3:77

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشۡتَرُونَ بِعَهۡدِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ ثَمَنٗا قَلِيلًا أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَا خَلَٰقَ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا يَنظُرُ إِلَيۡهِمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمۡ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

Inna allatheena yashtaroona biAAahdi Allahi waaymanihim thamanan qaleelan olaika la khalaqa lahum fee alakhirati wala yukallimuhumu Allahu wala yanthuru ilayhim yawma alqiyamati wala yuzakkeehim walahum AAathabun aleemun

Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. يَشۡتَرُونَexchange
  4. بِعَهۡدِ(the) Covenant
  5. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  6. وَأَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡand their oaths
  7. ثَمَنٗا(for) a price
  8. قَلِيلًاlittle
  9. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
  10. لَاno
  11. خَلَٰقَshare
  12. لَهُمۡfor them
  13. فِيin
  14. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِthe Hereafter
  15. وَلَاand not
  16. يُكَلِّمُهُمُwill speak to them
  17. ٱللَّهُAllah
  18. وَلَاand not
  19. يَنظُرُlook
  20. إِلَيۡهِمۡat them
  21. يَوۡمَ(on the) Day
  22. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrection
  23. وَلَاand not
  24. يُزَكِّيهِمۡpurify them
  25. وَلَهُمۡand for them
  26. عَذَابٌ(is) a punishment
  27. أَلِيمٞpainful
Ali 'Imran · 3:77Madinah

Selling your oath for a small price costs everything.

The false oath that wins a small gain


The trade
Allah's covenantand your sworn word
sold for
a small priceland, a sale, a win
What is lost
the gainlooks big today
no shareno word, no look, no purifying

Ibn Kathir records that al-Ash'ath said this verse came down about him, in a dispute over land where the other side could win by simply taking an oath. Another man, told Paradise was the reward for giving up a claim, said: bear witness that I give up all the land.

"I swear it was like this when I got it." Said at a returns desk, to an insurance agent, in a family inheritance fight. One sentence, and the thing is yours. The price is always smaller than it looks.

A small lie under oath is worth it to win what is mine anyway.

No gain is worth trading my word to Allah, and losing it with honesty is still winning.

Try this

Before you say "I swear" today, stop and check that every word is true.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment (77)

There is No Share in the Hereafter for Those Who Break Allah's Covenant

Allah states that whoever prefers the small things of this short, soon to end life, instead of fulfilling what they have promised Allah by following Muhammad ﷺ, announcing his description [from their books] to people and affirming his truth, then,

أُولَٰئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ

(they shall have no portion in the Hereafter.)

They will not have a share or part in the Hereafter's rewards,

وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَا يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

(Neither will Allah speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection) with His mercy. This Ayah indicates that Allah will not speak words of kindness nor look at them with any mercy,

وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ

(nor will He purify them) from sins and impurities. Rather, He will order them to the Fire,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(and they shall have a painful torment.)

There are several Hadiths on the subject of this Ayah, some of which follow.

The First Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

قلت: يا رسول الله، من هم؟ خابوا وخسروا قال: وأعاده رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ثلاث مرات، قال:

الْمُسْبِلُ، وَالْمُنَفِّقُ سِلْعَتَهُ بِالْحَلِفِ الْكَاذِبِ، وَالْمَنَّانُ

(There are three persons whom Allah will not speak to, look at on the Day of Resurrection or purify, and they shall taste a painful torment. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Who are they, may they gain failure and loss?' He said, repeating this statement thrice, 'The Musbil (man whose clothes reach below the ankles), he who swears while lying so as to sell his merchandize and the one who gives charity and reminds people of it).')" This was also recorded by Muslim, and the collectors of the Sunan.

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that 'Adi bin 'Amirah Al-Kindi said, "Imru' Al-Qays bin 'Abis, a man from Kindah, disputed with a man from Hadramut in front of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ concerning a piece of land. The Prophet ﷺ required the man from Hadramut to present his evidence, but he did not have any. The Prophet ﷺ required Imru' Al-Qays to swear to his truthfulness, but the man from Hadramut said, 'O Messenger of Allah! If you only require him to swear, then by the Lord of the Ka'bah (Allah), my land is lost.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ كَاذِبَةٍ لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ أَحَدٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ

(Whoever swears while lying to acquire the property of others, will meet Allah while He is angry with him.)" Raja' one of the narrators of the Hadith, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then recited,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا

(Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths...)

Imru' Al-Qays said, 'What if one forfeits this dispute, what will he gain, O Messenger of Allah?' The Prophet ﷺ answered, 'Paradise.' Imru' Al-Qays said, 'Bear witness that I forfeit all the land for him.'" An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith.

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that 'Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ هُوَ فِيهَا فَاجِرٌ، لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ امْرِىءٍ مُسْلِمٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ

(Whoever takes a false oath to deprive a Muslim of his property will meet Allah while He is angry with him.)

Al-Ash'ath said, "By Allah! This verse was revealed concerning me. I owned some land with a Jewish man who denied my right, and I complained against him to the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ asked me, 'Do you have evidence?' I said, 'I don't have evidence.' He said to the Jew, 'Take an oath then.' I said, 'O Allah's Messenger! He will take a (false) oath immediately, and I will lose my property.' Allah revealed the verse,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا

(Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths...)"

The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith.

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ: رَجُلٌ مَنَعَ ابْنَ السَّبِيلِ فَضْلَ مَاءٍ عِنْدَهُ، وَرَجُلٌ حَلَفَ عَلى سِلْعَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ - يَعْنِي كَاذِبًا - وَرَجُلٌ بَايَعَ إِمَامًا، فَإِنْ أَعْطَاهُ وَفَى لَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ لَمْ يَفِ لَهُ

(Three persons whom Allah shall not speak to on the Day of Resurrection, or look at, or purify them, and they shall taste a painful torment. (They are) a man who does not give the wayfarer some of the water that he has; a man who swears, while lying, in order to complete a sales transaction after the 'Asr prayer; and a man who gives his pledge of allegiance to an Imam (Muslim Ruler), and if the Imam gives him (something), he fulfills the pledge, but if the Imam does not give him, he does not fulfill the pledge).

Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith, and At-Tirmidhi graded it Hasan Sahih.