60- Surat Almumtahanah/Tafseer
13 Verses Medinan (revealed in Medina)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu la tattakhizu aduwwi
wa aduwwakum awliyyaa tulquna ilayhim bel-mawaddati wa qad kafaru bi-ma
ja-akum mena al-haqqi youkhrijuna alrasula wa iyyakum an tu'minu bi-llahi
rabbikum in kuntum kharajtum jihadan fee sabeeli wa-btighaa mardati tusirruna ilayhim bel-mawaddati wa ana a'lamu bi-ma akhfaytum wa ma a'lantum wa man yaf-alhu menkum fa-qad dalla sawaa
alsabeel (1).
O you who have believed! Do not take My enemies and
your enemies as allies, extending to them affection, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth, driving out
the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord, if you have come out to do Jihad in My way, and to seek My pleasure, you express affection to them secretly, but I am Most knowing of what you have concealed and
what you have declared, and whoever does it among you has certainly gone astray from the straight way.
In yathqafukum yakunu lakum a'da-an wa yabsutu ilaykum aydiyahum wa alsinatahum bi-ssui wa waddu laww takfurun (2).
If they gain dominance over you, they would be to you as enemies, and would extend their hands and their tongues
towards you with evil, and they wish that you would disbelieve.
Lan tanfa-akum arhamukum wa-la awladukum yawma
al-qiyamati yafsilu baynakum wa Allahu bi-ma ta'maluna Baseer (3).
Neither your relatives nor your children will benefit you, on the day of resurrection, He will judge between you, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.
Qad kanat lakum auswatun hasanatun fee ibrahima
wa allazina ma-ahu iz qalu li-qawmihim inna bura-a-au minkum wa mimma ta'buduna
men duni ellahi kafarna bikum wa bada baynana wa baynakumu al-adawatu wal-baghda-ou abadan hatta tu'minu bi-llahi wahdahu illa qawla ibrahima
li-abeehi la-astaghfiranna laka wa ma amliku laka mina Allahi men shay-in
rabbana alayka tawakkalna wa ilayka anabna wa ilayka al-maseer (4).
Indeed, there has been for you a good example in Abraham and those with Him, when they said to their
people, indeed, we are disavowing you and what you
worship besides Allah, we have disbelieved in you, enmity and hatred has appeared between us and you
forever, until you believe in Allah alone, except for the saying of Abraham to his
father, I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have no power from Allah to do anything for you, Our Lord, upon You we have put our trust, and to
You we have turned, and to you is the final return.
Rabbana la taj-alna fitnatan li-llazina kafaru wa-ghfir lana Rabbana innaka anta al-Azizu al-Hakeem (5).
Our lord, Do not make us a trial for those who
disbelieve, and Forgive us, our Lord, indeed, it is You who is the Almighty,
the All-Wise.
La-qad kana lakum feehim auswatun hasanatun li-man
kana yarju Allaha wal-yawma al-akhira wa man yatawalla fa-inna Allaha huwa
Al-Ghaniyyu Al-Hameed (6).
Indeed, there has been for you in them a good
example for anyone who hopes Allah and the Last Day, and whoever turns
away, then indeed, Allah is Free of need, the Praiseworthy.
Asa Allahu an yaj-ala baynakum wa bayna
allazina adaytum minhum mawaddatan wa Allahu Qadeerun wa Allahu Ghafurun Raheem (7).
Perhaps Allah will place affection between you and those of them with
whom you have enmity, and Allah is All-Powerful,
and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
La yanhakumu Allahu ani allazina lam
youqatilukum fee-ddini wa lam youkhrijukum men diyarikum an tabarruhum wa
tuqsitu ilayhim inna Allaha youhibbu al-muqsiteen (8).
Allah does not forbid you from those who did not
fight you because of religion, and did not expel you from your
homes, that you treat them kindly, and act justly towards them, indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.
Innama yanhakumu Allahu ani allazina qatalukum
fee-ddini wa akhrajukum men diyarikum wa zaharu ala ikhrajikum an
tawallawhum wa man yatawallahum fa-aulaeka humu alzalimun (9).
Allah only forbids
you from those who fight you because of religion, and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion that you make allies of them, and whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu iza ja-akumu
almu'minatu muhajiratin fa-mtahinuhunna Allahu a'lamu bi-imanihinna fa-in
alimtumuhunna mu'minatin fa-la tarji-uhunna ila al-kuffari la hunna hillun lahum
wa la hum yahilluna lahunna wa atuhum ma anfaqu wa la junaha alaykum an
tankihuhunna iza ataytumuhunna aujurahunna wa la tumsiku bi-esami al-kawafiri
wa-s-alu ma anfaqtum wal-yas-alu ma anfaqu zalikum hukmu Allahi yahkumu baynakum wa Allahu Aleemun Hakeem (10).
O you who have believed! When the believing women come
to you as emigrants, Put them to a test, Allah knows best about their faith, so if you know them to be believers, then Do not return them to
the disbelievers, they are not lawful for them,
nor are they lawful for them, but Give them what
they have spent, and there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their dowries, and Do
not hold marriage bonds with disbelieving women, and Ask for what you have
spent, and let them ask for what they have spent, that is the judgment of Allah, He
judges between you, and Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.
Wa-in fatakum shay-on men azwajikum ila al-kuffari
fa-aqabtum fa-atu allazina zahabat azwajuhum methla ma anfaqu wa-ttaqu Allaha allazi antum bihi mu'minun (11).
And if you have lost any of your wives to the disbelievers, and you
subsequently obtain, then Give those whose wives have gone the equivalent of what they had spent, and Fear Allah, the One in Whom you are believers.
Ya-ayyuha alnabiyyu iza ja-aka al-mu'minatu youbayi'naka ala an la youshrikna bi-llahi shay-an wa la yasriqna wa la yaznina
wa la yaqtulna awladahunna wa la ya'teena bi-buhtanin yaftarinahu bayna
aydihinna wa arjulihinna wa la ya'sinaka fee ma'rufin fa-bayi'hunna wa-staghfir
lahunna Allaha inna Allaha Ghafurun Raheem (12).
O Prophet! When the believing women come to You,
pledging to You that they will not associate anything
with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit fornication, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander that they have invented between their hands and their legs, nor will they disobey You in what is right, then Accept their pledge, and Ask
forgiveness for them from Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.
Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu la tatawallaww qawman
ghadiba Allahu alayhim qad ya-esu mena al-akhirati ka-ma ya-esa al-kuffaru men
as-habi al-qubur (13).
O you who have believed! Do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry, indeed, they have
despaired of the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Almumtahanah contains numerous rulings on how Muslims should deal with the disbelievers who oppose them in religion, as well as with those who do not oppose them, and Allah has cited for the believers the example of Abraham and those who believed with Him in their dealing with the disbelievers. The Surah also includes rulings on how to deal with the immigrant believing women, and an explicit ruling prohibiting Muslim women from marrying the disbelivers and another ruling prohibiting Muslim men from holding marriage bonds with the disbelieving women.
Allah Almighty says in the first verse (1) "O you who have believed! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth, driving out the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord, if you have come out to do Jihad in My way, and to seek My pleasure, you express affection to them secretly, but I am Most knowing of what you have concealed and what you have declared, and whoever does it among you has certainly gone astray from the straight way", that is, Allah forbids the believers to take the polytheists and the disbelievers who are at war with Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, as allies and friends. So Allah incites the believers to enmity and disloyalty towards them saying they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth, driving out the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord, so they expelled Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and His companions from Mecca out of their hatred of their monotheism and their sincere worship of Allah alone, so you had no fault except your belief in Allah, so if you went out fighting in My way and seeking My pleasure, then Do not befriend My enemies and your enemies, who have driven you out of your homes and your wealth out of resentment against you and anger towards your religion. Then Allah address the believers saying you secretly show affection to those who associate partners with Allah, and I know best what some of you have concealed from others, and what you have made public, and whoever among you secretly shows affection to the polytheists has certainly deviated from the right path that Allah has made a way to Paradise.
The cause of revelation of the beginning of this Surah was the story of Hatib bin Abi Balta'ah, Hatib was a man from the Muhajireen (From mecca to Medina), and he was also one of the people of Badr, he had children and wealth in Mecca, and he was not from Quraish tribe. When Allah's Messenger (PBUH) resolved to conquer Mecca after its people broke their treaty, He (PBUH) ordered the Muslims to prepare for the conquest of Mecca, and said O Allah! Conceal Our news from them. Hatib then wrote a letter and sent it with a woman to the people of Mecca, informing them of the Prophet's intention to attack them, hoping to gain favor and protection for his family, so Allah revealed this to His Messenger in response to His supplication, and Allah's Messenger sent three of His companions after the woman, and retrieved the letter from her. Muhammad bin Ja'far said that the woman was from the tribe of Muzaynah, and others claimed that she was Sara, the freed girl-slave of Banu Abdul-Muttalib.
As narrated by Ali bin Abi Talib: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) sent Me along with Alzubair and Al-Miqdad and said Proceed till you reach a place called Rawdat Khakh where there is a lady travelling in a howdah on a camel, she has a letter, take the letter from her. So we set out, and our horses ran at full pace till we reached Rawdat Khakh, and behold! We saw the lady and said Take out the letter, she said I have no letter with me, we said either you take out the letter or we will strip you of your clothes, so she took the letter out of her hair braid. We brought the letter to the Prophet (PBUH) and behold, it was addressed by Hatib bin Abi Balta'ah to some pagans at Mecca, informing them of some of the affairs of the Prophet (PBUH), the Prophet said what is this O Hatib?, Hatib replied Do not be hasty with me O Allah's Messenger! I am an Ansari man and do not belong to them (Quraish), while the emigrants who were with You had their relatives who used to protect their families and properties at Mecca, so to compensate for not having blood relation with them, I intended to do them some favor, so that they might protect my relatives (at Mecca), and I did not do this out of disbelief or an inclination to desert my religion. the Prophet (PBUH) then said he has told the truth, Umar said O Allah's Messenger! Allow me to chop his head off, the Messenger (PBUH) said He is one of those who witnessed the Battle of Badr, and what do you know, perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr and said Do what you want as I have forgiven you. Amr, a sub-narrator, said this verse was revealed about him (Hatib) O you who have believed! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies" (Sahih Albukhari 4890).
Thereupon, Allah forbade the believers from taking the disbelievers as allies, and from extending love to them, and Imam Al-Qurtubi said that this Surah is fundamental in prohibiting the taking of disbelievers as allies, and this has been mentioned in several places of the Holy Quran, among these is Allah's saying in Aya (28) of Surat Ali Imran {Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers}, Allah's saying in Aya (144) of Surat Alnisa' {O you who have believed! Do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers, Do you wish to make for Allah against you a clear authority?}, Allah's Saying in Aya (51) of Surat Alma'idah {O you who have believed! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies, some of them are allies to others, and whoever takes them as allies among you, then indeed, he is of them}, and many several verses. and it was said that Hatib bin Abi Balta'ah was dancing with joy because Allah did not deny His faith and addressed him saying O you who have believed, and Ibn Abbas said that Hatib was one of those who were expelled from Mecca with Allah's Messenger (PBUH).
Hatib showed the disbelievers of Quraish affection outwardly and his heart was sound, as evidenced by the Prophet's words "He has told the truth", and Imam Al-Qurtubi said that whoever informs the enemies of the news and faults of Muslims is not considered an infidel if his action is for a worldly purpose, and his belief is sound, as Hatib did when he intended to do favor to the pagans of Quraish and did not intend to apostatize from the religion. And Imam Al-Qurtubi further said "If we said that he is not infidel for this, Is he to be executed as a punishment or not?, the scholars differed on that, Malik, ibn Al-Qasim, Ashhab said that the Imam of Muslims should exercise his discretion in this matter, Abdul-Malik said that if this is his habit, he should be executed because he is a spy, Malik said that a spy should be executed, and this opinion was favored by Imam Al-Qurtubi, who said that this is correct because the spy harms the Muslims and spread corruption in the land. Ibn Al-Majishun stipulated repetition as a condition for execution because Hatib wa caught in his first act, and Allah knows best.
But if the spy is an infidel, Al-Awza'i said that this is a breach of his covenant, Asbagh said that a spy who is at war with the Muslims is to be killed, and a Muslim spy or Dhimmi (Non-Muslim lives under Islamic rule) is to be punished unless they openly oppose Islam, in which case they are to be killed. Allah's Messenger (PBUH) ordered the killing of Furat bin Hayyan before he embraced Islam for he was a spy against the Muslims for Abu Sufyan, who was one of the leaders of Quraish before he embraced Islam too, but when Furat bin Hayyan embraced Islam, Islam saved him from killing, Furat bin Hayyan reported: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded to kill him, he was a spy of Abu Sufyan, and an ally of a man of the Ansar. He passed a circle of the Ansar and said I am a Muslim, a man from the Ansar said Messenger of Allah! He is saying that he is a Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said there are people among you in whose faith we trust, Furat bin Hayyan is one of them" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2652).
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (2,3) "If they gain dominance over you, they would be to you as enemies, and would extend their hands and their tongues towards you with evil, and they wish that you would disbelieve, neither your relatives nor your children will benefit you, on the day of resurrection, He will judge between you, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do", that is, Allah has made it clear that what Hatib had done was wrong, because the infidels have no covenant, and if they were to defeat the Muslims, they would become enemies to them, and they would inflict physical harm on them by their hands through striking and killing, and psychological harm by their tongues through insults, wishing that the Muslims would disbelieve in Allah and return to polytheism, thereupon, Allah assures the Muslims that their relatives and their children, whom they are keen to protect, will not benefit them on the day of resurrection if they disobey Allah for their sake, and that Allah will separate and judge between them on the day of resurrection, and Allah is All-Seeing of they do, as nothing of their affair is hidden from Him, whether they conceal or declare it, and He will recompense each one for his deed.
Imam Ibn Katheer said that whoever agrees with his family in disbelief to please them has failed, lost, and his deeds have gone astray, and that his kinship with anyone will not benefit him before Allah, even if he were related to a prophet, as Hammad bin Salama narrated from Thabit from Anas bin Malik: "A person said Messenger of Allah! Where is my father?, He (PBUH) said he is in the Fire, when he turned away, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) called him and said indeed, My father and your father are in the Fire" (Sahih Muslim 203).
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (4) "Indeed, there has been for you a good example in Abraham and those with Him, when they said to their people, indeed, we are disavowing you and what you worship besides Allah, we have disbelieved in you, enmity and hatred has appeared between us and you forever, until you believe in Allah alone, except for the saying of Abraham to his father, I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have no power from Allah to do anything for you, Our Lord, upon You we have put our trust, and to You we have turned, and to you is the final return", that is, Allah gave the believers an excellent example in Abraham and those who believed with Him so that they might imitate them in dealing with the infidels by showing enmity towards them, avoiding them, and disavowing them, as the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, and those who believed with Him said to their people we disassociate ourselves from you and from whatever you worship besides Allah, we have disbelieved in your religion and in your way, and enmity and hatred have been established from now on between us and you, as long as you remain in your disbelief, we will disassociate ourselves from you and hate you until you acknowledge the Oneness of Allah and worship Him alone, with no partner, and abandon what you worship besides Him of idols and false gods.
Then Allah says "Except for the saying of Abraham to his father, I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have no power from Allah to do anything for you", so you have an excellent example in Abraham and those who believed with Him except for Abraham's seeking forgiveness for His father, for that was only because of a promise He had made to him, but when it became clear to Him that His father was an enemy to Allah, he disavowed him, Imam Ibn Katheer said that some believers used to pray for their fathers who died on polytheism and seek forgiveness for them saying that the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, used to seek forgiveness for His father, so Allah revealed Ayat (113,114) of Surat Altawbah {It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists even if they were near of kin after it has become clear to them that they are the companions of the Hell, and the request of forgiveness of Abraham for His father was only because of a promise He had made to him, but when it became clear to Him that he was an enemy to Allah, He disavowed him, indeed, Abraham was submissive and forbearing}.
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada, Muqatil, Aldahhak, and others said that this means that you have no good example in seeking forgiveness for the disbelievers. Thereupon, it is not permissible to seek forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are the parents or the children. And the Prophet Abraham assured His father that he cannot avert any of Allah's punishment from him if he associates partners with Allah. When the Prophet Abraham and those with Him parted from their people and disavowed them, they turned to Allah and supplicated Him saying "Our Lord, upon You we have put our trust, and to You we have turned, and to you is the final return", so we have relied upon You in all matters, and we have submitted our affairs to You, and to You is the final return on the day of resurrection.
Imam Al-Qurtubi said that this verse indicates the superiority of the Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) over all prophets; Because when we were commanded to follow Him, we were given an absolute command in Allah's saying {And whatever the Messenger gives you, then Take it, and whatever He forbids you, then Refrain from it, Surat Alhashr, Aya 7}, but when we were commanded to follow the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, some of His actions were made an exception.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (5) "Our lord, Do not make us a trial for those who disbelieve, and Forgive us, our Lord, indeed, it is You who is the Almighty, the All-Wise", that is, the Prophet Abraham and those who believed with Him put their trust in Allah, and supplicated Allah not to make them a trial for the disbelievers, Qatada said that this means Let not the disbelievers prevail over us, lest they be tempted by that, thinking that they only prevailed over us because of a right they posses, and this was the opinion chosen by Imam Al-Tabari, while Ibn Abbas said that this means Do not give the disbelievers power over us, lest they tempt and torment us, and Mijahid said that it means Do not punish us at their hands, nor with a punishment from You, so that they say if these people were on the right path, this would not have happened to them. The Prophet Abraham and those with Him supplicated Allah to forgive them their sins saying and Forgive us, our Lord, indeed, You are the Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, the All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (6) "Indeed, there has been for you in them a good example for anyone who hopes Allah and the Last Day, and whoever turns away, then indeed, Allah is Free of need, the Praiseworthy", that is, Allah assures the believers again that there is a good example in Abraham and those who believed with Him in their disavowal from the infidels, and that example is only for he who hopes for meeting Allah, Allah's reward, and salvation on the day of resurrection (The Last Day), and whoever turns away arrogantly from what Allah has commanded him to do, and allies himself with enemies of Allah, showing them affection and loyalty, then Allah is free of need of them and He is the Praiseworthy of all what He decrees.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (7) "Perhaps Allah will place affection between you and those of them with whom you have enmity, and Allah is All-Powerful, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, Allah has the ability to make affection between you and those whom you have held as enemies from among the polytheists of Quraish by their conversion to Islam, and some of them had converted to Islam after the conquest of Mecca and the Muslims mingled with them such as Abu Sufyan bin Harb, Alharith bin Hisham, Suhail bin Amro, and Hakeem bin Hizam, and so their enmity towards the Muslims disappeared, and it has also been said that this affection stemmed from the Prophet's marriage to Umm Habibah, daughter of Abu Sufiyan, so Abu Sufyan's hostility towards the believers softened and lessened. Ibn Abbas and Muqatil said the affection after the conquest of Mecca was the Prophet's marriage to Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufiyan, but Imam bin Katheer said that there is a point to consider regarding what they have said for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) married Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufiyan before the conquest of Mecca, and Abu Sufyan embraced Islam on the night of conquest of Mecca without any disagreement. Then Allah assures that He is All-Powerful to make affection between Muslims and their enemies from among the polytheists, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (8) "Allah does not forbid you from those who did not fight you because of religion, and did not expel you from your homes, that you treat them kindly, and act justly towards them, indeed, Allah loves those who act justly", that is, Allah does not forbid the believers from being kind to the polytheists, who did not fight them on the basis of religion, and did not expel them from their homes, such as women and the weak among them, that they do good to them and treat them justly. Imam Al-Qurtubi said that this verse is a dispensation from Allah to maintain ties with those who have not shown enmity towards the believers and have not fought them, Ibn Zaid said that this was at the beginning of Islam, during the period of truce and the cessation of the command to fight, then it was abrogated, Qatada said that it was abrogated by the verse {Then Kill the polytheists wherever you find them, Surat Altawbah Aya 5}. It was also said that this ruling was for a specific reason, which was the peace treaty, but when the peace treaty ended with the conquest of Mecca, the ruling was abrogated, but the text remained to be recited.
Most scholars of interpretation said that this verse is a precise verse, not abrogated, including Imam Ibn Katheer, and Imam Al-Tabari, who said that the most correct interpretation of this verse is that Allah does not forbid you from being kind, treating justly, and maintaining ties with those who do not fight you because of religion, regardless of their religions, as this statement encompasses all who possess these characteristics, without specifying some over others, and he further said that the claim that this verse has been abrogated is meaningless. And it has been said that this verse was revealed concerning Asma' bint Abi Bakr, as Hesham bin Urwah reported from his father from Asma' bint Abi Bakr: "My mother who was a polytheist came to me when the Prophet (PBUH) entered into treaty with Quraish, I inquired from the Messenger of Allah saying Messenger of Allah! There has come to me my mother, and she is inclined i.e. hoping I would be dutiful, Should I show her kindness?, He said yeas, Treat her kindly'' (Sahih Muslim 1003 b).
Then Allah says "Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly", so Allah loves those who are fair and just to people, and as narrated by Abdullah bin Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: "The dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light at the right Hand of the Most Gracious, the Almighty, and both of His Hands are right, those who are just in their judgment, in matter relating to their families and in all that they undertake to do" (Sahih Muslim 1827).
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (9) "Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion, and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion that you make allies of them, and whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers", that is, Allah only forbids the believers from befriending those who fought them because of religion, expelled them from their homes, and aided and cooperated in their expulsion, so Do not take them as allies and supporters, and whoever takes them as allies, then those are the wrongdoers who opposed Allah's command in that. Mujahid, Imam Al-Tabari, and Imam Al-Qurtubi said that those meant in this verse are the polytheists of Quraish.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (10) "O you who have believed! When the believing women come to you as emigrants, Put them to a test, Allah knows best about their faith, so if you know them to be believers, then Do not return them to the disbelievers, they are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for them, but Give them what they have spent, and there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their dowries, and Do not hold marriage bonds with disbelieving women, and Ask for what you have spent, and let them ask for what they have spent, that is the judgment of Allah, He judges between you, and Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise", that is, Allah commanded the believers that if women come to them as emigrants, they should test them, if they find them to be believers, they should not return them to the disbelievers for they are not lawful for the disbelievers, nor are the disbelievers lawful for them, and Allah knows best about their faith, so this test is for you, and Allah is the One who knows what they declare and what they conceal. Abu Nasr Al-Asdi said that Ibn Abbas was asked How did the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) test women?, he said that He (PBUH) used to test them saying By Allah! Did you not leave out of hatred of your husband?, By Allah! Did you not leave out of desire of another land?, By Allah! Did you not leave seeking worldly gain?, By Allah! Did you not leave out except of love of Allah and His Messenger?. Mujahid, Ikrimah, and Qatada also confirmed that their test was that they left out of love for Allah and His Messenger, not for any other reason, and Al-Awfi said that their test was to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger.
This verse was revealed concerning the peace treaty of Alhudaybiyah between Allah's Messenger and the polytheists of Quraish, as Urwah bin Alzubair reported that he heard Marwan bin Alhakam, and Almiswar bin Makhramah relating one of the events that happened to Allah's Messenger in the Umra of Alhudaybiyah, they said: When Allah's Messenger concluded the truce with Suhail bin Amro, who converted to Islam later as mentioned above, on the day of Alhudaybiyah, one of the conditions which Suhail bin Amro stipulated, was his saying to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) "If anyone from us ever comes to You, though he has embraced Your religion, You should return him to us, and should not interfere between us and him", Suhail refused to conclude the truce with Allah's Messenger (PBUH) except on this condition. The believers disliked this condition, and got disgusted with it, and argued about it, but when Suhail refused to conclude the truce with Allah's Messenger except on that condition, Allah's Messenger concluded it. Accordingly, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) then returned Abu Jandal bin Suhail to his father, Suahil bin Amro, and returned every man from them during that period even if he was a Muslim, the believing emigrant women came to Medina, and Um Kulthum, the daughter of Uqbah bin Abi Mu'ait, was one of those who came to Allah's Messenger, and she was an adult at that time, her relatives came, asking Allah's Messenger to return her to them, so Allah revealed the verses dealing with the believing women (Sahih Albukhari 4180). And as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "Quraish laid the condition on the Prophet (PBUH) that anyone who joined them from the Muslims, they would not return him, and anyone who joined the Muslims from them, they would send him back to them, the companions said Messenger of Allah! Should we write this?, He said yes, he who goes away from us to join them, may Allah keep him away, and he who comes to join us from them, Allah will provide him relief and a way of escape" (Sahih Muslim 1784).
Thereupon, Allah commanded the Prophet (PBUH) not to return the believing women to the disbelievers if He knows them to be believers because the believing women are no longer lawful for the disbelievers, and it is this verse that forbids Muslim women from marrying the disbelievers and forbids Muslim men from holding marriage bonds with the disbelieving women. Imam Al-Qurtubi said that this verse abrogated the covenant the Prophet (PBUH) made with Quraish, which stipulated that He (PBUH) would return to them any Muslim who came to Him from them, so this was abrogated for women, and this is the view of those who believe that the Sunnah can be abrogated by the Quran, but some scholars said that it is all abrogated, both for men and women, and that it is not permissible for the Muslim ruler (Imam) to make a truce with the enemy on the condition that he returns to them any Muslim who comes to him.
Then Allah says "But Give them what they have spent, and there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their dowries", so Allah ordered the Muslims to pay the husbands of emigrant women from among the polytheists, the dowries that they had spent on them, and Allah permitted Muslims to marry the believing emigrant women on the condition that they give them their dowries, while adhering to the condition of marriage such as the condition of the waiting period (Iddah) being completed, and the presence of a guardian for the woman to give her in marriage. And Allah forbids the believers to marry disbelieving women and to continue with them saying "And Do not hold marriage bonds with disbelieving women", so it is not permissible to continue with a disbelieving woman or to marry them initially, and as narrated by Almiswar bin Makhramah and Marwan bin Alhakam also: "Umar then divorced two wives of his, who were infidels, later on, Mu'wiya bin Abi Sufyan married one of them, and Safwan bin Umayya married the other" (Sahih Albukhari 2731). Imam Al-Qurtubi said that this applies specifically to the disbelieving women who are not from among the people of the Book i.e. Jewish women and Christian women, and He further said that if a pagan or a Magian converts to Islam but his wife does not, they are separated immediately, and the waiting period is not to be completed if Islam is offered to her and she refuses, and this is the opinion of Malik bin Anas, Al-Hassan, Tawus, Mujahid, Ata', Ikrimah, Qatada, and Al-Hakam, and they cited as evidence "And Do not hold marriage bonds with disbelieving women", but others said that the waiting period is to be completed, and this is the opinion of Al-Shafi'i, Ahmed, and Al-Zuhri.
Imam Al-Qurtubi also said that this difference of opinion pertains only to a woman with whom the marriage has been consummated, but if the marriage has not been consummated, we know of no difference of opinion regarding the dissolution of the martial bond between them as she is not required to observe a waiting period (Iddah). Malik states regarding a woman who apostatizes while her husband is Muslim, that the martial ponds between them is dissolved, and his argument based on Allah's Saying "And Do not hold marriage bonds with disbelieving women", and this is also the opinion of Al-Hassan Al-Basri, Al-Hassan bin Salih bin Hayy, but the view of Alshafi'i and Ahmed is that she must wait for the completion of her waiting period.
And Allah commanded the believers to ask what they had spent on their wives who go to the polytheists, likewise, the polytheists ask what they had spent on their wives who migrated to the Muslims. Imam Al-Qurtubi said that the one addressed by this command is the Muslim ruler, who must implement it from the public treasury, but Muqatil said that the Muslim who marry the believing emigrant woman is the one who returns the dowry to her non-Muslim husband, and if no Muslim marries her, then her non-Muslim husband is not entitled to anything. Qatada said that the ruling on the return of the dowry applies only to women under a treaty, as for those with whom there is no treaty, the dowry is not returned to them, and Imam Al-Qurtubi said that the matter is as Qatada said. Then Allah assures that this is the judgment of Allah, so He judges between you and them, and Allah is All-Knower of His creation, All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny, so He has chosen the most appropriate for you.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (11) "And if you have lost any of your wives to the disbelievers, and you subsequently obtain, then Give those whose wives have gone the equivalent of what they had spent, and Fear Allah, the One in Whom you are believers", that is, Allah has stipulated after this verse that if a woman from among the wives of the believers went to the polytheists, the believers would return to her husband the dowry he had given her. Al-Zuhri said that the believers would return to her husband the dowry he had given her from the dowries that they were commanded to return to the polytheists for their wives who had believed and emigrated, then they would return to the polytheists what remained for them. Al-Awfi said from Ibn Abbas regarding this verse that it means that if the wife of a man from among the emigrants (Muhajireen) joins the disbelievers, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) ordered that her husband be given from the spoils of war an amount equal to what he has given her. Mujahid and Qatada said that this ruling applies to the disbelievers who have no covenant, so if a wife flees from the believers to them and they do not give her husband anything, then if a wife flees from them to the believers, the believers do not give her husband anything until they give the husband of the woman who went to them the same amount he has given her.
Imam Al-Tabari said that the most correct interpretation of this verse is that Allah commanded the believers to give whoever whose wife fled to the disbelievers if they have the upper hand over the disbelievers, either through spoils of war they obtained from them, or through the dowries of the women who fled from them and joined the believers, the same amount they spent on the women who fled from them to the disbelievers, and Allah did not specify that this should be given from one type of wealth over another. Then Allah says "And Fear Allah, the One in Whom you are believers", so Fear Allah by performing His obligations and avoiding his prohibitions, and Beware of transgressing what you have been commanded.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (12) "O Prophet! When the believing women come to You, pledging to You that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit fornication, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander that they have invented between their hands and their legs, nor will they disobey You in what is right, then Accept their pledge, and Ask forgiveness for them from Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to accept the pledge of allegiance from the believing women and to ask forgiveness for them when they came to Him to pledge allegiance that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit fornication, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander that they have invented between their hands and their legs, nor will they disobey Him in what is right, and Urwa reported from Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to examine the believing women who migrated to Him in accordance with this verse "O Prophet! When the believing women come to You, pledging to You" till His saying "All-Forgiving, Most Merciful". Urwa said that Aisha said and if any of the believing women accepted the condition, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) would say to her "I have accepted your pledge of allegiance, He would only say that, for By Allah! His hand never touched any lady during that pledge of allegiance, He (PBUH) did not receive their pledge except by saying I have accepted your pledge of allegiance for that" (Sahih Albukhari 4891).
And as narrated by Umaimah bint Ruqaiqah: "I came to the Prophet (PBUH) with some other Ansari women to give our pledge, we said O Messenger of Allah! We give You our pledge that we will not associate anything with Allah, we will not steal, we will not have unlawful sexual relations, we will not utter slander, fabricating from between our hands and feet, and we will not disobey You in goodness, He (PBUH) said "As much as you can and are able", we said Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) are more merciful towards us, Come, let us give You our pledge O Allah's Messenger, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said I do not shake hands with women, rather My word to a hundred women is like My word to one woman" (Sunan Alnasai 4181), and as narrated bu Um Atiya: "We pledged the allegiance with Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and He recited to us "That they will not associate anything with Allah", and forbade us to bewail the dead, thereupon, a lady withdraw her hand (refrained from taking the oath of allegiance), and said but so-and-so lady lamented over one of my relatives, so I must reward her, the Prophet did not object to that, so she went there, and returned to the Prophet (PBUH), so He accepted her pledge of allegiance" (Sahih Albukhari 4892).
And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to pledge this allegiance to the women on the day of Eid, as Ibn Juraij reported from Al-Hassan bin Muslim from Tawus from Ibn Abbas: "I witnessed Eid Fitr prayer with Allah's Messenger (PBUH), Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, and all of them offered it before delivering the sermon (Khutbah), and then delivered the sermon. Once the Prophet (PBUH) came down (after competing the prayer and sermon), as if I am now looking at Him waving at the men with His hand to sit down, and walked through them till He, along with Bilal, reached the rows of the women, then He (PBUH) recited "O Prophet! When the believing women come to You, pledging to You that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit fornication, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander that they have invented between their hands and their legs", having finished, He (PBUH) said Do you agree to that?, one lady, other than whom none replied Him said Yes O Allah's Messenger. Al-Hassan (the sub-narrator) did not know who that lady was. Then the Prophet (PBUH) said to them Will you give alms, thereupon, Bilal spread out his garment, and the women started throwing big rings and small rings into Bilal's garment" (Sahih Albukhari 4895).
And as narrated by Ubada bin Alsamit: "While we were with the Prophet (PBUH), He said Will you swear to Me the pledge of allegiance that you will not worship anything besides Allah, will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, and will not steal?, then He recited the verse concerning the women i.e. When the believing women come to You, Sufyan (the sub-narrator) often said that the Prophet (PBUH) added Whoever among you fulfills his pledge, will receive his reward from Allah, and whoever commits any of those sins and receives the legal punishment, his punishment will be an expiation for that sin, and whoever commits any of those sins and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive them" (Sahih Albukhari 4894).
So Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to accept the pledge of allegiance from whoever among the women comes to Him pledging allegiance on these conditions: that they will not associate anything with Allah, rather worship Him alone with no partner, nor will they steal the money of anyone, and Imam Ibn Katheer said that if the husband is negligent in providing for his wife, she may take from his wealth in a reasonable manner, according to the custom of women of her status, even if it is without his knowledge, based on the Hadith of Hind bint Utba, as Aisha reported: ''Hind, the daughter of Utba, wife of Abu Sufyan, came to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and said Abu Sufyan is a miserly person, he does not give adequate maintenance for me and my children, but I am constrained to take from his wealth without his knowledge, Is there any sin for me?, thereupon, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said Take from his property what is customary which may suffice you and your children" (Sahih Muslim 1714).
Allah says "Nor will they commit fornication, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander that they have invented between their hands and their legs", so among the conditions of the pledge of allegiance to women is that they do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, and Imam Ibn Katheer said that this condition is similar to Allah's saying in Aya (32) of Surat Alisraa {And Do not approach the adultery, indeed, it is an immorality, and is evil as a way}, that they do not kill their children, and this includes killing them after their existence, as the people of Pre-Islamic era (Aljahiliyah) used to kill their children for fear of poverty, and it includes killing them while they are fetuses in their wombs, as some ignorant women might do this by aborting the fetus in any way. And that they do not bring forth a slander that they have invented between their hands and their legs, so they do not attribute to their husbands children other than their owns, and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars, But Imam Al-Qurtubi cited various opinions regarding the meaning of "Between their hands and their legs", saying that it was said that the meaning of "Between their hands" is their tongues with slander, or it refers to kisses and touches, and that the meaning of "Between their legs" is their private parts or it refers to illegal sexual intercourse, and it was said that "Between their hands and their legs" is a metaphor for the child, because her womb, in which she carries the child, is between her hands, and her private parts, from which she gives birth, are between her leg, so this is a general statement regarding the conception of a child and its attribution to the husband, even though adultery has been previously prohibited.
Then Allah says "Nor will they disobey You in what is right", so Allah stipulated in the women's pledge of allegiance that they must obey Allah and obey His Messenger (PBUH) in all that He commands. Al-Zubair reported from Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas regarding Allah's saying "Nor will they disobey You in what is right", that was one of the conditions which Allah imposed on women" (Sahih Albukhari 4893). Aldahhak said that what is right is what He stipulated for them in the pledge of allegiance that they follow His command, and Al-Kalbi said that this general in every good deed that Allah Almighty and His Messenger (PBUH) have commanded. It was said that "Nor will they disobey You in what is right" refers to mourning for the dead as in narration of Um Atiya above, and it was said that it means that a woman should not be alone with Non-Mahram man. Imam Al-Qurtubi said that the correct view is that it is general in all that the Prophet (PBUH) commanded and prohibited, so it includes wailing, tearing clothes, and cutting hair for the dead, being alone with Non-Mahram, and so on, all of these are major sins and practices of Pre-Islamic era (Aljahiliyah).
And Allah says "Then Accept their pledge, and Ask forgiveness for them from Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", so if the believing women come to You to pledge allegiance on these conditions, then Accept their pledge of allegiance, and Ask Allah to pardon their sins, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds.
Allah Almighty says in the last verse (13) "O you who have believed! Do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry, indeed, they have despaired of the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves", that is, Allah forbids the believers from taking the disbelievers as allies, just as He forbade them at the beginning of this Surah saying "O you who have believed! Do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry", Imam Ibn Katheer said that the people upon whom Allah's wrath fell are the Jews, the Christians, and all other disbelievers upon who Allah's wrath fell and whom He cursed and who deserved to be expelled from Allah's mercy. But Imam Al-Tabari and Imam Al-Qurtubi said that the people upon whom Allah's wrath fell are the Jews.
The scholars of interpretation differed in interpreting Allah's saying "Indeed, they have despaired of the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves", some of them said that the meaning of this is that these people have despaired of Allah's reward in the Hereafter, and of being resurrected, just as the living disbelievers have despaired of their dead who are in the graves returning to them, and this is the opinion of Ibn Abbas, Qatada, Al-Husain, Aldahhak.
Others said that this means that the disbelievers have despaired of Allah having mercy on them in the Hereafter, and forgiving them, just as the disbelievers who are the inhabitants of the graves, who have died and gone to the graves, have despaired of Allah's mercy and forgiveness for them in the Hereafter, because they have become certain of Allah's punishment for them when their deeds become clear to them and they witnessed the Fire, and this is the opinion of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Al-Kalbi, and Ibn Zaid.
Imam Al-Tabari said that the most correct of the two opinions is the opinion of those who said that the Jews, upon whom Allah is angry, have despaired of Allah's reward and honor for them in the Hereafter because of their disbelief and denial of His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), even though they know that He is the Messenger of Allah, just as the disbelievers among them, who passed away before them and became the inhabitants of the graves, despaired of Allah's reward and honor for them because of their disbelief and denial of the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon Him, and the other Messengers.