(Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s covenant and their oaths…) [3:77]. Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qadi informed us> Hajib ibn Ahmad> Muhammad ibn Hammad> Abu Mu‘awiyah> al-A‘mash> Shaqiq> ‘Abd Allah who reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: “Whoever makes an oath knowing well that he is lying in order to usurp the property of another Muslim, Allah will be angry with him when he meets Him”. Then al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays said: “By Allah, this was revealed about me. There was a land between me and a Jew, but he denied that I was its owner. And so I took him to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, who asked me: ‘Do you have a proof?’ I said: ‘no!’ He then asked the Jew: ‘Will you swear [that the land is yours]?’ I said: O Messenger of Allah! If he swears that the land is his, I will lose my property. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s covenant and their oaths…)”. This was narrated by Bukhari from ‘Abdan from Abu Hamzah from al-A‘mash. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Mihrajani informed us> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Zahid> Abu’l-Qasim al-Baghawi> Muhammad ibn Sulayman> Salih ibn ‘Umar> al-A‘mash> Shaqiq> ‘Abd Allah who reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: “Whoever lies in his oath in order to usurp a property, Allah will be angry with him when he will meet Him”. “Then Allah, exalted is He, revealed: (Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s covenant and their oaths…) up to the end of the verse. Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays came and asked: ‘What is it that Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman is relating to you?’ We said: ‘Such-and-such’. He said: ‘This verse was revealed about me. I reported to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, a dispute that I had with another man and so he asked me: ‘do you have a proof’. I said: ‘No!’ He said: ‘Then the man should swear’. I said: ‘So let him swear’. The Messenger, peace be upon him, said: ‘Whoever lies in his oath in order to usurp a property, Allah will be angry with him when he will meet Him’.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou
