16.Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِ
اللّهِ إِذَا
عَاهَدتُّمْ...
16: 91. Fulfil the Covenant of Allah when ye have entered into it,
... وَلاَ تَنقُضُواْ الأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلاً...
and break not your oaths after ye have confirmed them;
indeed ye have made Allah your surety;
C2128. The immediate reference may or may not be to the oath of fidelity to the Prophet taken at 'Aqaba fourteen months before the Hijrah and repeated a little later: see 5:7, and n. 705.
But the general meaning is much wider. And this may be viewed in two aspects;
- Every oath taken, or covenant made, is a Covenant before Allah, and should be faithfully observed. In this it approaches in meaning to 5:1.
- In particular, every Muslim makes, by the profession, of his Faith, a Covenant with Allah, and he confirms that Covenant every time he repeats that profession. He should therefore faithfully observe the duties taught to him by Islam.
... إِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٩١﴾
for Allah knoweth all that ye do.
وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ
كَالَّتِي
نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا
مِن بَعْدِ
قُوَّةٍ أَنكَاثًا...
16: 92. And be not like a woman who breaks into untwisted strands they yarn which she has spun, after it has become strong.
C2129. The Covenant which binds us in the spiritual world makes us strong, like strands of fluffy cotton spun into a strong thread. It also gives us a sense of security against much evil in this world.
It costs a woman much labour and skill to spin good strong yarn. She would be foolish indeed, after she has spun such yarn, to untwist its constituent strands and break them into flimsy pieces.
... تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلاً بَيْنَكُمْ...
Nor take your oaths to practice deception between yourselves,
C2130. Nor: I construe tattakhithuna with takunu in the previous clause.
... أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرْبَى مِنْ أُمَّةٍ...
lest one party should be more numerous than another:
C2131. Do not make your religion merely a game of making your own party numerically strong by alliances cemented by oaths, which you readily break when a more numerous party offers you its alliance.
The Quraish were addicted to this vice, and in international politics at the present day, this seems to be almost a standard of national self-respect and international skill.
Islam teaches nobler ethics for individuals and nations. A Covenant should be looked upon as a solemn thing, not to be entered into except with the sincerest intention of carrying it out; and it is binding even if large numbers are ranged against it.
... إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ اللّهُ بِهِ...
for Allah will test you by this;
... وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿٩٢﴾
and on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make clear to you (the truth of) that wherein ye disagree.
C2132. Disagreements need not necessarily cause conflict where the parties are sincere and honest and do not wish to take advantage of one another.
In such cases they do not go by numbers, groupings, and alliances, but by just conduct as in the sight of Allah. Honest differences will be removed when all things are made clear in the Hereafter.
وَلَوْ شَاء
اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ
أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً...
16: 93. If Allah so willed, He could make you all one people:
... وَلكِن يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء...
but He leaves straying whom He pleases, and He guides whom He pleases:
Allah's Will and Plan, in allowing limited free-will to man, is, not to force man's will, but to give all guidance, and leave alone those who reject that guidance, in case they should repent and come back into Grace.
But in all cases, in so far as we are given the choice, we shall be called to account for all our actions. "Leaving to stray" does not mean that we can do what we please. Our personal responsibility remains.
... وَلَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٣﴾
but ye shall certainly be called to account for all your actions.
وَلاَ
تَتَّخِذُواْ
أَيْمَانَكُمْ
دَخَلاً بَيْنَكُمْ
فَتَزِلَّ
قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ
ثُبُوتِهَا...
16: 94. And take not your oaths, to practice deception between yourselves, with the result that someone's foot may slip after it was firmly planted;
C2134. In 16:92, above, the motive for false and fraudulent covenants was pointed out with reprobation. Now are pointed out the consequences, viz.,
- to others, if they had not been deceived, they might have walked firmly on the Path, but now they lose faith and perhaps commit like frauds for which you will be responsible;
- to yourselves; you have not only gone wrong yourselves; but have set others on the wrong path; and you deserve a double Penalty. Perhaps the "evil consequences" refer to this world, and the "Wrath" to the Hereafter.
... وَتَذُوقُواْ الْسُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ...
and ye may have to taste the evil (consequences) of having hindered (men) from the path of Allah,
... وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٩٤﴾
and a mighty Wrath descend on you.
وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ
بِعَهْدِ اللّهِ
ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً...
16: 95. Nor sell the Covenant of Allah for a miserable price:
C2135. Any possible gain that you can make by breaking your Covenant and thus breaking Allah's Law must necessarily be miserable; while your own benefit is far greater in obeying Allah's Will and doing right.
... إِنَّمَا عِندَ اللّهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٩٥﴾
for with Allah is (a prize) far better for you, if ye only knew.
Other versions:
16: 91
Asad And be true to your bond with God whenever you bind yourselves by a pledge, and do not break oaths after having confirmed them and having called upon God to be witness to your good faith: behold, God knows all that you do.
Yusuf Ali Fulfil the covenant of Allah when ye have entered into it and break not your oaths after ye have confirmed them; indeed ye have made Allah your surety; for Allah knoweth all that ye do.
Pickthall Fulfill the covenant of Allah when ye have covenanted, and break not your oaths after the asseveration of them, and after ye have made Allah surety over you. Lo! Allah knoweth what ye do.
Transliteration Wa aufu_ bi 'ahdilla_hi iza_ 'a_hattum wa la_ tanqudul aima_na ba'da taukidiha_ wa qad ja'altumulla_ha 'alaikum kafila_(n), innalla_ha ya'lamu ma_ taf'alu_
[Asad note 110 : …………for, as Razi points out, every pledge given by man to man represents, in its essence, a pledge to God,. It is to this second aspect of man’s “bond with God” that the sequence refers.]
[Ruby’s Note: Neither Razi nor Asad clearly expressed what it should mean. Human bond with God is the highest bond. God is the creator and He has created humans to serve Him. Obeying God’s Laws or complying with it is the service to Him. In spite of the negative inclinations one must comply with God’s Moral Law of justice and balance.
This is the meaning of Submission to God’s Will. God’s Will is His Laws and compliance with that. Therefore, one makes a pledge with another, in all fairness, one should keep that pledge or promise. Because the other party has depended on that pledge or oath. It would be extremely unfair if this pledge and trust is not delivered. Keeping this pledge is part of that compliance of God’s Laws, and therefore keeping the bond with God. ]
16: 92
Asad Hence, be not like her who breaks and completely untwists the yarn which she has spun and made strong [herself] has spun and made strong – [be not like this by] using your oaths as a means of deceiving one another, simply because some of you may be more powerful than others.
By all this, God but puts you to a test – and [He does it] so that on Resurrection Day He might make clear unto you all that on which you were wont to differ.
Yusuf Ali And be not like a woman who breaks into untwisted strands the yarn which she has spun after it has become strong. Nor take your oaths to practice deception between yourselves lest one party should be more numerous than another: for Allah will test you by this; and on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make clear to you (the truth of) that wherein ye disagree.
Pickthall And be not like unto her who unravelleth the thread, after she hath made it strong, to thin filaments, making your oaths a deceit between you because of a nation being more numerous than (another) nation. Allah only trieth you thereby, and He verily will explain to you on the Day of Resurrection that wherein ye differed.
Transliteration Wa la_ taku_nu_ kal lati naqadat 'azlaha_ mim ba'di quwwatin anka_sa_(n), tattakhizu_na aima_nakum dakhalam bainakum an taku_na ummatun hiya arba_ min ummah(tin), innama_ yablu_kumulla_hu bih(i), wa layubayyinanna lakum yaumal qiya_mati ma_ kuntum fihi takhtalifu_n(a).
[ Ali’s notes: 2131 Do not make your religion merely a game of making your own party numerically strong by alliances cemented by oaths, which you readily break when a more numerous party offers you its alliance. The Quraish were addicted to this vice, and in international politics at the present day, this seems to be almost a standard of national self-respect and international skill. Islam teaches nobler ethics for individuals and nations. A Covenant should be looked upon as a solemn thing, not to be entered into except with the sincerest intention of carrying it out; and it is binding even if large numbers are ranged against it. (16.92)
2132 Disagreements need not necessarily cause conflict where the parties are sincere and honest and do not wish to take advantage of one another. In such cases they do not go by numbers, groupings, and alliances, but by just conduct as in the sight of Allah. Honest differences will be removed when all things are made clear in the Hereafter. ]
[ Asad’s note 115: AS is evident from the preceding passage as well as from the sequence, the differences alluded to here relate to ethical and moral values, regarding the truth and relevance of which people of various communities and persuasions hold most divergent views. See also sura 2, note 94 ]
[ Ruby’s Note: Trust is one of the most important criterion of confidence and alliance. And keeping commitments is one of the most important ways of carrying that trust. Keeping commitment is also part of one’s integrity and truthfulness. However, in order to sooth or deal with a powerful party, if one makes false promise, then the relationship would backfire and ruin all the things these two parties build together: trust confidence and good feelings for each other. If the promise is originally made to please the others and to have good relationship, the failing to keep the promise would completely ruin that relationship, taking back much before the state of making that false commitment. So what is the use of this false commitment in the first place? One shoots oneself in the foot when one does that, and with time it becomes even worse. Therefore this analogy of a woman spinning yarn and ruining thereafter is very illuminating.]
16: 94
Asad And do not use your oaths as a means of deceiving one another – or else [your] foot will slip after having been firm and then you will have to taste the evil [consequences] of your of your having turned away from the path of God, with tremendous suffering awaiting you [in the life to come].
Yusuf Ali And take not your oaths to practice deception between yourselves with the result that someone's foot may slip after it was firmly planted; and ye may have to taste the evil (consequences) of having hindered (men) from the path of Allah and a mighty Wrath descend on you.
Pickthall Make not your oaths a deceit between you, lest a foot should slip after being firmly planted and ye should taste evil forasmuch as ye debarred (men) from the way of Allah, and yours should be an awful doom.
Transliteration Wa la_ tattakhizu_ aima_nakum dakhalam bainakum fa tazilla qadamum ba'da subu_tiha_ wa tazu_qus su_'a bima_ sadattum 'an sabililla_h(i), wa lakum 'aza_bun 'azim(un).
16: 95
Asad Hence, do not barter away your bond with God for a trifling gain! Verily, that which is with God is by far the best for you, if you but knew it:
Yusuf Ali Nor sell the covenant of Allah for a miserable price: for with Allah is (a prize) far better for you if ye only knew.
Pickthall And purchase not a small gain at the price of Allah's covenant. Lo! that which Allah hath is better for you, if ye did but know.
Transliteration Wa la_ tasytaru_ bi'ahdilla_hi samanan qalila_(n), innama_ 'indalla_hi huwa khairul lakum in kuntum ta'lamu_n(a).
[Ruby’s note: This two verses one following the other clearly establishes that making false promises or deceptive oaths violate the bond with God. Every commitment one makes with another essentially is a commitment before God, and violating this violates God’s Laws in existence. The punishment is “azabun azim” i.e tremendous suffering is due to the person conveying the seriousness of the sin involved in making false promises.]