لَّا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغْوِ فِىٓ أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ 225
Translations
Allāh does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned. And Allāh is Forgiving and Forbearing.
Transliteration
Lā yu'ākhidhukumu -llāhu bi-l-laghwi fī aymānkum wa-lākin yu'ākhidhukum bimā kasabat qulūbukum wa-llāhu ghafūrun halīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that Allah does not hold people accountable for vain or unintentional oaths (laghw - thoughtless words spoken without deliberate intention), but rather He holds them accountable for what their hearts have genuinely intended and earned. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir explain that laghw refers to oaths made without conscious thought or deliberation, such as casual exclamations (e.g., 'by Allah' in everyday conversation), which carry no legal consequence. The ayah emphasizes Allah's divine wisdom in distinguishing between accidental utterances and intentional transgressions, reflecting His attribute as Al-Ghafūr (The Forgiving) and Al-Halīm (The Forbearing).
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period to address the confusion among Muslims regarding the legal status of casual oaths and unintentional vows. It comes within the broader context of Surah Al-Baqarah's discussion of laws governing oaths and vows (ayahs 2:224-226), clarifying that Islamic jurisprudence distinguishes between intentional and unintentional speech.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (6665): The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said regarding unintentional oaths: 'Allah does not punish you for unintentional oaths, but He punishes you for oaths made with intention of the heart.' Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet clarified that laghw in oaths are those spoken without deliberate intent.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that Allah judges actions based on sincere intention (niyyah) rather than careless words, encouraging believers to guard their hearts and intentions while finding solace in Allah's mercy toward honest mistakes. For modern readers, it reinforces that faith is rooted in heartfelt commitment rather than rigid literalism of speech.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ كَاتِبًا فَرِهَـٰنٌ مَّقْبُوضَةٌ ۖ فَإِنْ أَمِنَ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًا فَلْيُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِى ٱؤْتُمِنَ أَمَـٰنَتَهُۥ وَلْيَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥ ۗ وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit [should be] taken. And if one of you entrusts another, then let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allāh, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it - his heart is indeed sinful, and Allāh is Knowing of what you do.
فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْىِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it." Thus does Allāh bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.
بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَـٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
Yes, [on the contrary], whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.
إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَـٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allāh has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and earth are signs for a people who use reason.