Ali 'Imran · Madani · ayah 76 of 200

Ali 'Imran 3:76

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ وَٱتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allāh - then indeed, Allāh loves those who fear Him.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Yes, they are to blame; whoever keeps his pledge in full and is mindful of Allah is loved by Him, whoever he is.

A reflection

One word that overturns an excuse

A girl explains to her mother that a lie told to her brother does not really count. It is only family, after all. Her mother answers with one word: 'It does'.

This ayah opens with a word just as short and just as firm. Balā. It answers the claim in the previous ayah: 'there is no blame on us concerning the outsiders'. A commentator explains that balā affirms exactly what they denied. Yes, there is blame. Yes, you will be held to account.

Then the ayah widens at once. It does not say 'whoever of our community keeps his pledge'. It says 'whoever'. Man awfā bi-ʿahdihi wattaqā: whoever fulfils his pledge and is mindful. The same commentator adds that the one who fails to keep any right is blamed in general, with these people first among them.

This is how the Quran usually corrects a self-serving belief. It does not only refute it. It replaces it with a principle that applies to everyone, including the believers listening.

A modern commentary sees two pledges in the word. One is with Allah: faith in Him and His messengers. The other is with people: returning what was entrusted. The ayah will not let them be separated. A person cannot claim to keep faith with Allah while betraying a neighbour's trust.

The girl's mother was not giving a lecture on ethics. She was refusing a loophole. Balā does the same, and it closes every loophole that has ever made a lie feel acceptable.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.