وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَـٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ 91
Translations
And fulfill the covenant of Allāh when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allāh, over you, a security [i.e., witness]. Indeed, Allāh knows what you do.
Transliteration
Wa awfu bi'ahdi Allah idha 'ahadtum wa la tanqudu al-aymana ba'da tawkidiha wa qad ja'altum Allah 'alaikum kafilan. Inna Allah ya'lamu ma taf'alun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands believers to fulfill their covenants with Allah and prohibits breaking oaths after they have been sworn with solemnity and reinforcement. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'you have made Allah a guarantor/witness over you' emphasizes that Allah's knowledge and testimony makes covenant-breaking a grave matter, as it amounts to betraying trust placed before the Almighty Himself.
Revelation Context
This ayah is situated within Surah An-Nahl's broader discussion of ethical and moral obligations in the Meccan context. It addresses the fundamental principle of covenant-keeping ('ahd) which is central to the Islamic worldview, emphasizing the seriousness of promises made before Allah, particularly in the context of dealings between Muslims and their observance of religious duties.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) 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 entrusted, he betrays' (Sahih Bukhari 33). Also relevant is the hadith: 'Whoever swears an oath and then sees something better than it, let him expiate his oath and do the better deed' (Sahih Muslim 1645), which addresses the gravity with which oaths should be treated.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers are reminded that every promise made—whether to Allah or to others in Allah's name—carries profound spiritual weight and divine accountability. In modern life, this teaches us to approach commitments with utmost seriousness, whether in business, personal relationships, or religious practice, knowing that Allah witnesses all our actions.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
And those they invoke other than Allāh create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا جَمَالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَحِينَ تَسْرَحُونَ
And for you in them is [the enjoyment of] beauty when you bring them in [for the evening] and when you send them out [to pasture].
لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مَثَلُ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۖ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَثَلُ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description [i.e., an attribute] of evil; and for Allāh is the highest attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise.
أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَى ٱلطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍ فِى جَوِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Do they not see the birds controlled in the atmosphere of the sky? None holds them up except Allāh. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.