وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِّأَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ وَتُصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ 224
Translations
And do not make [your oath by] Allāh an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allāh and making peace among people. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
Transliteration
Wa lā taj'alū Allāha 'urḍatan li-aymānikum an tabarrū wa tattaqū wa tuṣliḥū bayna an-nās. Wa Allāhu Samī'un 'Alīm.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits Muslims from using oaths in Allah's name as an excuse or obstacle to performing good deeds, such as giving charity (birr), practicing piety (taqwā), and reconciling disputes among people. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that believers should not let a hasty oath prevent them from doing what is righteous; rather, they should break such an oath and perform the good deed, then seek expiation (kaffārah) for the broken oath. The ayah emphasizes that Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing of intentions and circumstances.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period addressing a common practice among Arabs where people would make oaths that inadvertently prevented them from doing good. The broader context of Surah Al-Baqarah deals with practical Islamic rulings and ethical conduct in community life, establishing that oaths should never obstruct righteousness.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record that the Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding oath-breaking: 'The expiation for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor people...or clothe them, or free a slave; but whoever finds no means, then fast for three days.' This hadith directly relates to how Muslims should handle oaths that conflict with good deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should never use an oath as justification for abandoning good works; intentions to do good should always supersede hasty vows, and one should seek proper expiation rather than allowing an oath to become a barrier to righteousness and social harmony.
Related Ayahs
قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ إِنَّ ٱلْبَقَرَ تَشَـٰبَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ
They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allāh wills, will be guided."
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ نَزَّلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَفِى شِقَاقٍۭ بَعِيدٍ
That is [deserved by them] because Allāh has sent down the Book in truth. And indeed, those who differ over the Book are in extreme dissension.
وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ ٱلْحَرْثَ وَٱلنَّسْلَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَسَادَ
And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allāh does not like corruption.
أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلْكُفْرَ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.