Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 224

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Do not make (the name of) Allah the subject of your oaths against your doing good, fearing Allah and setting things right between people. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Do not use Allah’s Name in your oaths as an excuse for not doing good, not guarding against evil, or not making peace between people. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do not use Allah’s name in your oaths as an excuse for not doing good and fearing Allah, or not making peace between people, for Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

A. J. Arberry

Do not make God a hindrance, through your oaths, to being pious and godfearing, and putting things right between men. Surely God is All-hearing, All-knowing.

Abdul Haleem

[Believers], do not allow your oaths in God’s name to hinder you from doing good, being mindful of God and making peace between people. God hears and knows everything:

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And make not Allah a butt of your oaths that ye shall not act piously nor fear Allah nor set things right between and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And make not Allah's (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace between persons; for Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth all things.

Abul Ala Maududi

Do not use Allah's name for such oaths which are taken to keep back from virtue, piety and the welfare of mankind:

Ahmed Ali

Do not implicate God in your oaths to avoid doing good and being pious and keeping peace among men, for God hears all and knows everything.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And do not make Allah a target of your oaths, by pledging against being virtuous and pious, and against making peace among mankind; and Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

Ali Quli Qarai

Do not make Allah an obstacle, through your oaths, to being pious and Godwary, and to bringing about concord between people. And Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.

Ali Ünal

(Do not make thoughtless oaths by God,) and do not (in striving to keep your oaths) make Him a hindrance by your oaths to doing greater good, acting from piety, and making peace among people. And God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And make not Allâh an excuse through your oaths, that you may (thereby) abstain from doing good and from becoming secure against evil and from setting the affairs right and from making peace between various people. And Allâh is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

English Literal

And do not make God a subject/target to your oaths that you be righteous and fear and obey (God) and correct/reconciliate between the people, and God (is) hearing/listening, knowledgeable.

Faridul Haque

And do not make Allah a target of your oaths, by pledging against being virtuous and pious, and against making peace among mankind; and Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

Hamid S. Aziz

Make not Allah an excuse in your oaths against doing good and observing your duty to Him, and make peace amongst men, for Allah is both Hearer and Knower.

Hilali & Khan

And make not Allah's (Name) an excuse in your oaths against your doing good and acting piously, and making peace among mankind. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (i.e. do not swear much and if you have sworn against doing something good then give an expiation for the oath and do good).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And make not Allah by your oaths a hindrance to your doing good and keeping your duty and making peace between men. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And make not Allah because of your swearing (by Him) an obstacle to your doing good and guarding (against evil) and making peace between men, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And make not Allah, by your oaths, a hindrance to your being righteous and observing your duty unto Him and making peace among mankind. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do not swear by God not to do good things, or have piety, or make peace among people. God is All-hearing and All-knowing.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do not make Allah a deterrent through your oaths, that you be righteous, cautious, and reform between people. Surely, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And make not Allah's (Name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good and acting piously, and making peace among mankind. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (i.e., do not swear much and if you have sworn against doing something good then give an expiation for the oath and do good).

Wahiduddin Khan

Do not make God a pretext, when you swear by Him, to avoid doing good, being righteous and making peace between people. God is all hearing and all knowing.

Talal Itani

And do not allow your oaths in God's name to hinder you from virtue, and righteousness, and making peace between people. God is Listener and Knower.

Tafsir jalalayn

Do not make God, by swearing in His Name, a hindrance, a cause of impediment, in your oaths, that is, setting up [such impediments] by swearing in His Name frequently, so as not, to be pious and God-fearing; in such instances oaths are hateful, and result in perjury, which requires a redemption, effected by doing the opposite [of the oath], such as performing righteous deeds and so forth, which constitute an act of obedience; and to put things right between people; this means, do not be prevented from doing righteous deeds, as mentioned, just because you swore against them; nay, do them and make redemption; [this understanding of the verse is] justified by the reason for its revelation, namely, their refraining from such deeds; surely God is All-Hearing, of what you say, Knower, of your circumstances.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of swearing to abandon a Good Deed

Allah commands,

وَلَا تَجْعَلُواْ اللّهَ عُرْضَةً لاِّاَيْمَانِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ وَتُصْلِحُواْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ



And make not Allah's (Name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good and acting piously, and making peace among mankind. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (i.e., do not swear much and if you have sworn against doing something good then give an expiation for the oath and do good).

Allah commands, `You should not implement your vows in Allah's Name to refrain from pious acts and severing the relations with the relatives, if you swear to abandon such causes.'

Allah said in another Ayah;

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُوْلُواْ الْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَالسَّعَةِ أَن يُوْتُواْ أُوْلِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْمَسَـكِينَ وَالْمُهَـجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلْيَعْفُواْ وَلْيَصْفَحُواْ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

(And let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give (any sort of help) to their kinsmen, Al-Masakin (the poor), and those who left their homes for Allah's cause. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you! (24;22)

Continuity in a sinful vow is more sinful than breaking it by expiation.

Allah's Messenger said;

وَاللهِ لَااَنْ يَلَجَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِيَمِينِهِ فِي أَهْلِهِ اثَمُ لَهُ عِنْد اللهِ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ كَفَّارَتَهُ الَّتِي افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْه

By Allah! It is more sinful to Allah that one of you implements his vow regarding (severing the relations with) his relatives than (breaking his promise and) paying the Kaffarah that Allah has required in such cases.

This is how Muslim reported this Hadith and also Imam Ahmad.

Ali bin Abu Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said that what Allah said;
وَلَا تَجْعَلُواْ اللّهَ عُرْضَةً لاِّاَيْمَانِكُمْ
(And make not Allah's (Name) an excuse in your oaths) means,

"Do not vow to refrain from doing good works. (If you make such vow then) break it, pay the Kaffarah and do the good work."

This was also said by Masruq, Ash-Sha`bi, Ibrahim An-Nakhai, Mujahid, Tawus, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ata, Ikrimah, Makhul, Az-Zuhri, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, Ata Al-Khurasani and As-Suddi.

Supporting this view, which is the majority view, is what is reported in the Two Sahihs that Abu Musa Al-Ashari narrated that Allah's Messenger said;

إِنِّي وَاللهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَا أَحْلِفُ عَلى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا

By Allah! Allah willing, I will not vow to do a thing and then see a better act, but I would do what is better and break my vow.

Muslim reported that Abu Hurayrah said that Allah's Messenger said;

مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيُكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَلْيَفْعَلِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْر

Whoever makes a vow and then finds what is better than his vow (should break his vow) pay the Kaffarah and perform the better deed.