Translation of the meanings Ayah 89 Surah Al-Mā’idah - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 89

لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغۡوِ فِيٓ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلۡأَيۡمَٰنَۖ فَكَفَّٰرَتُهُۥٓ إِطۡعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَٰكِينَ مِنۡ أَوۡسَطِ مَا تُطۡعِمُونَ أَهۡلِيكُمۡ أَوۡ كِسۡوَتُهُمۡ أَوۡ تَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٖۖ فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّامٖۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّٰرَةُ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡ إِذَا حَلَفۡتُمۡۚ وَٱحۡفَظُوٓاْ أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ

(89) ^[1245]Allah will not hold you accountable for thoughtlessly swearing ˹by Him˺^[1246] but He will hold you to account over the solemn oaths you make; the atonement of which is feeding ten destitutes out of the average ˹food˺ that you feed your households, or clothing them, or manumitting a slave; whoever could not find ˹the means to any of these˺ then let him fast for three days. That is the atonement of ˹breaking˺ your oaths if you swear; ˹but˺ guard your oaths—thus Allah explains to you His Signs so that you might be thankful.

[1245] It is not unusual that some would, in a fit of rage or by way of affirming their commitment, habitually swear to something which may be considered as a breach of God’s boundaries. Although God will call to account only over those oaths which one takes whilst being fully aware of their gravity (cf. 2: 225), Believers are nonetheless told to guard their oaths (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[1246] Unintentionally saying: “Yes, by God”, or: “No, by God” out of habit. (Ibn Kathīr, al-Bukhārī: 6663)