Al-Baqarah · Madani · ayah 224 of 286

Al-Baqarah 2:224

وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِّأَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ وَتُصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“And do not make [your oath by] Allāh an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allāh and making peace among people. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Never lay Allah's name across the road to goodness: an oath must not become your excuse for withholding kindness, mindfulness or peacemaking.

A reflection

He hears the oath and knows the reason

A retired teacher was hurt by a parent's complaint years ago. She swore by Allah she would never tutor another child. Now a neighbour's boy, nine and struggling to read, stands at her door with a book.

She has a perfect answer ready. 'I swore an oath'. It sounds pious. It even sounds like reverence. That is exactly what makes it dangerous.

The ayah closes: 'And Allah is Hearing, Knowing'. A classical commentator explains both names. He hears what the one swearing says. He knows what you intend by it: whether you want good, or something else. Nothing hidden in the chest is hidden from Him.

Here is the quiet work of the ego. It loves to dress a grudge in sacred clothing. 'I can't, I swore' sounds far better than 'I'm still hurt and I won't'. The name of Allah becomes a shield for pride. The ayah removes the shield. The One whose name is used knows exactly why it is being used.

Does Allah need us to know that He hears and knows? He needs nothing from us; He is the Free of need (35:15). The names are for our sake. The person hiding behind an oath must be reminded that the One sworn by sees behind it too.

Another commentator adds a reflection on reverence. The more a person honours Allah, the more he feels His name is too great to be called as witness for worldly grudges. True reverence makes us slower to swear, not quicker.

The boy with the book is still at the door. The oath was never meant to keep him out.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.