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fa-bi-mā naqḍihim mīthāqahum laʿannāhum wa-jaʿalnā qulūbahum qāsiyatan yuḥarrifūna l-kalima ʿan mawāḍiʿihī wa-nasū ḥaẓẓan mimmā dhukkirū bihī wa-lā tazālu taṭṭaliʿu ʿalā khāʾinatin minhum ʾillā qalīlan minhum fa-ʿfu ʿanhum wa-ṣfaḥ ʾinna llāha yuḥibbu l-muḥsinīna
Then, because of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard: they pervert words from their meanings, and have forgotten a part of what they were reminded. You will not cease to learn of some of their treachery, excepting a few of them. Yet excuse them and forbear. Indeed Allah loves the virtuous.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 13
In the first verse of this Surah, the fulfilment of contracts was referred to. In the previous verse, the covenant of Allah (s.w.t.) with the Israelites, and the heedlessness of those people unto the Divine covenant, was pointed out. In the current verse, the effects of breaching promise are stated. Therefore, this Surah has been entitled 'the covenant' too. However, the contents of the verses, as a whole, also warn about a great breach of promise.
Breach of promise causes deprivation from Allah's grace.3 It is also an origin of the appearance of hard-heartedness in persons. The Israelites have always been treacherous. They used to pervert the religion of Allah, therefore, they encountered with punishment. The verse says:
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