Overview - Surah 60: al-Mumtahanah (The Woman Examined)
The Surah deals with the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims. It tells Muslims on the one hand not to take the enemies of Allah as their allies and patrons, but on the other hand it tells them not to consider every non-Muslim as their enemy.
Sections:
- Do not take Allah's and your own enemies as your patrons and allies.
- It is allowed to have friendly relations with those non-Muslims who do not fight you in your religion and do not expel you from your lands. Some rules related to women who migrated to Madinah and their husbands had not accepted Islam.
This surah takes its name from the Ayat, , يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ مُهَاجِرَاتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ "O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them..." [60:10]
There are 13 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 13 |
| Total Words * | 348 |
| Root Words * | 114 |
| Makki / Madani | Madani |
| Chronological Order* | 91st (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 19th year of Prophethood (6th Year Hijri) |
| Events during/before this Surah*
Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers, Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah, , Battle of Uhud, Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr, Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah, , 2nd Pledge of Aqabah, 1st Pledge of Aqabah, Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
Ibrahim
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| Surah Index
Abraham, Behaviour (towards others) , Behaviour (treat non-belligerent non-believers with equity) , Disbelievers (relationship to belivers) , Disbelievers (treat non-belligerents with equity) , Fighting (aggression) (forbidden), Fighting (when ordained) , Friends (avoid active disbelievers) , Friends (forbidden are those who fight against you because of your religion) , Grave, Jihad (striving hard in God’s cause) , Judgement, Judgement (Day) , Killing, Marriage (dowry) , Marriage (forbidden) (to non-believers), Religion, Resurrection (Day) , Sexes (equality of) , Women (accept those seeking refuge from non-believing husbands) , Women (pledges of believing women)
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Theme 1: al-Wala wal-Bara [Loyalty and disassociation]
The first part consists of v. 1-9, and the concluding verse 13 also relates to it. In this strong exception has been taken to the act of Hatib bin Abi Balta’a in that he had tried to inform the Quraysh of a very important war secret of the Prophet, only for the sake of safe guarding his family. This would have caused great bloodshed at the conquest of Makkah had it not been made ineffective in time. It would have cost the Muslims many precious lives; many of the Quraysh would have been killed, who were to render great services to Islam afterwards. The gains which were to accrue from conquering Makkah peacefully would have been lost, and all these serious losses would have resulted only because one of the Muslims had wanted to safeguard his family from the dangers of war. Administering a severe warning at this blunder God has taught the believers the lesson that no believer should, under any circumstances and for any motive, have relations of love and friendship with the disbelievers, who are actively hostile to Islam. However, there is no harm in dealing kindly and justly with those disbelievers, who may not be practically engaged in hostile activities against Islam nor persecution of the Muslims.
The second part consists of v. 10-11. In this a social problem has been settled, which was agitating the minds at that time. There were many Muslim women in Makkah, whose husbands were pagans, but they were emigrating and reaching Madīnah. Likewise, there were many Muslim men in Madīnah, whose wives were pagans and had been left behind in Makkah. The question arose whether the marriage bond between them continued to be valid or not. God settled this problem for ever, saying that the pagan husband is not lawful for the Muslim women, nor the pagan wife lawful for the Muslim husband. The third section consists of verse 12, in which the Prophet has been instructed to ask the women who accept Islam to pledge that they would refrain from the major evils that were prevalent among the womenfolk of the pre-Islamic Arab society and to promise that they would henceforth follow the ways of goodness which the Messenger of God may enjoin.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
- Both Surah al-Mumtahinah [60] and Surah as-Saff [61] begin with Ayat related to Jihad.
- The word, 'al-Muwadda' - Love - appears three times in this Surah.
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = * | ||
The Surah deals with two incidents, the time of the occurrence of which is well known historically. The first relates to Hatib bin Abz Balta’a, who, a little before the conquest of Makkah, had sent a secret letter to the Quraysh chiefs informing them of the Prophet’s intention to attack them. The second relates to the Muslim women, who had started emigrating from Makkah to Madīnah, after the conclusion of the Truce of Hudaibiyah, and the problem arose whether they also were to be returned to the disbelievers, like the Muslim men, according to the conditions of the Truce. The mention of these two things absolutely determines that this Surah came down during the interval between the Truce of Hudaibiyah and the Conquest of Makkah. Besides, there is a third thing also that has been mentioned at the end of the Surah to the effect: What should the Prophet make the women to pledge when they come to take the oath of allegiance before him as believers? About this part also the guess is that this too was sent down some time before the conquest of Makkah, for after this conquest a large number of the Quraysh women, like their men, were going to enter Islam simultaneously and had to be administered the oath of allegiance collectively.
- Do not befriend with those who are the enemies of Allah and the Muslims.
- The Muslims have been advised to watch strictly the external spies, especially the women and relatives.
- The Foreign Policy of the Islamic State is mentioned in Ayat 1, "..do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies.."
- The Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and his companions are an excellent example for the believers.
- Exception to the prohibition of friendship with unbelievers is made for those who had neither fought against the believers nor expelled them from their homes.
- For women that become believers, test their Iman, and if you find them truthful do not return them to their unbelieving husbands.
- Women's Bai'ah (oath of allegiance) in Islam is based on their commitment that they will not commit shirk, they will not steal, they will not commit adultery, they will not kill their children, they will not give any cause for scandal and that they will not disobey the Prophet.
Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 10 - 11) The surah issues a ruling concerning women believers who might join the Muslim community: Believers! When believing women come to you as migrants, test them. God knows best their faith. If you ascertain that they are believers, do not send them back to the unbelievers. They are no longer Lawful [as wives] for the unbelievers, and these are no longer lawful to them. None the less, hand back to the unbelievers the dowries they have paid them. It is no offence for you to marry them after giving them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage ties with unbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the dowries you have paid, just as they have the right to ask for repayment of their dowries. Such is God's judgement. He judges between you in equity. God is all-knowing, wise. Should any of your wives go over to the unbelievers and you subsequently acquire gains from them, then pay those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of whatever dowry they had paid. Fear God, in whom you believe. (Verses 10-11) The Prophet concluded the al-Hudaybiyah Treaty with the Quraysh in Makkah and this specified a condition whereby the Prophet and the Muslim community would return to them anyone who went over to the Muslims, even though that person might be a Muslim. Reports mention that when the Prophet was about to leave al-Hudaybiyah, a few women came over to him seeking to join the Muslim community in Madinah. The Quraysh asked for their extradition in accordance with the terms of the treaty. It appears that those terms were not conclusive in the case of women. These two verses were revealed to block returning women believers to the unbelievers, for fear that they would be persecuted on account of their faith.' This was a situation requiring rules of international law. These rules outlined here regulate such cases on the basis of absolute fairness, without allowing the behaviour of the other party, unfair as it may be, to influence the Islamic stand. Furthermore, Islam's stance is that it ensures justice in all internal and external dealings. The first step required by these rules was to test migrating women in order to determine their reasons for migration. In other words, they must not be trying to escape from a marriage that had gone wrong, or be pursuing some other material benefit, or hoping to marry men they were in love with in the Muslim community. Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet tested any such woman, asking her: "By God, have you fled to us because you hate your husband? By God, have you come to us merely to migrate to a new land? By God, are you coming to us in pursuit of some material gain? By God, have you come to us only because you love God and His Messenger?" Ikrimah explains that the test was a form of questioning so as to establish whether the woman was migrating only because she loved God and His Messenger or for some other purpose. The test was also to establish whether or not she was in love with a man from the Muslim community, and whether or not she was fleeing from her husband. Such, then, was the test. It relied on statements made under oath. Whether such a woman had any different motive, God only knew People simply cannot establish this with any measure of certainty: "God knows best their faith." (Verse 10) When they have made their statements under oath, confirming that they are believers, then the Muslim community cannot "send them back to the unbelievers. They are no longer lawful has wives] for the unbelievers, and these are no longer law.* to them." (Verse 10) When the most important bond of faith has been severed, nothing can repair the relationship. Marriage is a union of permanent settlement and it cannot be properly established when the primary bond of faith is absent. Faith is the basic and vital emotion that keeps a heart alive; it cannot be replaced by any other. A believer's heart cannot warm to another that is devoid of faith. There can be no true feeling of mutual inclination or security between two hearts when only one of them has faith. Marriage survives on mutual affection, compassion, inclination and security. After the Prophet's migration to Madinah this issue had been left open, with no rule stated about it in the Qur'an. Therefore, no couple were separated even if only one accepted Islam while the other did not. This was due to the fact that the Muslim society had not yet by then established firm roots. When al-Hudaybiyah Treaty was concluded, it was time that such a separation be made. Muslims, men and women, should understand that the bond that overrides all other bonds is faith, and they should put this rule into practice. The provision for separating such couples was accompanied by a provision for compensation. Thus, an unbeliever whose wife left him because she was Muslim was entitled to receive back whatever he had paid to her in dowry at the time of their marriage. The same applied in reverse, should the man be a believer and his wife not. When this had been done, the Muslims could marry such migrant women, provided that they paid them dowries. Scholars differ as to whether such women should observe a waiting period; as also over the length of the waiting period. Some scholars say that it is the same as that observed by a divorced woman, i.e. until she has gone through three menstrual periods, while others maintain that it lasts only until she has completed one period, to make sure that she is not pregnant. It is agreed that if any such woman is pregnant, her waiting period lasts until she has given birth. "None the less, hand back to the unbelievers the dowries they have paid them. It is no offence for you to marry them after giving them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage ties with unbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the dowries you have paid, just as they have the right to ask for repayment of their dowries." (Verse 10) All these rules are then tied to the strongest guarantee a believer has, which is that of watching God and fearing Him: "Such is God's judgement. He judges between you in equity. God is all-knowing, wise." (Verse 10) Indeed, this is the only inviolable guarantee. God's judgement is that of the One who knows what is in people's hearts, the Almighty who has power over all creatures. It is enough that a Muslim should realize the source of this judgement in order to implement it fully, because he knows that he will ultimately return to God. Should a believer lose what he had paid in dowry, because his unbeliever wife or her family refuses to refund her Muslim husband, as happened in some cases, the Muslim ruler would compensate him for this, taking this from any money due to the unbelievers whose Muslim wives had migrated to join the Muslim community, or from any war gains made by the Muslim community: "Should any of your wives go over to the unbelievers and you subsequently acquire gains from them, then pay those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of whatever dowry they had paid." (Verse 11) Again this ruling is tied to the same guarantee that ensures the implementation of every Islamic rule: "Fear God, in whom you believe." (Verse 11) This is a profound and touching instruction for believers. We see how these rulings concerning the separation of married couples provide an example of the practical implementation of the Islamic concept of life values and ties. They reflect the unity of the Muslim community and its being distinct from any other. It is a community where all life is based on faith, where all distinctions of race, colour, language, family and land are insignificant. There is only one sign that distinguishes between people — the sign of the party to which they belong. There are only two parties: the party of God and the party of Satan. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 10 - 11) The surah issues a ruling concerning women believers who might join the Muslim community: Believers! When believing women come to you as migrants, test them. God knows best their faith. If you ascertain that they are believers, do not send them back to the unbelievers. They are no longer Lawful [as wives] for the unbelievers, and these are no longer lawful to them. None the less, hand back to the unbelievers the dowries they have paid them. It is no offence for you to marry them after giving them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage ties with unbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the dowries you have paid, just as they have the right to ask for repayment of their dowries. Such is God's judgement. He judges between you in equity. God is all-knowing, wise. Should any of your wives go over to the unbelievers and you subsequently acquire gains from them, then pay those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of whatever dowry they had paid. Fear God, in whom you believe. (Verses 10-11) The Prophet concluded the al-Hudaybiyah Treaty with the Quraysh in Makkah and this specified a condition whereby the Prophet and the Muslim community would return to them anyone who went over to the Muslims, even though that person might be a Muslim. Reports mention that when the Prophet was about to leave al-Hudaybiyah, a few women came over to him seeking to join the Muslim community in Madinah. The Quraysh asked for their extradition in accordance with the terms of the treaty. It appears that those terms were not conclusive in the case of women. These two verses were revealed to block returning women believers to the unbelievers, for fear that they would be persecuted on account of their faith.' This was a situation requiring rules of international law. These rules outlined here regulate such cases on the basis of absolute fairness, without allowing the behaviour of the other party, unfair as it may be, to influence the Islamic stand. Furthermore, Islam's stance is that it ensures justice in all internal and external dealings. The first step required by these rules was to test migrating women in order to determine their reasons for migration. In other words, they must not be trying to escape from a marriage that had gone wrong, or be pursuing some other material benefit, or hoping to marry men they were in love with in the Muslim community. Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet tested any such woman, asking her: "By God, have you fled to us because you hate your husband? By God, have you come to us merely to migrate to a new land? By God, are you coming to us in pursuit of some material gain? By God, have you come to us only because you love God and His Messenger?" Ikrimah explains that the test was a form of questioning so as to establish whether the woman was migrating only because she loved God and His Messenger or for some other purpose. The test was also to establish whether or not she was in love with a man from the Muslim community, and whether or not she was fleeing from her husband. Such, then, was the test. It relied on statements made under oath. Whether such a woman had any different motive, God only knew People simply cannot establish this with any measure of certainty: "God knows best their faith." (Verse 10) When they have made their statements under oath, confirming that they are believers, then the Muslim community cannot "send them back to the unbelievers. They are no longer lawful has wives] for the unbelievers, and these are no longer law.* to them." (Verse 10) When the most important bond of faith has been severed, nothing can repair the relationship. Marriage is a union of permanent settlement and it cannot be properly established when the primary bond of faith is absent. Faith is the basic and vital emotion that keeps a heart alive; it cannot be replaced by any other. A believer's heart cannot warm to another that is devoid of faith. There can be no true feeling of mutual inclination or security between two hearts when only one of them has faith. Marriage survives on mutual affection, compassion, inclination and security. After the Prophet's migration to Madinah this issue had been left open, with no rule stated about it in the Qur'an. Therefore, no couple were separated even if only one accepted Islam while the other did not. This was due to the fact that the Muslim society had not yet by then established firm roots. When al-Hudaybiyah Treaty was concluded, it was time that such a separation be made. Muslims, men and women, should understand that the bond that overrides all other bonds is faith, and they should put this rule into practice. The provision for separating such couples was accompanied by a provision for compensation. Thus, an unbeliever whose wife left him because she was Muslim was entitled to receive back whatever he had paid to her in dowry at the time of their marriage. The same applied in reverse, should the man be a believer and his wife not. When this had been done, the Muslims could marry such migrant women, provided that they paid them dowries. Scholars differ as to whether such women should observe a waiting period; as also over the length of the waiting period. Some scholars say that it is the same as that observed by a divorced woman, i.e. until she has gone through three menstrual periods, while others maintain that it lasts only until she has completed one period, to make sure that she is not pregnant. It is agreed that if any such woman is pregnant, her waiting period lasts until she has given birth. "None the less, hand back to the unbelievers the dowries they have paid them. It is no offence for you to marry them after giving them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage ties with unbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the dowries you have paid, just as they have the right to ask for repayment of their dowries." (Verse 10) All these rules are then tied to the strongest guarantee a believer has, which is that of watching God and fearing Him: "Such is God's judgement. He judges between you in equity. God is all-knowing, wise." (Verse 10) Indeed, this is the only inviolable guarantee. God's judgement is that of the One who knows what is in people's hearts, the Almighty who has power over all creatures. It is enough that a Muslim should realize the source of this judgement in order to implement it fully, because he knows that he will ultimately return to God. Should a believer lose what he had paid in dowry, because his unbeliever wife or her family refuses to refund her Muslim husband, as happened in some cases, the Muslim ruler would compensate him for this, taking this from any money due to the unbelievers whose Muslim wives had migrated to join the Muslim community, or from any war gains made by the Muslim community: "Should any of your wives go over to the unbelievers and you subsequently acquire gains from them, then pay those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of whatever dowry they had paid." (Verse 11) Again this ruling is tied to the same guarantee that ensures the implementation of every Islamic rule: "Fear God, in whom you believe." (Verse 11) This is a profound and touching instruction for believers. We see how these rulings concerning the separation of married couples provide an example of the practical implementation of the Islamic concept of life values and ties. They reflect the unity of the Muslim community and its being distinct from any other. It is a community where all life is based on faith, where all distinctions of race, colour, language, family and land are insignificant. There is only one sign that distinguishes between people — the sign of the party to which they belong. There are only two parties: the party of God and the party of Satan. |
- Surah 60. Al-Mumtahanah - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4zznseiXfM&index=60&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 60. Al-Mumtahanah Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2XUQ9WoQ0c&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=60
- Surah 60. Al-Mumtahanah Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch v=UkQ0A0lwr0U&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=60
- Surah 60. Al-Mumtahanah Muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkJR-Q_BqhM&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG&index=60
