The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 506
CH. 16 AN-NAHL PT. 14 وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً And if Allah had enforced. 94 His will, He would surely have b وَلَكِنْ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَّشَاءُ made you all one people; but He lets go astray him who wishes it, and guides him who wishes it; and you shall surely be questioned concerning that which you have been doing. 1894 95. And make not your oaths a means of deceit between you; وَلَتُسْئَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُوْنَ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلَّا بَيْنَكُمْ E فَتَزِلَ قَدَمُ بَعْدَ تُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا or your foot will slip after it has السُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدْتُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ been firmly established, and you will taste evil because you turned people away from the path of Allah, and you will have a severe punishment. 1895 "5:49; 11:119. among the nations of the world today is due to non-observance of these teachings. 1894. Commentary: The verse means to say that the authors of such treaties as are concluded with the intent to deceive other peoples have in view no object other than that of establishing their own dominion in the world. But, says the Quran, if it had been the will of God that there should be only one dominant power in the earth, He Himself would have made one. There is therefore no justification in having recourse to dishonest means for the purpose of subduing other nations. A nation which seeks to impose its will and foist its domination upon other peoples against their consent will 1714 itself someday fall victim to the evil designs of another nation and lose its freedom. 1895. Commentary: The injunction contained in the previous verse has been repeated in the present one in order to bring home to Muslims the fact that although in principle it is not right to conclude treaties with dishonest motives, yet Muslims should particularly abstain from concluding such treaties, inasmuch as they are the bearers of the Divine Law and dishonest conduct on their part, even though it be in political affairs, will make men turn away from Islam. The words, or your foot will slip after it has been firmly established, mean that such conduct on the part of