The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2)

The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 370

CH. 5 AL-MĀ'IDAH PT. 7 رَقَبَةٍ فَمَنْ لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَثَةِ families with, or the clothing of them or the freeing of a neck. اَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ اَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا But whoso finds not the means حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُوا اَيْمَانَكُمْ كَذلِكَ shall fast for three days. That is the expiation of your oaths يُبَيِّنُ اللهُ لَكُمْ أَيْتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ when you have sworn them تَشْكُرُونَ And do keep your oaths. Thus does Allah explain to you His Signs that you may be grateful. 717 Prophet of Islam". 717. Commentary: The verb ('aqqada) is the intensive form of c('aqada) for which see 5:2. It conveys the idea of greater deliberation and solemnity. Hence the expression (oaths which you take in earnest) would really mean, oaths which you swear solemnly and deliberately. The use of the word (average) means both 'middle', (i. e. average) and 'best' (see 2:144) and is thus meant to imply that an oath may be regarded as expiated if ten poor men are fed with food the expiator ordinarily provides for his family, but that it is better to feed them with the best food with which he feeds his own family. كسوتهم their in) هم The pronoun (their clothing) may refer either to families or to poor persons. In the former case, the sentence would read, "the clothing (of ten poor men) with the average (or the best) kind of clothing which you provide for your families". In the latter case, it would simply mean, "the clothing of ten poor men". The verse should not be taken as describing three different ways by which a person can expiate a broken oath. The different ways are intended to represent three progressive stages of expiation, the third alternative being better than the second, and the second better than the first. The injunction to expiate oaths does not mean that they may be broken with impunity and then expiated. The prescription of penalties is merely meant to meet a possible eventuality. But oaths contrary to Islamic Law are there are oaths that pertain to the no oaths. They must be broken. Then rights of individuals. These cannot be expiated even by adopting any of the above-mentioned three courses. If, for instance, a man promises on oath to give to a person certain sum of money, and then breaks his oath, and makes the prescribed expiation, the expiation will not absolve him from his obligation to make the promised payment. He must pay the man the promised sum, notwithstanding the expiation. The expiation will only 810