قَدْ فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ تَحِلَّةَ أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ 2
Translations
Allāh has already ordained for you [Muslims] the dissolution of your oaths. And Allāh is your protector, and He is the Knowing, the Wise.
Transliteration
Qad faradan allahu lakum tahillata aymanikum wa-allahu mawlakum wa-huwa al-alemu al-hakeem
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah has ordained for you a way out (expiation) from your oaths, meaning that breaking an oath is permissible upon fulfilling its prescribed expiation (kaffarah). This ayah provides divine mercy and practical guidance, as Ibn Kathir notes, allowing believers relief from oaths that may cause hardship while maintaining accountability through expiation. Allah is described as Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing) and Al-Hakeem (The All-Wise), emphasizing that this ruling reflects divine wisdom in balancing human weakness with moral responsibility.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of Surah At-Tahrim (The Prohibition), which addresses the Prophet's domestic matters. The surah opens with the incident where the Prophet made an oath to abstain from his wives, leading to this revelation establishing the ruling on oath expiation (kaffarah). This reflects the Quranic principle of combining accountability with mercy.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (5269): Narrated Abu Musa that the Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding oath expiation: 'The expiation for an oath is to feed ten poor persons... or clothe them, or free a slave.' Also, Muslim (1650): The Prophet clarified the path of expiation when oaths become burdensome.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Islam balances moral strictness with practical compassion—while oaths are sacred, Allah provides a merciful exit through expiation for those whose circumstances change, reminding believers that divine law is designed with human welfare in mind.