Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 91

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Fulfill the Covenant of Allah when you pledge, and do not break oaths after you swear them solemnly, while you have made Allah a witness over you. Surely, Allah knows all that you do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Honour Allah’s covenant when you make a pledge, and do not break your oaths after confirming them, having made Allah your guarantor. Surely Allah knows all you do.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Fulfill the covenant of Allah when you pledge, and do not break oaths after confirming them, having made Allah your witness, for Allah knows all that you do.

A. J. Arberry

Fulfil God's covenant, when you make covenant, and break not the oaths after they have been confirmed, and you have made God your surety; surely God knows the things you do.

Abdul Haleem

Fulfil any pledge you make in God’s name and do not break oaths after you have sworn them, for you have made God your surety: God knows everything you do.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And fulfil the covenant of Allahs when ye have covenanted, and violate not the oaths after the ratification thereof, and surely ye have appointed Allah a surety over you. verily Allah knoweth that which ye do:

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Fulfil the Covenant of Allah when ye have entered into it, and break not your oaths after ye have confirmed them; indeed ye have made Allah your surety; for Allah knoweth all that ye do.

Abul Ala Maududi

And fulfil the covenant which you have made with Allah and do not break your oaths after having firmly made them, and after having made Allah your witness. Surely Allah knows all that you do.

Ahmed Ali

Fulfil your covenant with God, having made the covenant, and do not break your oaths once you have sworn them, as you have made God a witness over you. Indeed God knows what you do.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And fulfil the covenant of Allah when you have made the promise, and do not break your oaths after ratifying them, and you have made Allah a Guarantor over you; indeed Allah knows your deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

Fulfill Allah’s covenant when you pledge, and do not break [your] oaths, after pledging them solemnly and having made Allah a witness over yourselves. Indeed Allah knows what you do.

Ali Ünal

And fulfill God’s covenant when you have made the covenant (and any commitment that you made among yourselves in God’s Name), and do not break your oaths after having confirmed them; indeed you have made God your guarantor. Surely God knows all that you do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And keep your covenant with Allâh when you have once made any covenant (with Him). And do not break your oaths once you have ratified them, while you have already made Allâh your surety. Verily, Allâh knows how you conduct yourselves.

English Literal

And fulfill/complete with God`s promise/contract if you promised/pledged , and do not break/destroy the faith/belief after its confirmation/assurance , and you had made/put God on you (as) a sponsor/supporter , that God knows what you make/do.

Faridul Haque

And fulfil the covenant of Allah when you have made the promise, and do not break your oaths after ratifying them, and you have made Allah a Guarantor over you; indeed Allah knows your deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

Fulfil the Covenant of Allah when you have entered into it, and break not your oaths after confirming them, for you thereby make Allah your surety; verily, Allah knows what you do.

Hilali & Khan

And fulfill the Covenant of Allah (Bai'a: pledge for Islam) when you have covenanted, and break not the oaths after you have confirmed them, and indeed you have appointed Allah your surety. Verily! Allah knows what you do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Surely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion. He admonishes you that you may be mindful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have made a covenant, and do not break the oaths after making them fast, and you have indeed made Allah a surety for you; surely Allah knows what you do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Fulfil the covenant of Allah when ye have covenanted, and break not your oaths after the asseveration of them, and after ye have made Allah surety over you. Lo! Allah knoweth what ye do.

Muhammad Sarwar

(He commands people) to keep their established covenants with God, not to disregard their firm oaths; they have already appointed God as their Guarantor. God certainly knows what you do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Fulfill the covenant of Allah, when you make a covenant and do not break your oaths after they have been confirmed (by swearing in His Name) for you make Allah your surety. Allah has knowledge of what you do.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And fulfill the covenants (taken in the Name of) Allah when you have taken them, and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them - and indeed you have appointed Allah as your guarantor. Verily, Allah knows what you do.

Wahiduddin Khan

Fulfill the covenant of God when you have made one; and do not break your pledges after their confirmation. Indeed you have made God your surety; for God knows all that you do.

Talal Itani

Fulfill God’s covenant when you make a covenant, and do not break your oaths after ratifying them. You have made God your guarantor, and God knows what you do.

Tafsir jalalayn

And fulfil God's covenant, [effected] by way of pledges of allegiance and oaths and in other ways, when you made a covenant, and do not break [your] oaths after pledging them and having made God surety over you, that you will fulfill [the covenant], for you have sworn [the oath] by Him (the sentence wa-qad ja`altumu'Llha `alaykum kaflan, `and having made God surety over you', is a circumstantial qualifier). Truly God knows what you do -- [this is] a threat for them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Command to fulfill the Covenant

Allah says;

وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِ اللّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ

And fulfill the covenants (taken in the Name of) Allah when you have taken them,

This is one of the commands of Allah, to fulfill covenants, keep promises and to fulfill oaths after confirming them.

Thus Allah says;

وَلَا تَنقُضُواْ الَايْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا

and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them.

There is no conflict between this and the Ayat;

وَلَا تَجْعَلُواْ اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لاًّيْمَـنِكُمْ

And do not use Allah as an excuse in your oaths. (2;224)

ذلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَـنِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُواْ أَيْمَـنَكُمْ

That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. And protect your oaths. (5;89)

meaning, do not forgo your oaths without offering the penance.

There is also no conflict between this Ayah (16;91) and the Hadith reported in the Two Sahihs according to which the Prophet said;

إِنِّي وَاللهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ وَكَفَّرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي

By Allah, if Allah wills, I will not swear an oath and then realize that something else is better, but I do that which is better and find a way to free myself from the oath.

According to another report he said;

"and I offer penance for my oath."

There is no contradiction at all between all of these texts and the Ayah under discussion here, which is;
وَلَا تَنقُضُواْ الَايْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا
(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them), because these are the kinds of oaths that have to do with covenants and promises, not the kind that have to do with urging oneself to do something or preventing him from doing something.

Therefore Mujahid said concerning this Ayah;
وَلَا تَنقُضُواْ الَايْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا
(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them),

"The oath here refers to oaths made during Jahiliyyah."

This supports the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad from Jubayr bin Mut`im, who said that the Messenger of Allah said;

لَاا حِلْفَ فِي الاْاِسْلَامِ وَأَيُّمَا حِلْفٍ كَانَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَاا يَزِيدُهُ الاْاِسْلَامُ إِلاَّ شِدَّة

There is no oath in Islam, and any oath made during the Jahiliyyah is only reinforced by Islam.

This was also reported by Muslim.

The meaning is that Islam does not need oaths as they were used by the people of the Jahiliyyah; adherence to Islam is sufficient to do away with any need for what they used to customarily give oaths for.

In the Two Sahihs it was reported that Anas said;

"The Messenger of Allah swore the treaty of allegiance between the Muhajirin (emigrants) and the Ansar (helpers) in our house."

This means that he established brotherhood between them, and they used to inherit from one another, until Allah abrogated that. And Allah knows best.

وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلً

- and indeed you have appointed Allah as your guarantor.

إِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ



Verily, Allah knows what you do.

This is a warning and a threat to those who break their oaths after confirming them.

Allah says