وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
16:95.
Important Words:
انکاثا (pieces) is the plural of نکث (nikthun) which is derived from نکث (nakatha). They say نکث الحبل i.e. he untwisted the end of a rope. نکث العھد means, he broke the covenant. نکث السواک means, he made the head of the tooth-stick to be disintegrated, dis-united, or separated, in its fibres (Lane & Aqrab).
دخلا (means of deceit) is derived from دخل which means, he or it entered or went or got in. دخل (dakhalun) means, a thing that enters into another thing and is not of it; people or persons who assert their relationship to those of whom they are not; badness, corruptness or unsoundness; or a bad, a corrupt or an unsound state or quality. They say فی عقله دخلi.e. in his intellect is an unsoundness; rottenness; leanness or emaciation; perfidiousness, faithlessness or treachery; deceit, guile or circumvention. The Quranic expression ولا تتخذوا ایمانکم دخلا بینکم means, And make ye not your oaths to be a means of deceit or guile or circumvention between you. (Lane & Aqrab).
اربی (more powerful) is derived from ربا which means, it (the thing) increased or augmented; it increased by usury; ربت الارض means, the ground became large and swelled. اربیت means, I took more than I gave. اربی علی الخمیس ونحوھا means, he exceeded the age of fifty and the like. رباmeans, an excess and an addition. اربی means, more numerous, and more abundant in wealth (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse may be taken as a continuation of the subject matter of the previous verse or it may be understood to deal with a new subject. If it be taken as a continuation of the subject of the previous verse, it contains a warning to believers not to break covenants they have made with one another, for if solemn pledges are broken mutual trust disappears and the unity of the community becomes disintegrated. In fact, the strict observance of covenants and fulfilment of promises are really indispensable for the maintenance of communal concord and unity; for communal concord depends on mutual cooperation and the doing of good to one another. But these things are possible only when men abide by their promises and pledges. If promises solemnly made are not kept, general distrust prevails and the result is total disintegration of the unity of the community.
The verse may not only refer to the covenants which individuals make with one another, but may also comprise that solemn compact which Muslims make at the hands of their Imam or Khalifah, binding themselves to obey him and under his guidance to strive for the progress of the community and the Faith. The Faithful are warned in this verse that since God has organized them into a united and disciplined community under one Leader to whom they have sworn allegiance, they should remain true to him and refrain from creating discord. If they failed to live up to their high ideals, Islam would lose the prestige and power it has gained through their sacrifices. The verse also teaches the great truth, which Muslim statesmen and leaders may well bear in mind, that discord created by a few individuals breaks up a whole organization and all the labour expended on the organization of the community is wasted and fresh and renewed efforts have to be made to reorganize it. They should therefore be always on their guard against mischief-makers because if they allowed their organization to be broken up, they would be like that foolish woman who, "after having made it strong, breaks her yarn into pieces".
The verse seems also to refer to compacts which Muslims in future were destined to make with other nations. In that case, it would be taken as having started a new subject and the Muslims would be regarded as having been enjoined to remain faithful to their treaties, for it is on the strict observance of treaties that the peace of the world depends. The words, you make your oaths to be a means of deceit between you, refer not only to compacts which individuals make with one another but also to the treaties which nations make with one another. Both are inviolable and both must be strictly observed.
The words ان تکون امة ھی اربی من امة may be interpreted in three different ways: (1) because one people (non-Muslims) are stronger and wealthier than the other people (Muslims) i.e. to gain time by hoodwinking the stronger party; (2) lest one people (non-Muslims) should become stronger and wealthier than the other people (Muslims) i.e. to exploit the weaker party; and (3) that one people (Muslims) may become stronger and wealthier than the other people (non-Muslims) i.e. to weaken the stronger party. According to the first rendering, the verse would mean that Muslims should not use the treaties which they make with another nation in order to deceive them because they happen to be stronger in numbers and resources. That is to say, Muslims should not seek to put other people off their guard by concluding with them a treaty of peace, thus biding their time till a favourable opportunity arises and they are strong enough to dishonour their treaty.
According to the second rendering, the verse would mean that Muslims should not make treaties with a weaker nation with the evil intent of exploiting it and fraudulently taking possession of its country. According to the third rendering, however, the verse would mean that Muslims should not make treaties with other people with the object of weakening their strength or impeding their progress. These are the noble and sublime Islamic teachings with regard to the sacredness and inviolability of international treaties. To see one’s country great and powerful is a natural desire but under no circumstances is it permissible to Muslims to achieve it at the cost of treaties solemnly made or by fraudulent means. Treaties should be entered into with the noble object of maintaining international peace, and not for deceiving or harming other nations. The West may well learn a lesson from this noble teaching of the Quran.
The words, Surely, Allah tries you therewith, mean that such opportunities come as a trial, and God will see whether Muslims act upon the moral precepts of Islam or are led astray by the love of the world and imitate the example of other people. These teachings furnish remarkable evidence of the truth of the Quran and of the supremacy of Islam over other religions. The verse was revealed at Mecca, when Muslims did not possess even a single yard of land, but they were given teachings which were meant to guide the conduct of leaders of great nations and rulers of empires, and the instructions given were so noble and sublime that it was not possible to deny their superiority over other similar teachings. All the unrest and lack of trust so widespread among the nations of the world today is due to non-observance of these teachings.
16:95.
This and the preceding verse lay the greatest stress on the inviolability of oaths which should be observed at all costs.
The Arabic expression is capable of three interpretations:
(1) Because one people (non-Muslims) are stronger and wealthier than the other people (Muslims), i.e. Muslims should not put other stronger people out of their guard by concluding with them a peace treaty, thus biding their time till a favourable opportunity arises and they are strong enough to dishonour it.
(2) For fear lest one people (non-Muslims) should become stronger and wealthier than the other people (Muslims).
(3) So that one people (Muslims) should become stronger than the other people (non-Muslims), i.e. Muslims should not make a treaty with non-Muslims with this object in view that by taking advantage of it they should add to their own strength and break it when they find themselves stronger than non-Muslims.