Al-Ma'idah: 89

Ayah

Word by Word

لَا

Not

يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ

will call you to account

ٱللَّهُ

Allah

بِٱللَّغۡوِ

for the thoughtless utterances

فِيٓ

أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ

your oaths

وَلَٰكِن

but

يُؤَاخِذُكُم

He will call you to account

بِمَا

for what

عَقَّدتُّمُ

you contracted

ٱلۡأَيۡمَٰنَۖ

(of) the oath

فَكَفَّـٰرَتُهُۥٓ

So its expiation

إِطۡعَامُ

(is) feeding

عَشَرَةِ

(of) ten

مَسَٰكِينَ

needy people

مِنۡ

أَوۡسَطِ

average

مَا

(of) what

تُطۡعِمُونَ

you feed

أَهۡلِيكُمۡ

your families

أَوۡ

كِسۡوَتُهُمۡ

clothing them

أَوۡ

تَحۡرِيرُ

freeing

رَقَبَةٖۖ

a slave

فَمَن

But whoever

لَّمۡ

(does) not

يَجِدۡ

find

فَصِيَامُ

(that), then fasting

ثَلَٰثَةِ

(for) three

أَيَّامٖۚ

days

ذَٰلِكَ

That

كَفَّـٰرَةُ

(is the) expiation

أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ

(of) your oaths

إِذَا

when

حَلَفۡتُمۡۚ

you have sworn

وَٱحۡفَظُوٓاْ

And guard

أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡۚ

your oaths

كَذَٰلِكَ

Thus

يُبَيِّنُ

makes clear

ٱللَّهُ

Allah

لَكُمۡ

to you

ءَايَٰتِهِۦ

His Verses

لَعَلَّكُمۡ

so that you may

تَشۡكُرُونَ

(be) grateful

Translation

Allah will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth Allah make clear to you His signs, that ye may be grateful.

Tafsir

"Unintentional Oaths

Allah says;

لَا يُوَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغۡوِ فِي أَيۡمَانِكُمۡ

Allah will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths,

We mentioned the subject of unintentional oaths in Surah Al-Baqarah, all praise and thanks are due to Allah, and so we do not need to repeat it here. We also mentioned that the Laghw in oaths refers to one's saying, ""No by Allah,"" or, ""Yes, by Allah,"" unintentionally.

Expiation for Breaking the Oaths

Allah said,

وَلَـكِن يُوَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الَايۡمَانَ

but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths.

in reference to the oaths that you intend in your hearts,

فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطۡعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ

for its expiation (a deliberate oath) feed ten poor,

who are needy, not able to find necessities of the life.

Allah's statement,

مِنۡ أَوۡسَطِ مَا تُطۡعِمُونَ أَهۡلِيكُمۡ

on a scale of the Awsat of that with which you feed your own families;

According to Ibn Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ikrimah,

means, ""On the average scale of what you feed your families.""

Ata Al-Khurasani commented on the Ayah,

""From the best of what you feed your families.""

Allah's statement,

أَوۡ كِسۡوَتُهُمۡ

or clothe them,

refers to clothing each of the ten persons with what is suitable to pray in, whether the poor person was male or female. Allah knows best.

Al-Awfi said that Ibn Abbas said that;

the Ayah means a robe or garment for each poor person (of the ten).

Mujahid also said that;

the least of clothing, referred to in the Ayah, is a garment, and the most is whatever you wish.

Al-Hasan, Abu Jafar Al-Baqir, Ata, Tawus, Ibrahim An-Nakhai, Hammad bin Abi Sulayman and Abu Malik said that;

it means (giving each of the ten poor persons) a garment each.

Allah's statement,

أَوۡ تَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ

or free a slave,

refers to freeing a believing slave.

In the Muwatta of Malik, the Musnad of Ash-Shafii and the Sahih of Muslim, a lengthy Hadith was recorded that;

Umar bin Al-Hakam As-Sulami said that he once had to free a slave (as atonement) and he brought a black slave girl before the Messenger of Allah, who asked her;

أَيۡنَ اللهُ

Where is Allah?

She said, ""Above the heavens.""

He said,

مَنۡ أَنَا

Who am I?

She said, ""The Messenger of Allah.""

He said,

أَعۡتِقۡهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُوۡمِنَة

Free her, for she is a believer.

There are three types of expiation for breaking deliberate oaths, and whichever one chooses, it will suffice, according to the consensus (of the scholars).

Allah mentioned the easiest, then the more difficult options, since feeding is easier than giving away clothes, and giving away clothes is easier than freeing a slave.

If one is unable to fulfill any of these options, then he fasts for three days for expiation, just as Allah said,

فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ

But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days.

Ubayy bin Ka`b and Ibn Mas`ud and his students read this Ayah as follows,

""Then he should fast three consecutive days.""

Even if this statement was not narrated to us as a part of the Qur'an through Mutawatir narration, it would still be an explanation of the Qur'an by the Companions that has the ruling of being related from the Prophet.

Allah's statement,

ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيۡمَانِكُمۡ إِذَا حَلَفۡتُمۡ

That is the expiation for the oaths when you have sworn.

means, this is the legal way to atone for deliberate oaths,

وَاحۡفَظُواۡ أَيۡمَانَكُمۡ

And protect your oaths.

Do not leave your broken oaths without paying the expiation for them, according to the meaning given by Ibn Jarir.

كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمۡ ايَاتِهِ

Thus Allah makes clear to you His Ayat,

and explains them to you,

لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ

that you may be grateful."