The noble verse emphasizes the grave consequences of swearing a false oath: forfeiting one’s share in the Hereafter, being disregarded by God on the Day of Resurrection, being denied purification, and facing a severe punishment.
عنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص قَالَ: مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ يَقْتَطِعُ بِهَا مَالَ أَخِيهِ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ هُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَصْدِيقَ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابِهِ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَ أَيْمانِهِمْ ثَمَناً قَلِيلًا قَالَ فَبَرَزَ الْأَشْعَثُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ فَقَالَ فِيَّ نَزَلَتْ خَاصَمْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَقَضَى عَلَيَّ بِالْيَمِين
*Biḥār al-Anwār* (Beirut edition), vol. 101, p. 280
ʿAbd Allāh relates from the Prophet (PBUH): “Whoever swears an oath and, by that false oath, takes his brother’s property for himself will meet God, Mighty and Exalted, while God is angry with him.” Then God revealed in His Book a verse confirming this statement: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ یَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ الله وَ أَیْمانِهِمْ ثَمَناً قَلِیلًا
After the verse was revealed, al-Ashʿath ibn Qays came forward and said: “This verse was revealed about me. I brought a case before the Messenger of God (PBUH) so that he might judge between us, and the Prophet (PBUH) ruled against me on the strength of the other party’s oath.”
And بِإِسْنَادِهِ إِلَى عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ وَائِلٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: اخْتَصَمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ حَضْرَمَوْتَ امْرَءَ الْقَيْسِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فِي أَرْضٍ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا ابْتَزَّ عَلَيَّ أَرْضِي فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ: أَ لَكَ بَيِّنَةٌ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا قَالَ فَيَمِّنْهُ قَالَ: يَذْهَبُ وَ اللَّهِ بِأَرْضِي، فَقَالَ: إِنْ ذَهَبَ بِأَرْضِكَ كَانَ مِمَّنْ لَا يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ لَا يُزَكِّيهِ وَ لَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ.
*Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn*, vol. 1, p. 355
A dispute arose between Imruʾ al-Qays and a man from Hadramawt over ownership of a piece of land. They came before the Prophet (PBUH) to settle the matter. Imruʾ al-Qays claimed ownership of the land, but when the Prophet (PBUH) asked him to produce evidence, he had none. The Prophet (PBUH) then asked the defendant to swear an oath. At this, Imruʾ al-Qays said, “By God, if the defendant swears an oath, I will lose my land.” The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “If you lose your land because of his (false) oath, he will be among those from whom God turns away on the Day of Resurrection, whom He refuses to purify, and for whom He has prepared a painful punishment.”