يُوفُونَ بِٱلنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا كَانَ شَرُّهُۥ مُسْتَطِيرًا 7
Translations
They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.
Transliteration
Yūfūna bi-n-nadhr wa-yakhāfūna yawman kāna sharruhu mustatirah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the righteous servants of Allah who fulfill their vows and pledges to Him, and who fear the Day of Judgment when its evil and punishment will be widespread and overwhelming. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir interpret this as depicting those who maintain their covenant with Allah through sincere obedience and keep their promises out of profound reverence for the final reckoning, demonstrating both commitment to divine commands and appropriate fear of divine justice.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Insan (Chapter 76) was revealed in Madinah and depicts the characteristics of the righteous believers. This particular ayah is part of a passage (verses 4-22) describing the attributes of those destined for Paradise, emphasizing their spiritual and moral qualities. The surah establishes the contrast between the grateful believers and the heedless disbelievers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi 3895), relating to the broader theme of fulfilling obligations. Additionally, 'Whoever makes a vow to Allah should fulfill it' (Sahih Bukhari 6617) directly addresses the fulfillment of vows mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith manifests in both active commitment—keeping one's promises and vows—and internal reverence through fear of Allah's reckoning. For contemporary believers, it emphasizes that spiritual maturity requires both integrity in fulfilling obligations and mindfulness of accountability before the Divine.