يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَخُونُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوٓا۟ أَمَـٰنَـٰتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ 27
Translations
O you who have believed, do not betray Allāh and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu la takhunu Allaha wa al-rassula wa takhunu amanatikum wa antum ta'lamun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the believers not to betray Allah and His Messenger, and not to betray the trusts placed in them while being fully aware of what they do. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this prohibition encompasses both explicit betrayals and hidden ones, emphasizing that betraying trusts (whether of Allah's commandments, the Prophet's leadership, or interpersonal commitments) is a grave sin. The phrase 'while you know' (wa antum ta'lamun) adds moral culpability, as the sin is committed with full consciousness and deliberation.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in the Medinan period following the Battle of Badr. The ayah addresses the Muslim community's internal cohesion and trustworthiness during a critical time when the young Islamic state faced external threats. The context relates to maintaining loyalty and integrity within the Muslim ranks, as betrayal of trusts could undermine the community's strength and the believers' covenant with Allah and His Messenger.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he breaks his promise; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays' (Sahih Bukhari 33). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'Whoever betrays will have a flag on the Day of Judgment indicating his betrayal' (Sahih Muslim 1735).
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must maintain absolute integrity in all trusts—whether spiritual commitments to Allah, obedience to Islamic principles, or practical responsibilities to others—recognizing that betrayal with full awareness is a grave moral offense. This ayah reminds us that trustworthiness is foundational to both personal character and community stability.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَـٰكِرِينَ
And [remember, O Muḥammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allāh plans. And Allāh is the best of planners.
إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُوا۟ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمُ ٱلْفَتْحُ ۖ وَإِن تَنتَهُوا۟ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَعُودُوا۟ نَعُدْ وَلَن تُغْنِىَ عَنكُمْ فِئَتُكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَلَوْ كَثُرَتْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
If you [disbelievers] seek the decision [i.e., victory] - the decision [i.e., defeat] has come to you. And if you desist [from hostilities], it is best for you; but if you return [to war], We will return, and never will you be availed by your [large] company at all, even if it should increase; and [that is] because Allāh is with the believers.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا ۚ لَّهُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
Those are the believers, truly. For them are degrees [of high position] with their Lord and forgiveness and noble provision.
وَإِذْ قَالُوا۟ ٱللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـٰذَا هُوَ ٱلْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَوِ ٱئْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
And [remember] when they said, "O Allāh, if this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."