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An-Nahl (The Bee)

Verse 92of 128

وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَٰثًۭا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ﴿٩٢

Translation (Sahih International)

And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.

Word-by-word meaning

وَلَاwalāAnd (do) not
تَكُونُوا۟takūnūbe
كَٱلَّتِىka-allatīlike her who
نَقَضَتْnaqaḍatuntwists
غَزْلَهَاghazlahāher spun yarn
مِنۢminafter
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
قُوَّةٍquwwatinstrength
أَنكَـٰثًۭاankāthan(into) untwisted strands
تَتَّخِذُونَtattakhidhūnayou take
أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْaymānakumyour oaths
دَخَلًۢاdakhalan(as) a deception
بَيْنَكُمْbaynakumbetween you
أَنanbecause
تَكُونَtakūnais
أُمَّةٌummatuna community
هِىَhiya[it]
أَرْبَىٰarbāmore numerous
مِنْminthan
أُمَّةٍ ۚummatin(another) community
إِنَّمَاinnamāOnly
يَبْلُوكُمُyablūkumuAllah tests you
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah tests you
بِهِۦ ۚbihiby it
وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّwalayubayyinannaAnd He will make clear
لَكُمْlakumto you
يَوْمَyawma(on) the Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِl-qiyāmati(of) the Resurrection
مَاwhat
كُنتُمْkuntumyou used (to)
فِيهِfīhiin it
تَخْتَلِفُونَtakhtalifūnadiffer

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Command to fulfill the CovenantThis is one of the commands of Allah, to fulfill covenants, keep promises and to fulfill oaths after confirming them. Thus Allah says:وَلاَ تَنقُضُواْ الاٌّيْمَـنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them) There is no conflict between this and the Ayat:وَلاَ تَجْعَلُواْ اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لاًّيْمَـنِكُمْ(And do not use Allah as an excuse in your oaths) 2:224ذلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَـنِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُواْ أَيْمَـنَك...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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