Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 225

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah does not hold you accountable for what is laghw (ineffectual) in your oaths, but He holds you accountable for what your hearts have produced. Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah will not hold you accountable for unintentional oaths, but for what you intended in your hearts. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah does not hold you accountable for unintentional oaths, but He holds you accountable for what your hearts have intended. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

A. J. Arberry

God will not take you to task for a slip in your oaths; but He will take you to task for what your hearts have earned; and God is All-forgiving, All-clement.

Abdul Haleem

He will not call you to account for oaths you have uttered unintentionally, but He will call you to account for what you mean in your hearts. God is most forgiving and forbearing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah will not take you to task for the vain in Your oaths, but he shall take you to task for that which your hearts have earned, and He is the Forgiving, the Forbearing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts; and He is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Abul Ala Maududi

Allah hears everything you utter and knows everything. Allah does not call you to Account for unintentional and meaningless oaths, but will surely take you to task for oaths taken deliberately and in earnest: Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.

Ahmed Ali

God will not call you to account for that which is senseless in your oaths, but only for what is in your hearts; for God is forgiving and forbearing.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah does not take you to task for oaths which are made unintentionally but He does take you to task for deeds which your hearts have done; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah will not take you to task for what is unconsidered in your oaths, but He will take you to task for what your hearts have incurred, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-forbearing.

Ali Ünal

God does not take you to task for a slip in your oaths, but He takes you to task for what your hearts have earned (through intention). And God is All-Forgiving, All-Clement.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Allâh will not call you to account for what is vain (and unintentional) in your oaths, but He calls you to account for what your minds resolve and accomplish (by intentional swearing). And Allâh is Great Protector (against faults), Highly Forbearing.

English Literal

God does not punish you with (for) nonsense/senseless talk in your oaths , and but He punishes you with (for) what your hearts/minds earned , and God (is) forgiving, clement .

Faridul Haque

Allah does not take you to task for oaths which are made unintentionally but He does take you to task for deeds which your hearts have done; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Hamid S. Aziz

He will not call you to account for the unintentional word in your oaths, but He will call you to account for the intentions of your heart; but Allah is Forgiving and Clement.

Hilali & Khan

Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Forbearing.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Allah will not call you to account for what is vain in your oaths, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Allah does not call you to account for what is vain in your oaths, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Allah will not take you to task for that which is unintentional in your oaths. But He will take you to task for that which your hearts have garnered. Allah is Forgiving, Clement.

Muhammad Sarwar

God will not take into account your inattentive oath. However, He will question you about what your hearts have gained. God is All-forgiving and Lenient.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah will not call you to account for a slip in your oaths. But He will take you to task for that which is intended in your hearts. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Forbearing.

Wahiduddin Khan

God will not call you to account for any oaths you uttered unintentionally, but He will take you to task for what is intended in your hearts. God is most forgiving and forbearing.

Talal Itani

God does not hold you responsible for your unintentional oaths, but He holds you responsible for your intentions. God is Forgiving and Forbearing.

Tafsir jalalayn

God will not take you to task for a slip, that results, in your oaths, which is what the tongue utters spontaneously and unintentionally, such as `By God', `Indeed, by God'; in such instances there is no sin and no redemption required; but He will take you to task for what your hearts have earned, what their intention is, when you commit perjury in your oaths; and God is Forgiving, of slips [in your oaths], Forbearing, since He delays the punishment of the one deserving it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Laghw (Unintentional) Vows

Allah said;

لااَّ يُوَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِيَ أَيْمَانِكُمْ

Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths,

This Ayah means, `Allah does not punish or hold you accountable for the Laghw (unintentional) vows that you make.'

The Laghw vows are unintentional and are just like the habitual statements that the tongue repeats, without really intending them. For instance, it is reported in the Two Sahihs that Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah's Messenger said;

مَنْ حَلَفَ فَقَالَ فِي حَلِفِهِ بِاللَّتِ وَالْعُزَّى فَلْيَقُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ الله

Whoever swore and (unintentionally) mentioned Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (two idols) in his vow, should then say, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah'.

The Messenger said this statement to some new Muslims whose tongues were, before Islam, used to vowing by their idol Al-Lat. Therefore, the Prophet ordered them to intentionally recite the slogan of Ikhlas, just as they mentioned these words by mistake, so that it (the word of Ikhlas) may eradicate the word (of Shirk). This is why Allah said;

...
وَلَكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ

...but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned.

and in another Ayah,

بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الاٌّيْمَـنَ

...for your deliberate oaths. (5;89)

Abu Dawud reported under Chapter;`The Laghw Vows' that Ata said that Aishah said that Allah's Messenger said;

اللَّغْوُ فِي الْيَمِينِ هُوَ كَلَمُ الرَّجُلِ فِي بَيْتِهِ كَلَّ وَاللهِ وَبَلَى وَالله

The Laghw in the vows includes what the man says in his house, such as, `No, by Allah,' and, `Yes, by Allah'.

Ibn Abu Hatim reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"The Laghw vow includes vowing while angry."

He also reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"The Laghw vow includes vowing to prohibit what Allah has allowed, and this type does not require a Kaffarah (expiation)."

Similar was said by Sa`id bin Jubayr.

In addition, Abu Dawud related under Chapter;`Vowing while Angry' that;

Sa`id bin Musayyib said that two Ansari brothers both received inheritance and one of them asked that the inheritance be divided. His brother said, "If you ask me about dividing the inheritance again, then all of what I have will be spent on the Ka`bah's door."

Umar said to him, "The Ka`bah does not need your money. So break your vow, pay the Kaffarah and come to terms with your brother. I heard Allah's Messenger saying;

لَاا يَمِينَ عَلَيْكَ وَلَاا نَذْرَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الرَّبِّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَفِي قَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِمِ وَفِيمَا لَاا تَمْلِك

Do not make a vow against yourself, nor to disobey the Lord, cut the relations of the womb or dispose of what you do not own."

Allah said;

...
وَلَكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ

...but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned,

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and several others said that;

this Ayah means swearing about a matter while knowing that he is lying.

Mujahid and others said this Ayah is similar to what Allah said;

وَلَـكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الاٌّيْمَـنَ

...but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths. (5;89)

Allah said,

...
وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Forbearing.

meaning, He is Oft-Forgiving to His servants and Most Forbearing with them.