Is taking an 'citizenship' oath that you don't believe in Halal?

Sources

• ✓ 16:94 · An-Nahl

  16:94 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌۢ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ

  Make not your oaths a deceit between you, lest a foot should slip after being firmly planted and ye should taste evil forasmuch as ye debarred (men) from the way of Allah, and yours should be an awful doom.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 16:94

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 16:94

  Allah Almighty says: “Had Allah willed, He could have made you [all] one nation,” meaning if He had wished, He would have guided all of humanity to the same religion and belief, thereby eliminating all differences, disputes, and enmities among people. This is similar to what Allah says in Surah Yunus (10:99): "And if your Lord had willed, everyone on earth would have believed together." This indicates His power to unify mankind in faith, but He chooses otherwise, allowing diversity and differing groups to exist, as mentioned in Surah Hud (11:118-119). Here, Allah also says: “But He misguides whom He wills and guides whom He wills,” demonstrating that guidance and misguidance are under divine will and wisdom. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will question all of you concerning your deeds and recompense everyone justly, rewarding even the smallest and most overlooked actions with precision and fairness. Then, Allah warns His servants against using oaths deceitfully or as a means to break promises and cheat others, threatening instability in their faith and causing them to stray. This warning is for those who were once on the straight path but deviated because of false oaths that prevent them from following Allah’s way. If a disbeliever sees that a believer has made a pact and then betrayed it, the disbeliever loses trust in the religion entirely and is thereby kept away from entering Islam. Hence, Allah says: “And you shall taste the evil consequences of what you have done by diverting from the way of Allah, and for you is a severe punishment.” After that, Allah commands: “And do not exchange the covenant of Allah for a small price,” meaning do not forsake your faith in Allah and His promises for the fleeting and trivial gains of worldly life and its adornments. Even if the entire world in its finest form was given to the son of Adam, it would still be insignificant compared to what Allah offers in reward and recompense. The latter is truly better for anyone who hopes and believes in it, holding fast to their pledge for His promised reward. Therefore, He concludes: “If you only knew that what you have will exhaust,” referring to the transient nature of worldly possessions and life—they shall come to an end, being limited and finite—“but what is with Allah is enduring.” This means the rewards Allah has prepared for the faithful in Paradise are everlasting, never ceasing or diminishing. Finally, Allah promises: “And We will surely reward those who are patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” This is an oath bolstered by the particle “la” in Arabic, signifying certainty that Allah will compensate the patient with rewards that exceed their deeds and will forgive their faults.

• ✓ Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 16:94

  Shia

  Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 16:94

  **Language:** The emphasis expressed by repetition and stress, as in "awakkadtu 'aqdaka" meaning "I firmly bound it," is a style common to the people of the Hijaz and Najd regions; they say "akkadt ta'kidan" to mean "I confirmed strongly." The term "al-ankath" refers to "rubble" or remnants, singular "nakth," which derives from the verbal noun "nakth." When one says "this is 'la naktha' fih" it means "there is no breach or reversal in it." Anything unraveled after it has been firmly tied or twisted is considered "ankath," whether it be a rope or thread spun from wool. The one who reneges on an oath—called "al-nakithah"—is one who breaks his pledged bond and contradicts what he vowed, like a woman who unravels her spinning. "Ad-dukhul" means something introduced into a matter that corrupts it. Some say it means deceit or fraud. The reason it is called "dukhul" (which literally means intrusion) is because it enters the heart but rejects honoring one's promise, despite appearances suggesting otherwise. Abu Ubaydah stated that any matter that is unsound is considered "dukhul," and whatever contains defect is considered "madkhool." "Arbaa," an intensive form of "riba" (increase or surplus), implies increment beyond agreement or principal amount. For example, poets say "Arbaa" to denote an increase, as in a passage describing dark-skinned beauty who widened her dance steps beyond the agreed distance. **Grammar:** "Ankathaa" is in the accusative case as it is verbal in meaning, functioning as a verbal noun. The phrase "dukhulan baynakum" is also accusative, serving as the object of the verbal notion "take your oaths as a means of intrusion." The clause "an takuna ummah hiya arbaa min ummah" involves the nominative "hiya arbaa" as predicate and subject respectively; some have proposed alternatives, but those are linguistically untenable. **Meaning:** After a clear command to establish justice and benevolence and to avoid wrongdoing and aggression, God commands fulfilling one's pledges and forbids breaking oaths. As He says: "Fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have made a covenant." Ibn Abbas explains this means promises within a covenant which are obligatory to honor. Promising God to do something makes fulfilling it mandatory. The prohibition against "nakth al-ayman" after affirming them means forbidding breaking one’s oaths by contradicting their terms or violating their bonds after having firmly pledged them by invoking God's name. The expression "Allah has made Himself a Surety over you" suggests that by swearing in God’s name, one effectively entrusts God as a guardian over the fulfillment of that oath, signaling solemn assurance. This verse was revealed regarding those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him) on Islam. God warns Muslims not to let the small number of believers or the abundance and strength of polytheists cause them to break the covenant. Instead, they must remain steadfast and uphold their vows confirmed by oaths. This also serves as a parable: "Do not be like the woman who spun thread and then unraveled it after firmly twisting it." She was a foolish woman from Quraysh named Ryṭah bint ‘Amr who spun thread daily with her handmaids, and then would order them to undo the spinning—a repeated, nonsensical act. "You take your oaths for deceit and betrayal" indicates that people were breaking their promises, duplicating treachery which corrupted relations and covenants: they used oaths as tools for slyness and dishonesty. "Do not let it be that one people should be stronger than another," meaning do not break covenants because an allied group is larger or more powerful than the other side. Instead, you must honor your promises despite disparities in numbers or strength. "God only tests you thereby" means that this command to uphold oaths is a divine test. The pronoun "-hu" refers to this command's reality. God will test and distinguish actions by their results in the Hereafter. "He will separate for you on the Day of Resurrection what you differed in" means that God will clarify truth and falsehood regarding your oaths when you are questioned about what you did. "If God had willed, He could have made you one community" means that unity and guidance could be achieved by God's will and power, but He permitted disparity to merit reward and to demonstrate free will. This is followed by the affirmation "He misguides whom He wills and He guides whom He wills," referring to God's judgment in guiding or leaving astray individuals. "You will surely be asked about what you used to do" addresses accountability for deeds, both righteous and wrongful. The Allah admonishes against swearing oaths that conceal treachery and hypocrisy, leading to the misstep, like a foot slipping after having been steady—indicating the spiritual cost of such behavior and the consequence of God's displeasure replacing satisfaction. This verse was revealed to those who had pledged to the Prophet, warning them to uphold their allegiance to Islam and not to break the covenant, despite challenges from more numerous or powerful adversaries. "You will taste evil due to what you have done to prevent people from the way of God," meaning you will suffer the punishment for preventing others from following the truth. "And you have for you a severe punishment" refers to the great torment awaiting those who betray. Salman al-Farsi reportedly said that this community will be destroyed due to breaking its treaties. Similarly, Abu Abd Allah (peace be upon him) said the verses were revealed regarding the allegiance to Ali (peace be upon him). **Literary Transition:** The connection to the previous verse about God's power to unify believers lies in emphasizing that although God could have guided all to one community, He has instead chosen to test people through upholding or breaking covenants, thus awarding or punishing accordingly. **Following Verses:** God also commands: "Do not sell God's covenant for a trivial price, for what is with God is better for you if you but knew." This confirms the value of keeping promises over worldly gain. He declares, "What is with you will end but what is with God is everlasting," encouraging endurance and trust. The reward for the patient, male or female, believer, engaging in righteous work is a good life and the best recompense. Finally, God instructs: "When you recite the Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan. Indeed, Satan has no authority over those who believe and rely on their Lord." This closes the instruction on maintaining fidelity to God’s commands and turning to Him for protection.