Surah An-Nahl 16:94 — translation and meaning

النحل · Verse 94 / 128 · Page 278

ۖ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا السُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Word by Word

ۖ
وَلَا
wala
And (do) not
تَتَّخِذُوا
tattakhidhu
take
أَيْمَانَكُمْ
aymanakum
your oaths
دَخَلًا
dakhalan
(as) a deception
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
فَتَزِلَّ
fatazilla
lest should slip
قَدَمٌ
qadamun
a foot
بَعْدَ
ba'da
after
ثُبُوتِهَا
thubutiha
it is firmly planted
وَتَذُوقُوا
watadhuqu
and you would taste
السُّوءَ
al-sua
the evil
بِمَا
bima
for what
صَدَدتُّمْ
sadadttum
you hindered
عَن
an
from
سَبِيلِ
sabili
(the) way
اللَّهِ
al-lahi
(of) Allah
وَلَكُمْ
walakum
and for you
عَذَابٌ
adhabun
(is) a punishment
عَظِيمٌ
azimun
great

Transliteration

Wa laa tattakhizooo aimaanakum dakhalam bainakum ftazilla qadamum ba'da subootihaa wa tazooqus sooo'a bimmaa sadattum 'an sabeelil laahi wa lakum 'azaabun 'azeem

Translation

And do not take your oaths as [means of] deceit between you, lest a foot slip after it was [once] firm, and you would taste evil [in this world] for what [people] you diverted from the way of Allah, and you would have [in the Hereafter] a great punishment.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

Do not make your oaths a means of deception thereby allowing you to trick and deceive one another, following your desires - breaking them whenever you wish and fulfilling them when you wish. If you do so your feet will slip from the straight path after being firm on it. You will taste the punishment on account of your deviation from Allah’s path and your misleading others from it and you will receive multiplied punishment.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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"And do not take your oaths as [means of] deceit between you, les…" — An-Nahl 16:94