'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (allah will not take you to task for that which is unintentional in your oaths) allah does not take you to task for the expiation of unintentional oaths, (but he will take you to task for the oaths which ye swear in earnest) he takes you to task for the intention of your hearts when you make oaths. (the expiation thereof) the expiation of the oath which is not unintentional (is the feeding of ten of the needy with the average of that wherewith ye feed your own folk) of bread and seasoning which you feed to them at lunch and dinner, (or the clothing of them) or the clothing of ten needy people whereby their nudity is covered: a shawl, a gown or a loin cloth, (or the liberation of a slave) whichever it is of these three options, (and for him who finds not (the wherewithal to do so)) any one of these three options (then a three day fast) consecutively. (this) which i have mentioned (is the expiation of your oaths when ye have sworn) and do not honour your oath; (and keep your oaths) the uttering of your oaths as well as the expiation of your oaths. (thus allah expoundeth unto you his revelations) his commands and prohibitions, as he expounds the expiation of oaths (in order that ye may give thanks) in order that you may show gratitude for expositing his commands and prohibitions.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : god will not take you to task for a slip, contained, in your oaths, which is what the tongue utters spontaneously, without intending to swear an oath, such as when one says, ‘no, by god’, or ‘yes, by god’; but he will take you to task for that to which you have pledged (read ‘aqadtum, ‘aqqadttum or ‘āqadttum) oaths, where you have sworn an oath intentionally; the expiation thereof, of the oath if you break it, is the feeding of ten of the needy, for each needy person one mudd measure, of the midmost food, from which, you feed your families, that is, the closest or the principal [food you consume], neither better, nor worse; or the clothing of them, with what may be [properly] called clothes, such as a shirt, a turban, or a loin cloth — it is not sufficient that these [items] mentioned be given only to one needy person, according to al-shāfi‘ī; or the setting free of a, believing, slave, as applies in the expiation for slaying or repudiation through zihār, interpreting the general [stipulation] in a restricted sense; and whoever does not find the means, for any one of the [expiations] mentioned, then the fasting of three days, as an expiation for him — as it appears [in this verse], it is not obligatory to follow the [above] sequence [of alternatives when making an expiation], and this is the opinion of al-shāfi‘ī. that, which is mentioned, is the expiation of your oaths if you have sworn, and have broken them; but keep your oaths, do not break them, unless it be for a righteous deed or setting right between people, as stated in the verse of sūrat al-baqara [q. 2:225]. so, in the same way that he has explained to you what has been mentioned, god makes clear to you his signs, so that you might be thankful, to him for this.
