سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 91
وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَـٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿91﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And fulfil the Covenant of Allâh (Bai‘ah: pledge for Islâm) when you have covenanted, and break not the oaths after you have confirmed them - and indeed you have appointed Allâh your surety. Verily! Allâh knows what you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَوْفُوا۟
wa-awfū
And fulfil
بِعَهْدِ
biʿahdi
the covenant
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
إِذَا
idhā
when
عَـٰهَدتُّمْ
ʿāhadttum
you have taken a covenant
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَنقُضُوا۟
tanquḍū
break
ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ
l-aymāna
oaths
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
تَوْكِيدِهَا
tawkīdihā
their confirmation
وَقَدْ
waqad
while verily
جَعَلْتُمُ
jaʿaltumu
you have made
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
over you
كَفِيلًا ۚ
kafīlan
a surety
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
knows
مَا
mā
what
تَفْعَلُونَ
tafʿalūna
you do
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
91. 1. Qasam is of two types: one is that which is taken at the time of a covenant or agreement, to make it more firm. The second type is that which a person takes on his own at any time, that I will do such and such work or I will not do it. Here in the verse, the first type of oath is meant, that you have taken an oath and made Allah a guarantor. Now, do not break it, rather fulfill the covenant upon which you have sworn. Because regarding the second type of oath, it is commanded in the hadith that 'if a person swears an oath about something, then sees that there is more good in something else (i.e., in doing contrary to the oath), then he should choose the better action and break the oath and pay its expiation, and this was also the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.' (Sahih Bukhari)
