سُوْرَةُ الْفَتْحِ
Surah Al-Fath (48) — Ayah 10
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِمَا عَـٰهَدَ عَلَيْهُ ٱللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا ﴿10﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, those who give Bai‘ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) they are giving Bai‘ah (pledge) to Allâh. The Hand of Allâh is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm; and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allâh, He will bestow on him a great reward.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يُبَايِعُونَكَ
yubāyiʿūnaka
pledge allegiance to you
إِنَّمَا
innamā
only
يُبَايِعُونَ
yubāyiʿūna
they pledge allegiance
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(to) Allah
يَدُ
yadu
(The) Hand
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
فَوْقَ
fawqa
(is) over
أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ
aydīhim
their hands
فَمَن
faman
Then whoever
نَّكَثَ
nakatha
breaks (his oath)
فَإِنَّمَا
fa-innamā
then only
يَنكُثُ
yankuthu
he breaks
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
against
نَفْسِهِۦ ۖ
nafsihi
himself
وَمَنْ
waman
and whoever
أَوْفَىٰ
awfā
fulfils
بِمَا
bimā
what
عَـٰهَدَ
ʿāhada
he has covenanted
عَلَيْهُ
ʿalayhu
(with)
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ
fasayu'tīhi
soon He will give him
أَجْرًا
ajran
a reward
عَظِيمًۭا
ʿaẓīman
great
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
10. Surely, those who pledge allegiance to you are actually pledging allegiance to Allah. Allah’s Hand is over their hands [10]. So whoever breaks his pledge, he breaks it only to his own loss, and whoever fulfills the covenant he has made with Allah, He will soon grant him a great reward.
[10]
The Pledge of Ridwan Was a Pledge on Blood:
This pledge was being taken on the condition that if the news of the martyrdom of Uthman ؓ was true, then the Muslims would fight with their lives to take retribution for him, and until this objective was fulfilled, none among them would return alive. The manner of this pledge was that the one pledging would place his hand below, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would place his hand above his and take the pledge.
The Manner of the Pledge for Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ:
Since the news of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ was not certain, it was merely a rumor, and there was a possibility of him being alive and well, therefore, the Prophet ﷺ himself took the pledge on behalf of Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ. He placed one of his own hands below and the other above, thus completing the pledge. It is as if the Prophet ﷺ had such trust in Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ that if he were alive, he would certainly never hold back from such a pledge.
This Pledge Was in Fact a Covenant with Allah:
Furthermore, Allah Almighty said to those who pledged that do not think that the hand above yours is merely the hand of the Messenger ﷺ with whom you are making a covenant. Rather, it is the hand of the Messenger, the deputy of Allah, who at that moment is not taking the pledge on his own behalf, but in the capacity of being Allah’s deputy.
Different Forms of Pledge:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took pledges several times during his life. The very first pledge was the Pledge of Aqabah, in which the people of Madinah pledged that if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to them, they would help him in every hardship and protect his life. Here, the pledge is mentioned regarding jihad or blood, and in some places, the Quran also mentions pledges regarding doing good deeds and abstaining from evil deeds, and such pledges were taken by the Prophet ﷺ from both men and women.
The Pledge of Hearing and Obeying the Leader is Obligatory, Even if Indirect:
Here, a general question arises: is the pledge necessary for every person? The answer is that the only pledge necessary for everyone is the pledge taken with the leader of the believers on the principle of hearing and obeying, and this can also be indirect. The purpose of this is only to strengthen the unity and political power of the Muslims and to collectively uphold and maintain the religion of Allah.
The Pledge to Spiritual Guides?
As for the pledge that spiritual guides and Sufi masters have made obligatory, this is by no means obligatory, although it is permissible, but only on the condition that the spiritual guide or sheikh himself is fully observant of the Shariah. And if the spiritual guide himself is not observant of the Shariah, then his pledge is not permissible; rather, it will become a cause of punishment.
[10]
The Pledge of Ridwan Was a Pledge on Blood:
This pledge was being taken on the condition that if the news of the martyrdom of Uthman ؓ was true, then the Muslims would fight with their lives to take retribution for him, and until this objective was fulfilled, none among them would return alive. The manner of this pledge was that the one pledging would place his hand below, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would place his hand above his and take the pledge.
The Manner of the Pledge for Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ:
Since the news of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ was not certain, it was merely a rumor, and there was a possibility of him being alive and well, therefore, the Prophet ﷺ himself took the pledge on behalf of Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ. He placed one of his own hands below and the other above, thus completing the pledge. It is as if the Prophet ﷺ had such trust in Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ that if he were alive, he would certainly never hold back from such a pledge.
This Pledge Was in Fact a Covenant with Allah:
Furthermore, Allah Almighty said to those who pledged that do not think that the hand above yours is merely the hand of the Messenger ﷺ with whom you are making a covenant. Rather, it is the hand of the Messenger, the deputy of Allah, who at that moment is not taking the pledge on his own behalf, but in the capacity of being Allah’s deputy.
Different Forms of Pledge:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took pledges several times during his life. The very first pledge was the Pledge of Aqabah, in which the people of Madinah pledged that if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to them, they would help him in every hardship and protect his life. Here, the pledge is mentioned regarding jihad or blood, and in some places, the Quran also mentions pledges regarding doing good deeds and abstaining from evil deeds, and such pledges were taken by the Prophet ﷺ from both men and women.
The Pledge of Hearing and Obeying the Leader is Obligatory, Even if Indirect:
Here, a general question arises: is the pledge necessary for every person? The answer is that the only pledge necessary for everyone is the pledge taken with the leader of the believers on the principle of hearing and obeying, and this can also be indirect. The purpose of this is only to strengthen the unity and political power of the Muslims and to collectively uphold and maintain the religion of Allah.
The Pledge to Spiritual Guides?
As for the pledge that spiritual guides and Sufi masters have made obligatory, this is by no means obligatory, although it is permissible, but only on the condition that the spiritual guide or sheikh himself is fully observant of the Shariah. And if the spiritual guide himself is not observant of the Shariah, then his pledge is not permissible; rather, it will become a cause of punishment.
