Quran 5:89 — Al-Maaida, verse 89
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
God does not take you [to task] for what is thoughtless in your oaths, only for your binding oaths: the atonement for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor people with food equivalent to what you would normally give your own families, or to clothe them, or to set free a slave- if a person cannot find the means, he should fast for three days. This is the atonement for breaking your oaths- keep your oaths. In this way God makes clear His revelations to you, so that you may be thankful.
لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الْأَيْمَانَ ۖ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ ۖ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
lā yuākhidhukumu l-lahu bil-laghwi fī aymānikum walākin yuākhidhukum bimā ʿaqqadttumu l-aymāna fakaffāratuhu iṭ'ʿāmu ʿasharati masākīna min awsaṭi mā tuṭ'ʿimūna ahlīkum aw kis'watuhum aw taḥrīru raqabatin faman lam yajid faṣiyāmu thalāthati ayyāmin dhālika kaffāratu aymānikum idhā ḥalaftum wa-iḥ'faẓū aymānakum kadhālika yubayyinu l-lahu lakum āyātihi laʿallakum tashkurūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- God will not take you to task for a slip in your oaths; but He will take you to task for such bonds as you have made by oaths, whereof the expiation is to feed ten poor persons with the average of the food you serve to your families, or to clothe them, or to set free a slave; or if any finds not the means, let him fast for three days. That is the expiation of your oaths when you have sworn; but keep your oaths. So God makes clear to you His signs; haply you will be thankful.
- Muhammad Asad
- GOD will not take you to task for oaths which you may have uttered without thought, but He will take you to task for oaths which you have sworn in earnest. Thus, the breaking of an oath must be atoned for by feeding ten needy persons with more or less the same food as you are wont to give to your own families, or by clothing them, or by freeing a human being from bondage; and he who has not the wherewithal shall fast for three days [instead]. This shall be the atonement for your oaths whenever you have sworn [and broken them]. But be mindful of your oaths!' Thus God makes clear unto you His messages, so that you might have cause to be grateful.
- Sahih International
- Allāh will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses [i.e., revealed law] that you may be grateful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لَاlā | Not | — |
| 2 | يُؤَاخِذُكُمُyuākhidhukumu | will call you to account | أخذ |
| 3 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 4 | بِٱللَّغْوِbil-laghwi | for the thoughtless utterances | لغو |
| 5 | فِىٓfī | in | — |
| 6 | أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْaymānikum | your oaths | يمن |
| 7 | وَلَـٰكِنwalākin | but | — |
| 8 | يُؤَاخِذُكُمyuākhidhukum | He will call you to account | أخذ |
| 9 | بِمَاbimā | for what | — |
| 10 | عَقَّدتُّمُʿaqqadttumu | you contracted | عقد |
| 11 | ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ ۖl-aymāna | (of) the oath | يمن |
| 12 | فَكَفَّـٰرَتُهُۥٓfakaffāratuhu | So its expiation | كفر |
| 13 | إِطْعَامُiṭ'ʿāmu | (is) feeding | طعم |
| 14 | عَشَرَةِʿasharati | (of) ten | عشر |
| 15 | مَسَـٰكِينَmasākīna | needy people | سكن |
| 16 | مِنْmin | of | — |
| 17 | أَوْسَطِawsaṭi | average | وسط |
| 18 | مَاmā | (of) what | — |
| 19 | تُطْعِمُونَtuṭ'ʿimūna | you feed | طعم |
| 20 | أَهْلِيكُمْahlīkum | your families | أهل |
| 21 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 22 | كِسْوَتُهُمْkis'watuhum | clothing them | كسو |
| 23 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 24 | تَحْرِيرُtaḥrīru | freeing | حرر |
| 25 | رَقَبَةٍۢ ۖraqabatin | a slave | رقب |
| 26 | فَمَنfaman | But whoever | — |
| 27 | لَّمْlam | (does) not | — |
| 28 | يَجِدْyajid | find | وجد |
| 29 | فَصِيَامُfaṣiyāmu | (that), then fasting | صوم |
| 30 | ثَلَـٰثَةِthalāthati | (for) three | ثلث |
| 31 | أَيَّامٍۢ ۚayyāmin | days | يوم |
| 32 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | That | — |
| 33 | كَفَّـٰرَةُkaffāratu | (is the) expiation | كفر |
| 34 | أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْaymānikum | (of) your oaths | يمن |
| 35 | إِذَاidhā | when | — |
| 36 | حَلَفْتُمْ ۚḥalaftum | you have sworn | حلف |
| 37 | وَٱحْفَظُوٓا۟wa-iḥ'faẓū | And guard | حفظ |
| 38 | أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚaymānakum | your oaths | يمن |
| 39 | كَذَٰلِكَkadhālika | Thus | — |
| 40 | يُبَيِّنُyubayyinu | makes clear | بين |
| 41 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 42 | لَكُمْlakum | to you | — |
| 43 | ءَايَـٰتِهِۦāyātihi | His Verses | أيي |
| 44 | لَعَلَّكُمْlaʿallakum | so that you may | — |
| 45 | تَشْكُرُونَtashkurūna | (be) grateful | شكر |