The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 504
CH. 16 AN-NAHL PT. 14 or emaciation; perfidiousness, and the result is total disintegration of faithlessness or treachery; deceit, the unity of the community. guile or circumvention. The Quranic ,means ولا تتخذوا ايمانكم دخلا بينكم expression And make ye not your oaths to be a means of deceit or guile or circumvention between you. (Lane & Aqrab). (more powerful) is derived from which means, it (the thing) increased or augmented; it increased by usury; means, the ground became large and swelled. C✓ means, I took more than I gave. Q means, he exceeded the age of fifty and the like. means, an excess and an addition. means, more numerous, and more abundant in wealth (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: a This verse may be taken as continuation of the subject matter of the previous verse or it may be with a new as a understood to deal subject. If it be taken continuation of the subject of the previous verse, it contains a warning to believers not to break covenants they have made with one another, for if solemn pledges are broken mutual trust disappears and the unity of the community becomes disintegrated. In fact, the strict observance of covenants and fulfilment of promises are really indispensable for the maintenance of communal concord and unity; for communal concord depends on mutual cooperation and the doing of good to one another. But these things are possible only when men abide by their promises and pledges. If promises solemnly made are not kept, general distrust prevails The verse may not only refer to the covenants which individuals make with one another, but may also comprise that solemn compact which Muslims make at the hands of their Imām or Khalifah, binding themselves to obey him and under his guidance to strive for the progress of the community and the Faith. The Faithful are warned in this verse that since God has organized them into a united and disciplined community under one Leader to whom they have sworn allegiance, they should remain true to him and refrain from creating discord. If they failed to live up to their high ideals, Islam would lose the prestige and power it has gained through their sacrifices. The verse also teaches the great truth, which Muslim statesmen and leaders may well bear in mind, that discord created by a few individuals breaks up a whole organization and all the labour expended on the organization of the community is wasted and fresh and renewed efforts have to be made to reorganize it. They should therefore be always on their guard against mischief-makers because if they allowed their organization to be broken up, they would be like that foolish woman who, "after having made it strong, breaks her yarn into pieces". 1712 The verse seems also to refer to compacts which Muslims in future were destined to make with other nations. In that case, it would be taken as having started a new subject and the Muslims would be regarded