The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 364
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 2 لَا يُؤَاخِذُ كُمُ اللهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ Allah will not call you to. 226 account for such of your oaths وَلكِن تُؤَاخِذُكُمُ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ as are vain, but He will call you قُلُوبُكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ to account for what your hearts I have earned. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing 232 holy things, should not be used as an obstacle in the way of righteousness and of doing good to others. "5:90. The word meaning a butt or an obstacle, has been very appropriately used in the verse to point out that such men as swear by God to abstain from acts of righteousness hopelessly fail to appreciate the true dignity of the Supreme Being. It is indeed an act of blasphemy that one should use the name of Allah, Who is the fountain- head of all goodness, to keep away from the path of goodness. Again, it is a gross violation of the sanctity of Allah's name that it should be used as a butt or target for profane or purposeless oaths. 232. Important Words: S (will call you to account) is means, he took اخذه اخذ derived from hold of him; he seized him. means, he called him to account; he punished or chastised him (Aqrab). (vain) is derived from W. They say ai. e. he uttered or spoke a word. means, the thing went in vain. means he deviated from the path. means, he spoke without proper care and thinking. therefore means, a speech or writing, etc. which is worthless and of no account and deserves no attention; it also means, the barking of a dog 364 (Aqrab). ) means, he jested or joked with him (Lane). also means that which one utters without seriously meaning it (Muḥīt). (Forbearing) is derived from meaning, he was forbearing and clement; he forgave and connived at offences; he controlled his temper in moments of anger; he was patient, sedate, or intelligent and calm and was not hasty in punishing or taking revenge. Thus which is one of the attributive names of God, means, one who is forbearing and to whom the disobedience of the disobedient does not cause agitation or excitement, who is slow in punishing but quick in forgiving; it also means one who is intelligent (Aqrab, Lane & Mufradāt). Commentary: Oaths are very serious things, as mentioned in the preceding verse, but some men are in the habit of swearing without meaning anything. Such oaths as are referred to in this verse are oaths taken carelessly or as a matter of habit or those taken in a sudden fit of anger. The fact that such oaths are not liable to be punished does not, however, mean that indulgence in them is permitted. It only means that a person who swears vain oaths will not be punished on the basis of such oaths, i. e. these oaths