Tafsir of Al Imran 3:77

The six [traditionists] and others narrated from Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Whoever swears a false oath to usurp the wealth of a Muslim man will meet Allah while He is angry with him." Al-Ash'ath ibn Qais said: "By Allah, this was about me. There was a dispute between me and a Jewish man over some land, and he denied my claim. I brought him before the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to me: 'Do you have evidence?' I said: 'No.' He said to the Jew: 'Take an oath.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, if he takes an oath, my wealth will be lost.' Then Allah Almighty revealed: {Indeed, those who...} until the end of the verse."

Al-Bukhari and others narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa that a man displayed a commodity of his in the market and swore by Allah that he had been offered for it what he had not been offered, in order to deceive a Muslim man into buying it. Thereupon this verse was revealed.

Ahmad and Ibn Jarir narrated—the latter with his own wording—from 'Adi ibn 'Amirah, who said: There was a dispute between Imru' al-Qais and a man from Hadramawt, and they ascended to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He said to the Hadrami: "Your evidence, otherwise it is his oath." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, if he swears, my land will be lost." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Whoever swears a lying oath to usurp the right of his brother will meet Allah Almighty while He is angry with him." Imru' al-Qais said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is for the one who abandons it while knowing it is his right?" He replied: "Paradise." He said: "Then I call you as witness that I have abandoned it." Then it was revealed.

Ibn Jarir narrated from 'Ikrimah who said: This verse was revealed regarding Abu Rafi', Lubaba ibn Abi al-Huqayq, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, and Huyayy ibn Akhtab; they distorted the Torah, altered the description of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the rulings of trusts and other matters, and took bribes for that. Other accounts have also been narrated, and there is no obstacle to the multiplicity of the causes of revelation, as scholars have verified.

The intended meaning of "exchanging" and the "covenant" is the command of Allah and what must be fulfilled. It has also been said: It refers to what He covenanted with the Jews in the Torah regarding the affair of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Another view is: It refers to the reason within a person that prevents [one] from falsehood and [leads to] submission to the truth. By "oaths" is meant false oaths, and by "small price" is meant meager compensation or bribes. It is described as "small" because it is trifling compared to the reward they lose and the punishment they incur.

{Those will have no share in the Hereafter} Meaning, they have no portion of its blessings due to that substitution.

{And Allah will not speak to them} That is, with anything that pleases them; rather, with what displeases them at the time of their accounting. This was said by al-Jubba'i. Or, He will not speak to them at all, and the accounting will be done through the speech of the angels to them by the command of Allah Almighty, out of disdain for them. It has also been said: The meaning is that they will not benefit from the words and signs of Allah Almighty, and there is no hidden meaning after this. It is most probable that this is a metonymy for His, the Exalted, anger toward them.

{Nor will He look at them on the Day of Resurrection} Meaning, He will not show them compassion nor have mercy on them, just as one says, "Look at me," meaning "Have mercy on me." Al-Zamakhshari made it a metaphor for disdain toward them and being displeased with them. He differentiated between one to whom "looking" applies—interpreted as the turning of the eyeball—and one to whom it does not. In the case of the latter, it is originally a metonymy for one to whom it could apply, because he who considers a person important turns toward him and directs his gaze upon him. Then, it became common until it became an expression for consideration and favor, even if there is no actual "gazing." Then it came to be used for one to whom "gazing" cannot be applied, purely for the meaning of favor, as a metaphor for what it was originally a metonymy for in the case of one to whom it could apply. In al-Kashshaf, it is stated that this is an explicit declaration that for a metonymy, it is considered sufficient that the literal meaning could be intended, even if it is not actually intended, and that metonymies may become so famous that the initial aspect is no longer noticeable. At that point, it is treated as a metaphor; it is not deemed a metaphor until after [becoming] famous, because the transition to the metaphorical meaning is not initially clear, unlike the metonymical meaning. By this, the objection raised by more than one person regarding the contradiction between al-Zamakhshari’s statements—calling the "stretching of the hands" in His saying {Rather, both His hands are extended} a metaphor for generosity at one time and a metonymy at another—is dispelled. The conclusion is that if one ignores the external obstacle, it is a metonymy; then, it is categorized as a metonymy in terms of its origin before being subsumed [under metaphors], and a metaphor thereafter. Thus, there is no contradiction between them as they imagined, so reflect upon this.

The adverbial phrase is connected to the two verbs, and it serves to terrify the threat.

{Nor will He purify them} Meaning, He will not judge them to be pure, nor will He name them as such; rather, He will judge them to be disbelievers and wicked. This was said by al-Qadi. Al-Jubba'i said: He will not place them in the position of the pure. It is also said: He will not cleanse them from the filth of sins and burdens through forgiveness.

{And for them is a painful punishment} Meaning, agonizing and tormenting. It is apparent that this is in the Hereafter, though it was not restricted to it, as the first [part] suffices. It has been said: It is in this world through humiliation and the striking of the jizyah, based on the view that the verse is [specifically] about the Jews.