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An-Nahl 92

Ayah 92 of 128 · Meccan

وَلَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّتِي نَقَضَتۡ غَزۡلَهَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَٰثٗا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡ دَخَلَۢا بَيۡنَكُمۡ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرۡبَىٰ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍۚ إِنَّمَا يَبۡلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمۡ فِيهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٩٢

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.1 Allāh only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 i.e., do not swear falsely or break a treaty or contract merely for a worldly advantage.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَلَاAnd (do) notwalā
  2. تَكُونُواْbetakūnū
  3. كَٱلَّتِيlike her whoka-allatī
  4. نَقَضَتۡuntwistsnaqaḍat
  5. غَزۡلَهَاher spun yarnghazlahā
  6. مِنۢaftermin
  7. بَعۡدِafterbaʿdi
  8. قُوَّةٍstrengthquwwatin
  9. أَنكَٰثٗا(into) untwisted strandsankāthan
  10. تَتَّخِذُونَyou taketattakhidhūna
  11. أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡyour oathsaymānakum
  12. دَخَلَۢا(as) a deceptiondakhalan
  13. بَيۡنَكُمۡbetween youbaynakum
  14. أَنbecausean
  15. تَكُونَistakūna
  16. أُمَّةٌa communityummatun
  17. هِيَ[it]hiya
  18. أَرۡبَىٰmore numerousarbā
  19. مِنۡthanmin
  20. أُمَّةٍۚ(another) communityummatin
  21. إِنَّمَاOnlyinnamā
  22. يَبۡلُوكُمُAllah tests youyablūkumu
  23. ٱللَّهُAllah tests youl-lahu
  24. بِهِۦۚby itbihi
  25. وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّAnd He will make clearwalayubayyinanna
  26. لَكُمۡto youlakum
  27. يَوۡمَ(on) the Dayyawma
  28. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionl-qiyāmati
  29. مَاwhatmā
  30. كُنتُمۡyou used (to)kuntum
  31. فِيهِin itfīhi
  32. تَخۡتَلِفُونَdiffertakhtalifūna

Tafsir

Do not be, by breaking your oaths, foolish and dim-witted like a woman who tired herself by spinning her wool and after it was firmly spun she broke it open and unravelled it!. She tired herself by spinning it and then breaking it and she didnt obtain the desired result. You make your oaths as a means of deception to deceive one another, so that your nation can be more in number and stronger than the nation of your enemies. Allah only tests you by the fulfilment of your oaths - will you fulfil them or break them? Allah will make clear to you on the Day of Judgement those things you differed about in the world and He will distinguish those who were on truth from those who were on falsehood and the truthful from the liars.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran