Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 94

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Do not make your oaths a means of mischief among yourselves, lest a foot should slip after it is firmly placed, and you taste evil consequences for your having prevented (others) from the path of Allah, and you incur a great punishment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And do not take your oaths as a means of deceiving one another or your feet will slip after they have been firm. Then you will taste the evil ˹consequences˺ of hindering ˹others˺ from the Way of Allah, and you will suffer a tremendous punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do not take your oaths as a means of deceit between yourselves, lest some feet will slip after they have been firm, and you will taste the evil consequences of preventing people from the way of Allah, and for you there will be a great punishment.

A. J. Arberry

Take not your oaths as mere mutual deceit, lest any foot should slip after it has stood firm, and you should taste evil, for that you barred from the way of God, and lest there should await you a mighty chastisement.

Abdul Haleem

Do not use your oaths to deceive each other lest any foot should slip after being firmly placed and lest you should taste the penalty for having hindered others from the path of God, and suffer terrible torment.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And make not your oaths a means of discord amongst you lest a foot may slip after the fixture thereof, and ye may taste evil for having hindered others from the way of Allah, and unto you there shall be a torment mighty.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And take not your oaths, to practise deception between yourselves, with the result that someone's foot may slip after it was firmly planted, and ye may have to taste the evil (consequences) of having hindered (men) from the Path of Allah, and a Mighty Wrath descend on you.

Abul Ala Maududi

Do not make your oaths a means of deceiving one another or else your foot may slip after having been firm, and you may suffer evil consequences because of hindering people from the way of Allah. A mighty chastisement awaits you.

Ahmed Ali

So do not make your oaths a means of deceiving one another, lest your foot should slip after having found its hold, and you taste of evil for having hindered (others) from the way of God, and suffer a grievous punishment.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And do not make your oaths phoney excuses between yourselves, so that a foot may not slip after being steadfast and you may taste evil because you were preventing from Allah’s way; and lest you be severely punished.

Ali Quli Qarai

Do not make your oaths a means of [mutual] deceit among yourselves, lest feet should stumble after being steady and [lest] you suffer ill for barring from the way of Allah and face a great punishment.

Ali Ünal

Do not make your oaths a means of deception and wrongdoing among yourselves, lest feet should slip (from the way of guidance) after having been firm (on it, and that others too may be misled by your misconduct); and you should taste the evil (consequences) of your barring from God’s way. And (in the Hereafter) there is a mighty punishment for you.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Do not use your oaths to deceive one another or you will lose your foothold (again) after having gained stability and you will suffer evil consequences for your barring (the people) from (following) Allâh´s way and for forsaking the path of Allâh and you shall receive great punishment.

English Literal

And do not take your rights/oaths (as) deceit/blemishes between you, so (a) foot/foothold in goodness and knowledge slips/falls/sins after its steadfastness/stability/strength , and you taste/experience the bad/evil/harm because (of) what you prevented/obstructed from God`s way/path , and for you (is) a great torture.

Faridul Haque

And do not make your oaths phoney excuses between yourselves, so that a foot may not slip after being steadfast and you may taste evil because you were preventing from Allah’s way; and lest you be severely punished.

Hamid S. Aziz

Take not therefore your oaths for mutual deceit, lest a foot slip after being planted firmly, and you taste of evil in that you turned folks off the path of Allah, and your s should be a mighty doom.

Hilali & Khan

And make not your oaths, a means of deception among yourselves, lest a foot may slip after being firmly planted, and you may have to taste the evil (punishment in this world) of having hindered (men) from the Path of Allah (i.e. Belief in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad SAW), and yours will be a great torment (i.e. the Fire of Hell in the Hereafter).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if Allah please, He would make you a single nation, but He leaves in error whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases. And certainly you will be questioned as to what you did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And do not make your oaths a means of deceit between you, lest a foot should slip after its stability and you should taste evil because you turned away from Allah's way and grievous punishment be your (lot).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Make not your oaths a deceit between you, lest a foot should slip after being firmly planted and ye should taste evil forasmuch as ye debarred (men) from the way of Allah, and yours should be an awful doom.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do not consider your oaths as a means of deceit lest you damage the firmness of your faith, suffer from evil by creating obstacles in the way that leads to God, and incur a great torment upon yourselves.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do not take oaths to deceive each other, lest your foot should slip after its firmness, lest you should taste evil, for you barred others from the Path of Allah, and lest a mighty punishment awaits you.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And do not make your oaths a means of deception among yourselves, resulting in the slip of a foot after it was firmly planted, and you taste the evil of having hindered from the path of Allah, and you will suffer a terrible punishment.

Wahiduddin Khan

Do not use your oaths to deceive each other lest any foot should slip after being firmly placed and lest you should taste the penalty for having hindered others from the path of God, for then you will have a terrible punishment.

Talal Itani

And do not use your oaths to deceive one another, so that a foot may not slip after being firm, and you taste misery because you hindered from God’s path, and incur a terrible torment.

Tafsir jalalayn

And do not make your oaths a [means of] deceit between you -- He repeats this [here] for emphasis -- lest a foot should slip, that is, [lest] your feet [should slip] off the path of Islam, after being steady, having been set upon it, and [lest] you should taste evil, that is, chastisement, forasmuch as you barred [people] from the way of God, in other words, for your refraining to fulfil covenants or barring others from [doing] this, since your custom [once established] will be followed [by others], and there be a tremendous chastisement for you, in the Hereafter.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَلَا تَتَّخِذُواْ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلً بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا

And do not make your oaths a means of deception among yourselves, resulting in the slip of a foot after it was firmly planted,

Allah warns His servant against taking oaths as means of deception, i.e., using them for treacherous purposes, lest a foot should slip after being firmly planted.

This is an analogy describing one who was on the right path but then deviated and slipped from the path of guidance because of an unfulfilled oath that involved hindering people from the path of Allah. This is because if a disbeliever were to find that after having agreed to a covenant, then the believer betrayed him, then the believer will have hindered him from entering Islam.

Thus Allah says;

وَتَذُوقُواْ الْسُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ



and you taste the evil of having hindered from the path of Allah, and you will suffer a terrible punishment.
Do not break Oaths for the sake of Worldly Gain

Then Allah says