سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 89
لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغْوِ فِىٓ أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ فَكَفَّـٰرَتُهُۥٓ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَـٰكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَـٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّـٰرَةُ أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ وَٱحْفَظُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿89﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Allâh will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths; for its expiation feed ten Masâkîn (poor persons), on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families, or clothe them or manumit a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths when you have sworn. And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much). Thus Allâh make clear to you His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَا
lā
Not
يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ
yuākhidhukumu
will call you to account
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
بِٱللَّغْوِ
bil-laghwi
for the thoughtless utterances
فِىٓ
fī
in
أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ
aymānikum
your oaths
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
يُؤَاخِذُكُم
yuākhidhukum
He will call you to account
بِمَا
bimā
for what
عَقَّدتُّمُ
ʿaqqadttumu
you contracted
ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ
l-aymāna
(of) the oath
فَكَفَّـٰرَتُهُۥٓ
fakaffāratuhu
So its expiation
إِطْعَامُ
iṭ'ʿāmu
(is) feeding
عَشَرَةِ
ʿasharati
(of) ten
مَسَـٰكِينَ
masākīna
needy people
مِنْ
min
of
أَوْسَطِ
awsaṭi
average
مَا
mā
(of) what
تُطْعِمُونَ
tuṭ'ʿimūna
you feed
أَهْلِيكُمْ
ahlīkum
your families
أَوْ
aw
or
كِسْوَتُهُمْ
kis'watuhum
clothing them
أَوْ
aw
or
تَحْرِيرُ
taḥrīru
freeing
رَقَبَةٍۢ ۖ
raqabatin
a slave
فَمَن
faman
But whoever
لَّمْ
lam
(does) not
يَجِدْ
yajid
find
فَصِيَامُ
faṣiyāmu
(that), then fasting
ثَلَـٰثَةِ
thalāthati
(for) three
أَيَّامٍۢ ۚ
ayyāmin
days
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
كَفَّـٰرَةُ
kaffāratu
(is the) expiation
أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ
aymānikum
(of) your oaths
إِذَا
idhā
when
حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ
ḥalaftum
you have sworn
وَٱحْفَظُوٓا۟
wa-iḥ'faẓū
And guard
أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚ
aymānakum
your oaths
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ
āyātihi
His Verses
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ
tashkurūna
(be) grateful
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.
89. 1 An oath, which in Arabic is called حَلْفٌ or یَمِیْنٌ, and their plurals are اَحْلَافٌ and ایمان. There are three types: 1. لَغْوٌ 2. غَمُوْسٌ 3. مُعَقَّدَۃٌ. لَغْوٌ: This is the oath that a person habitually takes in conversation without intention or purpose. There is no accountability for this. غَمُوْسٌ: This is a false oath that a person takes to deceive or cheat. This is a major sin, rather the greatest of major sins. However, there is no expiation for this. مُعَقَّدَۃٌ: This is the oath that a person takes intentionally and purposefully to emphasize and confirm his statement. If such an oath is broken, its expiation is what is mentioned ahead in the verse.
89. 2 There is no Sahih narration regarding the amount of food, so there is a difference of opinion. However, Imam Shafi'i, deducing from the hadith in which the expiation for a man who had intercourse with his wife during Ramadan fasting is mentioned, has considered one mudd (تقریبًا 0 1 چھٹانک) of food per needy person. Because the Prophet ﷺ gave a man 15 sa' of dates to pay the expiation for intercourse, which had to be distributed among sixty needy people, and one sa' contains 4 mudd, so for ten needy people, ten mudd (i.e., about one and a quarter seer or six kilos) of food, without any curry, will be the expiation. (Ibn Kathir)
89. 3 There is a difference of opinion regarding clothing. Apparently, what is meant is a set of clothes in which a person can perform prayer. Some scholars consider custom to be valid for both food and clothing. (Footnote of Ibn Kathir, under the verse under discussion)
89. 4 Some scholars, by analogy with the blood money for accidental killing, have made faith a condition for the slave, male or female. Imam Shawkani says, the verse is general and includes both believer and disbeliever.
89. 5 That is, whoever does not have the ability for any of the three things mentioned, then he should fast for three days; these fasts will be the expiation for his oath. Some scholars hold that the fasts should be consecutive, and according to others, both ways are permissible.
89. 2 There is no Sahih narration regarding the amount of food, so there is a difference of opinion. However, Imam Shafi'i, deducing from the hadith in which the expiation for a man who had intercourse with his wife during Ramadan fasting is mentioned, has considered one mudd (تقریبًا 0 1 چھٹانک) of food per needy person. Because the Prophet ﷺ gave a man 15 sa' of dates to pay the expiation for intercourse, which had to be distributed among sixty needy people, and one sa' contains 4 mudd, so for ten needy people, ten mudd (i.e., about one and a quarter seer or six kilos) of food, without any curry, will be the expiation. (Ibn Kathir)
89. 3 There is a difference of opinion regarding clothing. Apparently, what is meant is a set of clothes in which a person can perform prayer. Some scholars consider custom to be valid for both food and clothing. (Footnote of Ibn Kathir, under the verse under discussion)
89. 4 Some scholars, by analogy with the blood money for accidental killing, have made faith a condition for the slave, male or female. Imam Shawkani says, the verse is general and includes both believer and disbeliever.
89. 5 That is, whoever does not have the ability for any of the three things mentioned, then he should fast for three days; these fasts will be the expiation for his oath. Some scholars hold that the fasts should be consecutive, and according to others, both ways are permissible.
