وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِّأَيْمَٰنِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ وَتُصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“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.” — M. M. Pickthall
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, some Bedouin Arabs (from the tribes of Asad, Gatafân, and Tamîm) hope that when they give charity, they will make it a means of drawing close to Allah; the word 'karabât' mentioned in the verse is the second object of the verb 'yettehıze' and expresses that charity becomes a cause of drawing near to Allah. Allah is the Knower (Alîm) of their acknowledgements, their supplications, and what they conceal within themselves.
وقيل : هم أعراب أسد وغطفان وتميم { قربات } مفعول ثان ليتخذ . والمعنى : أن ما ينفقه سبب لحصول القربات عند الله
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the verse prohibits using oaths to obstruct goodness, piety, and reconciliation between people. One should not refrain from a righteous deed by saying 'I have sworn by Allah's name and fear breaking it,' for it is forbidden to use an oath as a pretext to abstain from righteousness. Furthermore, it is noted that the verse also condemns resorting to oaths frequently, because frequently mentioning something causes it to lose its value (to be made commonplace).
تقدير الآية : ولا تجعلوا ذكر الله مانعا بسبب أيمانكم من أن تبروا أو في أن تبروا ، فأسقط حرف الجر لعدم الحاجة إليه بسبب ظهوره
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, the word 'urde' in the verse means 'power, strength, obstacle,' supported by examples from Arabic poetry and linguistic sources; it is expressed that making an oath to Allah a pretext or source of power should not be used to abstain from goodness, piety, and reconciliation. Furthermore, it is conveyed that the sentence 'lâ techalû' can be analyzed from multiple grammatical perspectives (as nominal subject-predicate, direct object, omission of negation particle, etc.).
والمعنى : لا تجعلوا اليمين بالله قوة لأنفسكم وعدة في الامتناع من البر
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, the expression 'Semî' Alîm' in the verse means that Allah is the Hearer of His servants' words and the Knower of those among them who deserve guidance or misguidance. In the context of the verse, the subject of oaths is addressed; the view of the majority of scholars is transmitted that one's oath should not prevent one from performing a righteous act, and that expiation is required when an oath is broken. This matter is supported by authentic hadîths regarding the Prophet breaking his oath and doing what was better.
قال لا تجعلن عرضة ليمينك أن لا تصنع الخير ولكن كفر عن يمينك واصنع الخير وكذا قال مسروق والشعبي وإبراهيم النخعي ومجاهد وطاوس وسعيد بن جبير وعطاء وعكرمة ومكحول والزهري والحسن وقتادة ومقاتل بن حيان والربيع بن أنس والضحاك وعطاء الخراساني والسدي رحمهم الله
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Beydâvî addresses this verse along two different interpretive axes: according to the first, it is forbidden to refrain from performing the good deeds one has sworn to do by using Allah as a pretext (that is, not performing the righteous deed one has sworn to); according to the second, it is forbidden to debase and use Allah's name by swearing frequently. The phrases 'goodness, piety, and reconciliation between people' are presented as the justification for this prohibition; for a person who swears frequently has shown audacity toward Allah, and such a person can neither truly be good or pious, nor can they be considered trustworthy in mediation.
والعرضة فعلة بمعنى المفعول كالقبضة تطلق لما يعرض دون الشيء وللمعرض للأمر، ومعنى الآية على الأول ولا تجعلوا الله حاجزا لما حلفتم عليه من أنواع الخير
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
This text explains that Allah is the Hearer (semî') of His servants' supplications and conversations, and the Knower (alîm) of what they conceal in their hearts and what they speak with their tongues. Furthermore, it conveys that oaths should not be made into a pretext or obstacle (urza) to refrain from performing good deeds, maintaining kinship relations, and reconciling between people; and that even if one has sworn, one must perform the good and pay the expiation for one's oath.
هو الرجل يحلف على الأمر الذي لا يصلح ثم يعتل بيمينه
Comparison
Common ground
Râzî, Kurtubî, Ibn Kesîr, Beydâvî, and Taberî agree on the core meaning of the verse: that using an oath as a pretext or obstacle (urde) to refrain from performing goodness, being pious, and reconciling between people is forbidden. Furthermore, most of them emphasize that the attributes Semî'/Alîm at the end of the verse point to Allah's knowledge of speech and the intention in the heart. Zemahşerî, however, focuses on a different word (karabât) and addresses the relationship between charity and closeness to Allah.
Differences
Zemahşerî's interpretation differs from the others by addressing the subject in the context of charity and closeness to Allah; this stems from his focus on a different part of the verse (related to karabât). While Kurtubî and Beydâvî analyze the linguistic root of the word 'urde' and its grammatical possibilities (with witnesses from poetry) in more detail, Taberî and Ibn Kesîr work with chains of transmission (views of Companions and Successors, hadîths) and address the practical legal dimension of requiring expiation when an oath is broken. Râzî also brings a separate emphasis on the devaluing effect of frequent recourse to oaths, while Beydâvî addresses this within the framework of 'audacity toward Allah.'
Historical context
While early exegetes like Taberî relied mainly on chains of transmission, Zemahşerî and later exegetes increasingly emphasized linguistic and rhetorical analysis; Kurtubî and Beydâvî combined both methods (transmission and linguistics) to provide a more systematic reading. Ibn Kesîr, meanwhile, continued the transmission-based approach and remained closer to the early period methodology. The core message—not using oaths as a pretext to avoid goodness—remained consistent across all periods.
Modern connection
This comparative reading can remind us that given promises or adopted positions should not become a pretext to obstruct doing good, repairing relationships, and promoting social solidarity. A person's ability to reconsider their previous stance when they see a better path can be viewed as a sign of sincerity and constructive attitude. This perspective can be connected to a sensitivity that encourages mediation and forbearance in family or social disputes.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar