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
Translations
Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muḥammad] - they are actually pledging allegiance to Allāh. The hand of Allāh is over their hands. So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of himself. And he who fulfills that which he has promised Allāh - He will give him a great reward.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina yubayiʿunaka innama yubayiʿun Allah yad Allah fawqa ayidihim faman nakatha fa-innama yankuthu ʿala nafsih wa-man awfa bima ʿahada ʿalayh Allah fa-sayuʾtih ajran ʿadhiman
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah, revealed during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, establishes that the believers' pledge to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is fundamentally a covenant with Allah Himself, with the divine hand superseding all human hands in authority and witness. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that breaching such a covenant is not merely a violation against the Prophet but a transgression against one's own soul and standing before Allah. Those who honor their pledge to Allah receive immense reward, while those who break it bear the consequences upon themselves on the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed at Hudaybiyyah in the 6th year of Hijrah when approximately 1,400 companions pledged allegiance to the Prophet under the tree (Bayʿat al-Ridwan), swearing they would not flee from battle and would support him unconditionally. The context underscores the gravity of the pledge and the direct nature of the covenant between believers and their Lord through the Prophet's leadership.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari 4131: Jabir ibn Abdullah described the Bayʿat al-Ridwan, stating that 1,400 companions pledged under the tree, and the Prophet placed his own hand on the trunk saying none would leave until all had pledged. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim 1709 regarding the covenant of allegiance emphasizes that breaking such pledges incurs severe divine punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
When we pledge ourselves to righteous causes or leadership in accordance with Islamic principles, we are ultimately making a covenant with Allah Himself; therefore, such commitments demand sincerity and fulfillment, knowing that faithfulness brings divine reward while breach brings only harm to our own souls.