135. If on the one hand Quran is emphasising that man should establish his relationship with his Lord on the basis of truth, on the other hand it also insists that man should recognise his moral responsibilities and should keep right relationship with another man. It has declared carelessness for the right of fellow-human or usurpation of his right as a sin. The command given in this ayah is very comprehensive and holds moral basic values. Besides the command has a general appeal that is every person is its addressee. According to the time of its revelations, the ayah —not only the ayah but the whole surah—was revealed at time when the oppression of the Muslims by the disbelievers of Makkah had increased. On this occasion the command to do justice shakes man’s conscience. Justice is such an attribute for man that it is not only a matter of honour for him but also makes him follow the straight path. It may be words or action; justice is necessary in both.

136.The person may be anybody, and should be treated with kindness.

137. The relatives have precedence in the matter of rights. Treating them kindly and providing them financial support is essential.

138. The words “you have made a covenant” show that here by Allah’s covenant is meant the covenant which man consciously makes with Allah, e.g. in difficulties man’s pledge to Allah that if he is relieved of the difficulties he would become a grateful slave, but after being relieved he indulges in polytheism and becomes ungrateful to God (Surah An’am 63,64); or man’s this promise to Allah that if He gave him a healthy child he will become His grateful slave, and on getting the child his turning away from his promise and associating others with Allah in the grant of that favour (A’raf 189-190). It is obvious that not to fulfill these covenants is blatant dishonesty. In the covenant of Allah are included these pledges which someone has taken in respect of Allah only, and in the wider sense it also includes the covenant of obedience and worship.

139. Here oaths mean those covenants and agreements which are made among persons over Allah’s name. Among the Arabs there was the practice of making an agreement among themselves by mutually swearing by Allah. To break the oath means to break these agreements or not to fulfill the conditions therein, which is a very sinful act.

Whoever acts righteously, whether a male or a female, and is a believer, We will grant him a clean life; and verily We will reward them a recompense according to the noblest of their actions. (Al-Quran)

140. That is: As cutting to shreds the thread which was spun from the cotton with great labour is a foolish act amounting to waste one’s own efforts, similarly to break one’s pledge and promise after strengthening it by swearing by God is also a great foolish act, the cause of immense loss.

This is a hint which points to the Jews who had made a covenant with Allah for following His Shariah, which they ultimately broke and became disobedient. The purpose of giving this example is to provide firmness and strength to those who had newly embraced Islam.

141. This is an address to those who, though had embraced Islam, the severity of the circumstances had made them a little unfirm, as is clear from the following ayah, e.g. Ubaidullah bin Jahash, who had become a Muslim but later on migrated to Abyssinia and converted to Christianity. (Al-Bidayah wan-Nahaya, Vol. IV p.143).

In this ayah oaths mean the kalimah of shahadat (witness) by reciting which a person comes under the subjugation of Islam. Accordingly, in the Surah Munafiqoon the witness of the hypocrites when they say that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger, has been termed as ‘aiman’ (oaths) (Surah Munafiqoon, 1-2).

And the meaning of making the oaths the means of dishonesty is to turn away from Islam, after embracing it, which is covenant-breaking with God, as also it is being traitrous with the Muslim ummah. At that time the group of Muslims in Makkah was very small, which had not power to even defend itself. On the other side was the group of the disbelievers which was very large and also had abundance of material wealth and power. This group was set on oppressing the Muslims on the basis of its might and numbers. On account of this severity of the circumstances, some Muslims were feeling weak and were shaky, for which they had been warned here.

142. Test to try their loyalty, as they had joined a group which was small and weak, but the might of truth was with it —to see whether they would remain with the group with truth on its side but weak or the group which has falsehood as its ideology but is powerful.

143. That is: On the Day of Judgment it will be clear as to which group was on the side of truth — the group which came into existence on the basis of tawheed and Islam or the group which came into existence on the basis of polytheistic religion.

144. Allah could have made every person a Muslim by His unlimited power, but since the purpose was to test mankind, man was given the freedom to exercise his choices, between truth and falsehood. Whatever side a person chooses Allah’s will put that person on that path, therefore, nobody should be influenced by the large numbers of the polytheists and disbelievers, but he should try to see by following which path he can get salvation.

145. This is addressed to the Muslims, and as stated in note No.141 above, here oaths mean to recite the kalimah of shahadat and to make covenant of obedience with Allah, and slipping of the foot means to turn away from that covenant.

146. That is: If you take the path of deviation after embracing Islam, then this act of yours would debar many persons from following the path of Allah. Thus you yourself would be misguided and would cause others to be misguided. If you do like this, you would have to face adverse consequence and a great painful punishment will await you.

147. That is: If you have broken your pledge for some worldly gains or in your greed for something, and have turned away from Islam, then mind you that however big this gain may be from the materialistic viewpoint, it would be very insignificant and meagre in comparison with the gains in the Hereafter. So make the Hereafter your objective and do not sacrifice your religion for the sake of meagre worldly benefits.

148.The wealth and property of the world will perish and the Hereafter is everlasting, therefore, make the Hereafter your goal and be desirous of its blessings.

149. Those who will remain steadfast in these severe trials, for them their excellent acts will decide their rank in the Hereafter and they will receive their reward according to these excellent acts.

150. The successful life that the people of faith will lead in the next world is a foregone conclusion, but Allah promises that in this world too He will make them live a clean life. Clean life includes purity of belief, light of faith, cleanness of heart, brightness of intellect, tranquillity of spirit, coolness of eyes, cleanliness of body, beauty of worship, lawful earnings, impeccable moral character, a sense of responsibilities, inclination towards pious deeds and abhorrence of evil deeds, etc. The sweetness which a believer experiences in his life when he is blessed with a clean life like this is such that materialists cannot even imagine it, and compared with this clean life the life of luxury and pleasure is nothing.

151.That is: This path of bliss, mentioned in the foregoing ayat, can be opened for you through Qur’an, provided you are alert against Satan while reading the Qur’an, for Satan is always aiming at preventing mankind from properly understanding Qur’an by means of putting doubts in their minds, etc; he creates doubts in the minds by confusing the intellect and tries to prove the teachings of Qur’an as wrong. In pursuance of this command at the time of reciting Qur’an it is necessary to recite ‘A’ oozu billahi minash shaitanir rajeem.’ (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast), but this can be of benefit only when a man tries to read this with awareness and sincerely wants to understand Qur’an.

152. For explanation, please see Surah Hijr Note No.39.

153. Satan is able to deceive and entice only those who befriend him and indulge in polytheism, eschewing monotheism.

And when We reveal an ayah in place of another ayah,and Allah knows best what He reveals they say: “Surely, you are inventing.” (The fact is:) Most of them know not (what is the reality). (Al-Quran)