الممتحنة
Surah Al-Mumtahanah
She that is to be examined · Surah 60 · Medinan · 13 verses
1يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءَ تُلۡقُونَ إِلَيۡهِم بِٱلۡمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدۡ كَفَرُواْ بِمَا جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ يُخۡرِجُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمۡ أَن تُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ رَبِّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ خَرَجۡتُمۡ جِهَٰدࣰا فِي سَبِيلِي وَٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِيۚ تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيۡهِم بِٱلۡمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا۠ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَآ أَخۡفَيۡتُمۡ وَمَآ أَعۡلَنتُمۡۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡهُ مِنكُمۡ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ١O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for allies. Do ye give them friendship when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you, driving out the messenger and you because ye believe in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth to strive in My way and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret, when I am Best Aware of what ye hide and what ye proclaim? And whosoever doeth it among you, he verily hath strayed from the right way.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the occasion of this verse was a letter Hatib ibn Abi Balta‘ah secretly sent to the Meccans.2إِن يَثۡقَفُوكُمۡ يَكُونُواْ لَكُمۡ أَعۡدَآءࣰ وَيَبۡسُطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡكُمۡ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ وَأَلۡسِنَتَهُم بِٱلسُّوٓءِ وَوَدُّواْ لَوۡ تَكۡفُرُونَ ٢If they have the upper hand of you, they will be your foes, and will stretch out their hands and their tongues toward you with evil (intent), and they long for you to disbelieve.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, if those enemies you befriended and confided in defeated you and ruled over you, they would ignore your kindness and stretch out their hands and tongues against you.3لَن تَنفَعَكُمۡ أَرۡحَامُكُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَٰدُكُمۡۚ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ يَفۡصِلُ بَيۡنَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرࣱ ٣Your ties of kindred and your children will avail you naught upon the Day of Resurrection. He will part you. Allah is Seer of what ye do.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they cannot save you from the punishment of your sin; on the Day of Resurrection Allah will separate you.4قَدۡ كَانَتۡ لَكُمۡ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةࣱ فِيٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِذۡ قَالُواْ لِقَوۡمِهِمۡ إِنَّا بُرَءَـٰٓؤُاْ مِنكُمۡ وَمِمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَفَرۡنَا بِكُمۡ وَبَدَا بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٰوَةُ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَحۡدَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَوۡلَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسۡتَغۡفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَيۡءࣲۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيۡكَ تَوَكَّلۡنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ أَنَبۡنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ٤There is a goodly pattern for you in Abraham and those with him, when they told their folk: Lo! we are guiltless of you and all that ye worship beside Allah. We have done with you. And there hath arisen between us and you hostility and hate for ever until ye believe in Allah only - save that which Abraham promised his father (when he said): I will ask forgiveness for thee, though I own nothing for thee from Allah - Our Lord! In Thee we put our trust, and unto Thee we turn repentant, and unto Thee is the journeying.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, keeping away from idolatry and having love and anger for Allah’s sake alone are among the most important foundations of the faith of tawhid.5رَبَّنَا لَا تَجۡعَلۡنَا فِتۡنَةࣰ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا رَبَّنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٥Our Lord! Make us not a prey for those who disbelieve, and forgive us, our Lord! Lo! Thou, only Thou, are the Mighty, the Wise.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this means: “Do not let them overcome us, put us in their hands and afflict us; let our hardship not make them say ‘We are right’.”6لَقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِيهِمۡ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةࣱ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِيُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ ٦Verily ye have in them a goodly pattern for everyone who looketh to Allah and the Last Day. And whosoever may turn away, lo! still Allah, He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this points out that hoping in Allah and the Hereafter is an important pillar of faith and striving; for despair is disbelief.7۞عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ ٱلَّذِينَ عَادَيۡتُم مِّنۡهُم مَّوَدَّةࣰۚ وَٱللَّهُ قَدِيرࣱۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ ٧It may be that Allah will ordain love between you and those of them with whom ye are at enmity. Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, once the obstacles to good are removed by Islam’s prevailing, friendship arising between enemies is very much to be hoped for.8لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ ٨Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loveth the just dealers.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this covers kindness and justice towards those of any religion or nation who do not attack the rights and rulings of your religion.9إِنَّمَا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ قَٰتَلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَأَخۡرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ وَظَٰهَرُواْ عَلَىٰٓ إِخۡرَاجِكُمۡ أَن تَوَلَّوۡهُمۡۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمۡ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ٩Allah forbiddeth you only those who warred against you on account of religion and have driven you out from your homes and helped to drive you out, that ye make friends of them. Whosoever maketh friends of them - (All) such are wrong-doers.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the prohibition covers those with all or any of these three traits: fighting, expelling, and aiding in the expulsion.10يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ مُهَٰجِرَٰتࣲ فَٱمۡتَحِنُوهُنَّۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِهِنَّۖ فَإِنۡ عَلِمۡتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤۡمِنَٰتࣲ فَلَا تَرۡجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلࣱّ لَّهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُواْۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّۚ وَلَا تُمۡسِكُواْ بِعِصَمِ ٱلۡكَوَافِرِ وَسۡـَٔلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقۡتُمۡ وَلۡيَسۡـَٔلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقُواْۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ حُكۡمُ ٱللَّهِ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡۖ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمࣱ ١٠O ye who believe! When believing women come unto you as fugitives, examine them. Allah is Best Aware of their faith. Then, if ye know them for true believers, send them not back unto the disbelievers. They are not lawful for them (the disbelievers), nor are they (the disbelievers) lawful for them. And give them (the disbelievers) that which they have spent (upon them). And it is no sin for you to marry such women when ye have given them their dues. And hold not to the ties of disbelieving women; and ask for (the return of) that which ye have spent; and let them (the disbelievers) ask for that which they have spent. That is the judgment of Allah. He judgeth between you. Allah is Knower, Wise.InsightElmalılı relates from ar-Razi: there is fine wisdom in the arrangement of these verses; an obstinate person either persists, gives up, or stays in between.11وَإِن فَاتَكُمۡ شَيۡءࣱ مِّنۡ أَزۡوَٰجِكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبۡتُمۡ فَـَٔاتُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتۡ أَزۡوَٰجُهُم مِّثۡلَ مَآ أَنفَقُواْۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنُونَ ١١And if any of your wives have gone from you unto the disbelievers and afterward ye have your turn (of triumph), then give unto those whose wives have gone the like of that which they have spent, and keep your duty to Allah in Whom ye are believers.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, most commentators explain “mu‘aqabah” here not as punishment but as turn-taking.12يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ يُبَايِعۡنَكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن لَّا يُشۡرِكۡنَ بِٱللَّهِ شَيۡـࣰٔا وَلَا يَسۡرِقۡنَ وَلَا يَزۡنِينَ وَلَا يَقۡتُلۡنَ أَوۡلَٰدَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأۡتِينَ بِبُهۡتَٰنࣲ يَفۡتَرِينَهُۥ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِنَّ وَأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعۡصِينَكَ فِي مَعۡرُوفࣲ فَبَايِعۡهُنَّ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُنَّ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ ١٢O Prophet! If believing women come unto thee, taking oath of allegiance unto thee that they will ascribe no thing as partner unto Allah, and will neither steal nor commit adultery nor kill their children, nor produce any lie that they have devised between their hands and feet, nor disobey thee in what is right, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.InsightElmalılı relates that this verse came on the day of the conquest; the Prophet took the pledge from the men on as-Safa, and ‘Umar took it from the women on his behalf.13يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ قَوۡمًا غَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَدۡ يَئِسُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡقُبُورِ ١٣O ye who believe! Be not friendly with a folk with whom Allah is wroth, (a folk) who have despaired of the Hereafter as the disbelievers despair of those who are in the graves.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this verse sums up the surah and, warning against despair, gives zeal and hope for the Hereafter and the future.