Page 518 - An Index to the Qur'an
P. 518

O                                   light that the two of them have merited the alle-
                                            gation of wrongdoing, two others who have the
        OATH                                most right to do so should take their place and
                                            swear by Allah: ‘Our testimony is truer than their
        Do not, by your oaths, make Allah a pretext to
                                            testimony. We have not committed perjury. If we
        avoid good action and guarding against evil and
                                            had we would indeed be wrongdoers.’ That
        putting things right between people. Allah is All-
                                            makes it more likely that they will give their evi-
        Hearing, All-Knowing. (2:224)
                                            dence properly or be afraid that their oaths will
        Allah will not take you to task for inadvertent
                                            be refuted by subsequent oaths. Have fear of
        statements in your oaths, but He will take you to
                                            Allah and listen carefully. Allah does not guide
        task for the intention your hearts have made.
                                            deviant people. (5:106-108)
        Allah is Ever-Forgiving, All-Forbearing. (2:225)
                                            They have sworn by Allah with their most earnest
        Those who swear to abstain from sexual relations
                                            oaths that if a Sign comes to them they will be-
        with their wives can wait for a period of up to
                                            lieve in it. Say: ‘The Signs are in Allah’s control
        four months. If they then retract their oath, Allah
                                            alone.’ What will make you realise that even if a
        is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (2:226)
                                            Sign did come, they would still not believe?
        Those who sell Allah’s contract and their own
                                            (6:109)
        oaths for a paltry price, such people will have no
                                            If they break their oaths after making their treaty
        portion in the hereafter and on the Day of Rising
                                            and defame your religion, then fight the leaders
        Allah will not speak to them or look at them or
                                            of disbelief–they have no binding oaths–so that
        purify them. They will have a painful punish-
                                            hopefully they will stop. (9:12)
        ment. (3:77)
                                            Will you not fight a people who have broken
        Those who believe say, ‘Are these the people
                                            their oaths and resolved to expel the Messenger,
        who swore by Allah, with their most earnest
                                            and who initiated hostilities against you in the
        oaths, that they were with you?’ Their actions
                                            first place? Is it them you fear? Allah has more
        have come to nothing and they now are losers.
                                            right to your fear if you are believers. (9:13)
        (5:53)
                                            They swear by Allah with their most earnest
        Allah does not take you to task for your inadver-
                                            oaths that Allah will not raise up those who die,
        tent oaths, but He will take you to task for oaths
                                            when, on the contrary, it is a binding promise on
        you make intentionally. The expiation in that
                                            Him; but most people do not know it. (16:38)
        case is to feed ten poor people with the average
                                            Be true to Allah’s contract when you have agreed
        amount you feed your family, or clothe them, or
                                            to it, and do not break your oaths once they are
        free a slave. Anyone without the means to do so
                                            confirmed and you have made Allah your guar-
        should fast three days. That is the expiation for
                                            antee. Allah knows what you do. (16:91)
        breaking oaths when you have sworn them. Keep
                                            Do not be like a woman who spoils the thread
        your oaths. In this way Allah makes His Signs
                                            she has spun by unravelling it after it is strong, by
        clear to you, so that hopefully you will be thank-
                                            making your oaths a means of deceiving one an-
        ful. (5:89)
                                            other, merely because one community is bigger
        You who believe! When one of you is near to
                                            than another. Allah is only testing you by this. He
        death and makes a will, two just men from
                                            will make clear to you on the Day of Rising the
        among you should act as witnesses; or, if you are
                                            things about which you differed. (16:92)
        travelling when the misfortune of death occurs,
                                            Do not make your oaths a means of deceiving
        two men who are strangers to you. You should
                                            one another or your foot will slip after it was
        detain them after prayer and, if you are doubtful,
                                            firmly placed and you will taste evil for barring
        they should swear by Allah: ‘We will not sell it
                                            access to the Way of Allah and you will have a
        for any price, even to a near relative, and we will
                                            terrible punishment. (16:94)
        not conceal the testimony of Allah. If we did we
                                            They have sworn by Allah with their most earnest
        would indeed be wrongdoers.’ If it then comes to
       516
   513   514   515   516   517   518   519   520   521   522   523