Surah An-Nahl (16): Verses 94–97

ولا تتخذوا أيمانكم دخلاً بينكم (And do not make your oaths a means of deceit among yourselves)

Know that after Allah Almighty warned in the first verse against breaking oaths and covenants in general, He warned in this verse by saying: {And do not make your oaths a means of deceit among yourselves}.

This does not mean a prohibition against breaking oaths in general, as that would result in redundant repetition in one place. Rather, it means prohibiting those addressed from breaking specific oaths they have undertaken. For this reason, the commentators say that this verse is a prohibition against those who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from breaking their covenant.

This is because the severe warning, {lest a foot slip after it was firmly planted}, is not fitting for breaking a prior covenant, but rather for breaking the covenant made with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) regarding faith in him and his laws.

The phrase {lest a foot slip after it was firmly planted} is a parable mentioned for anyone who falls into tribulation after well-being. Whoever breaks the covenant of Islam has fallen from high ranks and stumbled into such misguidance.

This is supported by His saying: {and you will taste evil}, meaning punishment, {because you obstructed}—that is, because of your obstruction—{the way of Allah, and for you will be a great punishment}. That "evil" you taste is a great evil and a severe chastisement.

Then, He emphasized this warning by saying: {And do not exchange the covenant of Allah for a small price}. This refers to the transient goods of this world, even if they seem abundant. However, {what is with Allah is better for you, if you only knew}. This means that even if you find worldly benefits in breaking the covenant of Islam, you should not pay attention to them, because what Allah Almighty has covenanted you to remain upon Islam is better, superior, and more complete than what you find in this world upon breaking that covenant, if you truly know the difference between the good things of this world and the good things of the Hereafter.

Then, He presented the decisive proof that what is with Allah is better than the delights they find in this world: {What is with you runs out, but what is with Allah will remain}.

Experience testifies that the good things of this world are finite, and reason indicates that the good things of the Hereafter are everlasting. The everlasting is better than the finite. The proof is: If we say the finite good was a high, noble good, then knowing it will end makes it tainted even at the time of its attainment. At the time of its cessation, regret and sorrow will be immense. The fact that such a high, noble blessing is thus tainted diminishes its status and weakens the desire for it. If we say the finite good was among base goods, then it is understood from the context that the eternal good must be superior to that finite good. Thus, it is established that His saying, {What is with you runs out, but what is with Allah will remain}, is a conclusive argument that the good things of the Hereafter are better than the good things of this world.

His saying {but what is with Allah will remain} indicates that the bliss of the inhabitants of Paradise is everlasting and unending. Jahm ibn Safwan claimed it is finite, and this verse is evidence against him.

Know that when a believer affirms faith in Allah, he commits to the laws of Islam and faith. Two things are then incumbent upon him:

1. To be patient with this commitment, not to revert from it, and not to break it after it has been established.
2. To perform everything that is part of the laws and necessities of Islam.

Once this is understood, we say that Allah Almighty encouraged the believers regarding the first part—patience with what they committed to—by saying: {And We will surely reward those who were patient}—meaning, patient with the laws of Islam they committed to—{with the best of what they used to do}. That is, He will reward them for their best deeds. This is because a believer may engage in permissible matters, recommended matters, and obligatory matters. Undoubtedly, he is rewarded for performing recommended and obligatory acts, not for performing permissible ones. Therefore, He said: {And We will surely reward those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do}.

Then, Allah Almighty encouraged the believers regarding the second part—performing everything that is part of the laws of Islam—by saying: {Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer, We will surely give him a good life. And We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do}.

There are several questions regarding this verse:

The word man (whoever) in {Whoever does righteousness} implies generality. What is the benefit of specifically mentioning male and female?

Answer: This verse is a promise of good things, and emphasizing and confirming the promise is one of the greatest signs of generosity and mercy, serving to confirm the assurance and remove any notion of exclusivity.

Does this verse indicate that faith (Iman) is different from righteous action (Amal Salih)?

Answer: Yes, because Allah made faith a condition for righteous action to be deserving of reward. The condition of a thing is necessarily different from that thing itself.

The apparent meaning of the verse suggests that righteous action yields its effect only on the condition of faith. However, the apparent meaning of {So whoever does an atom's weight of good, he will see it} suggests that righteous action yields its effect whether it is accompanied by faith or not.

Answer: The yielding of the good life is conditional upon faith. However, its effect of mitigating punishment does not depend on faith.

Is this good life attained in this world, in the grave, or in the Hereafter?

Answer: There are three opinions:

First Opinion: The Qadi (Judge) said that it is most likely attained in this world, evidenced by Allah immediately following it with: {And We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do}, which undoubtedly refers to what occurs in the Hereafter.

One might argue: It is not impossible that the good life refers to what is attained in the Hereafter. Furthermore, even if that is the case, Allah promised to reward them only according to the best of their deeds—and there is no contradiction in this.

If it is argued: Assuming this good life is attained in this world, what is it?

Answer: Several interpretations have been mentioned:

1. It is pure, lawful sustenance (Rizq Halal Tayyib).
2. It is the worship of Allah combined with lawful eating.
3. It is contentment (Qana'ah).
4. It is sustenance day by day. The Prophet (PBUH) used to say in his supplication: "Make me content with what You have provided me." It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) used to supplicate: "O Allah, make the provision of the family of Muhammad sufficient (i.e., just enough)." Al-Wahidi said that the opinion stating contentment is a good choice because no one’s life in this world is good except that of the contented person; the greedy person is always in toil and hardship.

Know that the life of a believer in this world is better than the life of a disbeliever for several reasons:

1. Contentment with Decree: Since the believer knows his provision comes through Allah’s management, and knows that Allah is Benevolent and Just and does nothing but what is right, he is content with everything decreed and ordained, knowing his welfare lies therein. The ignorant person does not know these principles, so he is perpetually in sorrow and misery.
2. Anticipation of Hardship: The believer constantly keeps in mind various calamities and trials, estimating their occurrence. Upon their occurrence, he accepts them because acceptance of Allah’s decree is obligatory. Thus, when they happen, he does not magnify them, unlike the ignorant person who is heedless of these realizations, so when calamities strike, their impact on his heart is magnified.
3. Illumination of the Heart: The heart of the believer is expanded by the light of the knowledge of Allah. When the heart is filled with this knowledge, it has no room for sorrows arising from worldly affairs. The heart of the ignorant person, however, is empty of the knowledge of Allah, so it inevitably becomes filled with sorrows arising from worldly misfortunes.
4. Devaluation of Physical Pleasures: The believer knows that the good things of physical life are base, so his joy in obtaining them and his grief in losing them are not magnified. The ignorant person, not knowing any other form of happiness that contrasts with it, naturally magnifies his joy in obtaining them and his grief in losing them.
5. Awareness of Transience: The believer knows that the good things of this world are necessarily subject to change and rapid turnover. If they did not change and turn over, they would not reach him from others. Know that what is necessarily subject to change, when it reaches him, its reality does not change, nor does its essence alter. When it reaches him, it is still necessarily subject to change. Therefore, the intelligent person does not imprint his heart upon it nor give it weight in his heart. In contrast, the ignorant person is heedless of these realizations, so he imprints his heart upon it and embraces it like a lover embraces his beloved. When it is lost and gone, his heart burns, and the affliction becomes great for him.

These are sufficient reasons to explain that the life of the knowing believer is better than the life of the disbeliever, if we interpret the good life as being in this world.

Second Opinion: This is the view of Al-Saddi, that this good life is attained in the grave.

Third Opinion: This is the view of Al-Hasan and Sa'id ibn Jubayr, that this good life is attained only in the Hereafter. The evidence is His saying: {O man, indeed you are striving toward your Lord with effort, and you will meet Him} (Al-Inshiqaq 84:6). This shows that this striving continues until he meets his Lord, which is what we stated. As for explaining that the good life is in Paradise, it is because it is a life without death, wealth without poverty, health without sickness, dominion without cessation, and happiness without misery. Thus, it is established that the good life is none other than that life. Then, Allah concluded the verse by saying: {And We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do}, which has already been explained. And Allah knows best.

Verses 98–100

{So when you recite the Qur'an, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast. Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and rely upon their Lord. Indeed, his authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who associate others with Him [as partners to Allah].}