بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ وَٱتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ 76
Translations
But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allāh - then indeed, Allāh loves those who fear Him.
Transliteration
Balā man awfā bi-'ahdihī wattaqā fa-inna Allāha yuḥibbu al-muttaqīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that whoever fulfills their covenant with Allah and practices taqwā (God-consciousness/piety) will find that Allah loves the pious. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this verse emphasizes the inseparable connection between honoring one's commitments to Allah and maintaining taqwā as the foundation for receiving Allah's love and approval. The verse responds to the preceding context about the promise of Allah's mercy, establishing that such divine favor is conditional upon both faithfulness in covenant and righteous conduct.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of Allah's covenant with the Children of Israel and the importance of fulfilling divine obligations. It follows verses addressing those who break covenants and serves as a general principle applicable to all believers regarding their obligations to Allah and the consequences of fulfilling or abandoning them.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays the trust' (Sahih Bukhari 33). This hadith inversely illustrates the virtue emphasized in this ayah—that fulfilling covenants is a mark of true faith.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Allah's love is not arbitrary but is earned through two essential practices: keeping one's word and maintaining awareness of Allah in all matters. For modern readers, this underscores that integrity in our dealings and sincere devotion to God are inseparable elements of a meaningful spiritual life.