ibn Ka‘b ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim—and she was known as Ji‘r. She suffered from obsessive delusions. She had made a spindle a cubit long, a hook the size of a finger, and a large whorl proportionate to it. She would spin yarn from wool, hair, and camel hair, and would instruct her slave-girls to do the same. They would spin from early morning until midday; then, when midday came, she would order them to unravel everything they had spun. This was her habitual practice. (1)

Its meaning is that she did not cease working, nor, once she had worked, did she refrain from undoing it. Likewise, when you break a covenant, you do not refrain from making covenants, yet when you do make one, you do not fulfil it.

“Making it into unravelled strands”: that is, undone threads; each is what has been unravelled after being twisted, whether yarn or rope.

“Making your oaths a means of deceit among yourselves”: that is, a means of corruption, treachery, and deception. Such corruption is what enters into something and spoils it.

It was also said that corruption and deceit mean outwardly displaying faithfulness while inwardly intending to break the covenant.

“Because one community is more numerous”: that is, because one community is greater and more powerful than another. Mujahid said: “They would form alliances with allies, but when they found a people more numerous and mightier than them, they would break the alliance with those people and ally themselves with the larger group.” Thus, its meaning is: you sought honour by breaking the covenant because one community was more numerous than another. So Allah forbade them from doing so.

“Allah only tests you thereby”: Allah tests you by commanding you to fulfil the covenant. “And on the Day of Resurrection He will surely make clear to you that over which you used to differ”—in this world.

“Had Allah willed, He could have made you one community, but He causes to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do. (93)”