Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/40)

“Do not use your oaths to deceive one another, lest a foot slip after having been firmly planted, and you taste evil for having hindered others from the way of Allah, and suffer a tremendous punishment.” (94)

“Had Allah willed, He could have made you one community,” upon one religion—Islam. “But He causes to stray whom He wills,” by forsaking them, in justice from Him; “and He guides whom He wills,” by granting them success, as a favour from Him. “And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do,” on the Day of Resurrection.

“Do not use your oaths as a means of deceit”—that is, deception and corruption—“among yourselves,” deceiving people by them, so that they place their trust in your oaths and feel secure, only for you then to break them. “Lest a foot slip after having been firmly planted”: that is, lest you perish after having been secure. The Arabs say:

﴿وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا السُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدْتُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (٩٤) ﴾ ﴿وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً﴾ عَلَى مِلَّةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ، ﴿وَلَكِنْ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ﴾ بِخِذْلَانِهِ إِيَّاهُمْ، عَدْلًا مِنْهُ، ﴿وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ﴾ بِتَوْفِيقِهِ إِيَّاهُمْ، فَضْلًا مِنْهُ، ﴿وَلَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. ﴿وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا﴾ خَدِيعَةً وَفَسَادًا، ﴿بَيْنَكُمْ﴾ فَتَغُرُّونَ بِهَا النَّاسَ، فَيَسْكُنُونَ إِلَى أَيْمَانِكُمْ، وَيَأْمَنُونَ، ثُمَّ تَنْقُضُونَهَا، ﴿فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا﴾ فَتَهْلَكُوا بَعْدَمَا كُنْتُمْ آمِنِينَ وَالْعَرَبُ تَقُولُ