By which your companion will believe you.

Narrated by Abu Haraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Sunan Abu Dawud#3278Sahih in chain

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me: 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah, when you swear an oath and consider something else to be better than it, do the thing that is beter and make atonement for your oath. Abu Dawud...

Narrated by Narrated 'Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah:
Sahih Muslim#4143Sahih

He who took an oath and (later on) found another thing better than that, he should do that which is better, and expiate for the vow (broken by him).

Narrated by Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Sahih al-Bukhari#6380Sahih

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq had never broken his oaths till Allah revealed the expiation for the oaths. Then he said, "If I take an oath to do something and later on I find something else better than the firs...

Narrated by Narrated `Aisha:
Sahih Muslim#4146Sahih

He who took an oath, but he found something else better than that, should do that which is better and break his oath.

Narrated by 'Adi b. Hatim reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Jami` at-Tirmidhi#1630Sahih

From his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said during his Khutbah: "Fulfill the allegiances sworn in Jahiliyyah for it" - meaning Islam - "does not add to them except in g...

Narrated by Narrated 'Amr bin Shu'aib:

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