Quran Universe
9:12

وَإِن نَّكَثُوٓاْ أَيۡمَٰنَهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ عَهۡدِهِمۡ وَطَعَنُواْ فِي دِينِكُمۡ فَقَٰتِلُوٓاْ أَئِمَّةَ ٱلۡكُفۡرِ إِنَّهُمۡ لَآ أَيۡمَٰنَ لَهُمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَنتَهُونَ

Wain nakathoo aymanahum min baAAdi AAahdihim wataAAanoo fee deenikum faqatiloo aimmata alkufri innahum la aymana lahum laAAallahum yantahoona

And if they break their oaths after their treaty and defame your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief, for indeed, there are no oaths [sacred] to them; [fight them that] they might cease.

Word by word
  1. وَإِنAnd if
  2. نَّكَثُوٓاْthey break
  3. أَيۡمَٰنَهُمtheir oaths
  4. مِّنۢafter
  5. بَعۡدِafter
  6. عَهۡدِهِمۡtheir treaty
  7. وَطَعَنُواْand defame
  8. فِي[in]
  9. دِينِكُمۡyour religion
  10. فَقَٰتِلُوٓاْthen fight
  11. أَئِمَّةَthe leaders
  12. ٱلۡكُفۡرِ(of) [the] disbelief
  13. إِنَّهُمۡindeed,they
  14. لَآno
  15. أَيۡمَٰنَoaths
  16. لَهُمۡfor them
  17. لَعَلَّهُمۡso that they may
  18. يَنتَهُونَcease
At-Tawbah · 9:12Madinah

When an oath means nothing to the one who swore it.

Leaders who broke their word

What happened
a sworn treatyfor an agreed term
then
oaths brokenand the faith attacked
aim
that they stopthe goal, not revenge
What an oath is worth
words to get byno oaths to them
a weight I carrymy word binds me

This addressed the idolaters of Quraysh who had sworn treaties and then broke them while attacking the faith. Qatadah named leaders of Makkah's opposition such as Abu Jahl and Umayyah bin Khalaf. The stated goal: that they might stop.

"I swear I'll pay you back." "Wallahi I'll be there." How easily the oath comes out, and how easily it is forgotten. The verse describes people for whom oaths meant nothing. Make sure your own wallahi still weighs something.

Swearing by Allah is just a way to make people believe me.

An oath by Allah is heavy. If I say it, I keep it.

Try this

Stop using wallahi casually for one day. Save it for what you truly mean.

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

But if they violate their oaths after their covenant, and attack your religion with disapproval and criticism, then fight (you) against the leaders of disbelief – for surely, their oaths are nothing to them – so that they may stop (evil actions)(12)

The Oaths of the Leaders of Disbelief mean nothing to Them

Allah says, if the idolators with whom you conducted peace treaties for an appointed term break

أَيْمَانَهُم 

(their oaths) meaning, terms of their treaties, and covenants

وَطَعَنُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ 

(and attack your religion...) with disapproval and criticism, it is because of this that one who curses the Messenger, peace be upon him, or attacks the religion of Islam by way of criticism and disapproval, they are to be fought. This is why Allah said afterwards,

فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ ۙ إِنَّهُمْ لَا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنتَهُونَ

(then fight (you) against the leaders of disbelief – for surely, their oaths are nothing to them – so that they may stop.) so that they may refrain from the disbelief, rebellion and the transgression they indulge in. Qatadah and others said that the leaders of disbelief were Abu Jahl, 'Utbah and Shaybah, Umayyah bin Khalaf, and he went on to mention several others. Al-A'mash narrated from Zayd bin Wahb from Hudhayfah; "The people of this Ayah were never fought again." A similar statement was reported from 'Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. However, this Ayah is general, even though the specific reason behind revealing it was the idolators of Quraysh. So this Ayah generally applies to them and others as well, Allah knows best. Al-Walid bin Muslim said that Safwan bin 'Amr narrated that 'Abdur-Rahman bin Jubayr bin Nufayr said that when Abu Bakr sent an army to Ash-Sham, he advised them, "You will find some people with shaved heads. Therefore, strike the swords upon the parts that contain the devil, for by Allah, it is better to me to kill one of these people than to kill seventy other men. This is because Allah said,

فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ

(then fight (you) against the leaders of disbelief.)" Ibn Abi Hatim collected it.