The Quran

Preface

وَلا تَتَّخِذوا أَيمانَكُم دَخَلًا بَينَكُم فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعدَ ثُبوتِها وَتَذوقُوا السّوءَ بِما صَدَدتُم عَن سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَلَكُم عَذابٌ عَظيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

And take not your oaths, to practise deception between yourselves,¹ with the result that someone?s foot may slip after it was firmly planted, and ye may have to taste the evil (consequences) of having hindered (men) from the Path of God, and a Mighty Wrath descend on you.

In 16:92, above, the motive for false and fraudulent covenants was pointed out with reprobation. Now are pointed out the consequences, viz., (1) to others; if they had not been deceived, they might have walked firmly on the Path, but now they lose faith and perhaps commit like frauds for which you will be responsible; (2) to yourselves; you have not only gone wrong yourselves; but have set others on the wrong path; and deserve a double Penalty. Perhaps the “evil consequences” refer to this world, and the “wrath” to the Hereafter.