"And do not make Allah an obstacle to your oaths, by being righteous, fearing Allah, and making peace between people." The interpretation of al-Hasan: A man would be told: "Why do you not show kindness to your father, your brother, or your relative, or do such and such an act of goodness?" He would reply: "I have sworn by Allah that I will not show him kindness, nor uphold ties with him, nor reconcile that which is between me and him." He would use Allah as an excuse. So Allah revealed: "And do not make Allah an obstacle to your oaths," meaning the oath; that is, do not use Allah as an excuse.
Muhammad said: The meaning is: Do not make Allah, by swearing by Him, a barrier to you from showing kindness. This is what al-Hasan intended.
Yahya narrated from al-Hasan ibn Dinar, from al-Hasan, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me: "O Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah, if you swear an oath and then see that something else is better than it, then perform that which is better and offer expiation for your oath."
﴿وَلا تَجْعَلُوا اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لأَيْمَانِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَتُصْلِحُوا بَين النَّاس﴾ تَفْسِير الحَسَن: كَانَ الرجل يُقَال لَهُ: لم لَا تبر أَبَاك أَو أَخَاك أَو قرابتك أَو تفعل كَذَا لخير؟! فَيَقُول: قد حَلَفت بِاللَّهِ لَا أبره، وَلا أَصله، وَلَا أصلح الَّذِي بيني وَبَينه؛ يعتل بِاللَّهِ؛ فَأنْزل اللَّه ﴿وَلا تَجْعَلُوا اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لأيمانكم﴾ يَعْنِي: الْحلف؛ أَي: لَا تعتلوا بِاللَّهِ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: الْمَعْنى: لَا تجْعَلُوا اللَّه بِالْحلف بِهِ مَانِعا لكم من أَن تبروا. وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَرَادَ الحَسَن.
يَحْيَى: عَنِ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: ((يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ؛ إِذَا حَلَفت على يَمِين فَرَأَيْت خيرا مِنْهَا، فَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَكفر عَن يَمِينك)).
