Examining Her (Al-Mumtahinah)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹O you who believe! take not My enemies and yours as friends, offering them love even though they have rejected the truth that has come to you, and have driven you and the prophet out because you believe in Allah, your Lord! If you have come out to strive in My way and to seek My good pleasure, holding secret converse of love with them: for I know full well all that you conceal and all that you reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the straight path.¹

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Ya ayyuhal lazina amanu la tatakhizu aduw wi wa aduw wakum auliyaa tulquna ilaihim bilmawad dati wa qad kafaru bima jaakum minal haq yukhrijuna rasula wa iyakum an tuminu billahi rabbikum in kuntum harajtum jihadan fi sabili wabtigaa mardati tusiruna ilaihim bilmawad dah wa anna alamu bima akhfaitum wa ma alantum wa mayafalhu minkum faqad dala sawa as sabil

1. Please refer to notes on Qur’an 58:22.

[Commentary continues below.]

²If they were to get the better of you they would behave to you as enemies and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you for evil; and they desire that you should reject the truth.

³Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the day of judgment: He will judge between you: for Allah sees well all that you do.

²Iyasqafukum yakunu lakum adaw wa yabsutu ilaikum aidiyahum wa alsinatahum bisui wa wadu lau takfurun

³Lan tanfaakum arhamukum wa la auladukum yaumal qiyamah yafsilu bainakum wallahu bima tamaluna basir

[Commentary continues below.]

⁴There is for you an excellent example, Abraham, and those with him, when they said to their people: “We are clear of you and of whatever you worship besides Allah: we have rejected you and there has arisen between us and you enmity and hatred forever unless you believe in Allah and Him alone”: But not when Abraham said to his father: “I will pray for forgiveness for you though I have no power to get aught on your behalf from Allah.” “Our Lord! in You do we trust and to You do we turn in repentance: to You is our final Goal.

⁵“Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the unbelievers but forgive us our Lord! For You are the exalted in might, the wise.”

⁶There was indeed in them an excellent example for you to follow for those whose hope is in Allah and in the last day. But if any turn away, truly, Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.

⁷It may be that Allah will grant love between you and those whom you hold as enemies: for Allah has power; and Allah is often forgiving, most merciful.²

⁴Qad kana lakum uswatun hasanatun fi Ibrahima wa lazina maahu iz qalu liqaumihim inna burau minkum wa mim ma tabuduna min dunillahi kafarnabikum wa bada bainana wa bainakumul adawatu walbagdau abadan hata tuminu billahi wahdahu illa qaula Ibrahima li abihi la astagfiran na laka wa ma amliku laka minal lahi min sayi ran bana alaika tawakalna wa ilaika anabna wa ilaikal masir

⁵Rabbana la tajalna fitnata lazina kafaru wagfirlana rabbana innaka antal azizul hakim

⁶Laqad kana lakum fihim uswatun hasanatul liman kana yarjul laha wa l yaumal akhir wa ma yatawal la fainnallaha huwal gani yul hamid

⁷Asallahu ayajala bainakum wa bainal lazina adaitum minhum mawad dah wallahu qadir wallahu gafuru rahim

2. How quickly Allah changes his mind. In verse one, we read it clear as day, that there should be no love affairs between the unbelievers and the believers. Here we are told that Allah may grant a love affair between groups of people.

[Commentary continues below.]

⁸Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for faith, nor drive you out of your homes from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loves those who are just.

⁹Allah only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for faith and drive you out of your homes and support in driving you out from turning to them. It is such as turn to them that do wrong.

⁸La yanhakumullahu anillazina lam yuqatilukum fid dini wa lam yuhkrijukum min diyarikum an tabar ruhum wa tuqsitu ilaihim innallaha yuhi bulmuqsitin

⁹Innama yanhakumullahu anil lazina qatalukum fidini wa akhrajukum min diyarikum wa zaharu ma yatawal lahum fa ulaika humuz zalimun

[Commentary continues below.]

¹⁰O you who believe! when there come to you believing women refugees examine them: Allah knows best as to their faith: if you ascertain that they are believers then send them not back to the unbelievers. They are not lawful for the unbelievers nor are they lawful for them. But pay the unbelievers what they have spent. And there will be no blame on you if you marry them on payment of their dower to them. But hold not to the guardianship of unbelieving women: ask for what you have spent on their dowers and let them ask for what they have spent. Such is the command of Allah: He judges between you: and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.³

¹¹And if any of your wives deserts you to the unbelievers and you have an accession, then pay to those whose wives have deserted the equivalent of what they had spent: and fear Allah in whom you believe.

¹⁰Ya ayyuha lazina amanu iza ja akumul muminatu muhajiratin famtahinuhun allahu alamu bi imanihin fa in alimtumuhun na muminatin fala tarjiuhun na ilal kuffar la hunna hillul lahum wa lahum yahil luna lahun wa atu hum ma anfaqu wa la junaha alaikum an tankihuhun na iza a taitumuhun na ujurahun wa la tumsiku bi ishamil kawafiri was alu ma anfaqtum wal yas alu ma anfaqu zalikum hukmul lah yah kumu bainakum wallahu alimun hakim

¹¹Wa infatakum saium min azwajikum ilal kuf fari fa aqabatum fa atul lazina zahabat azwajuhum mitslama anfaqu wat taqul lahal lazi antum bihi muminun

3. This is not as simple as it seems. Medina represents the Muslims, while Mecca represented the Unbelievers. Before their confrontation with each other, the decision was established with regards to treatment of female Prisoners of War, each were to return such to the other. Unfortunately Allah gave this revelation which changed all that and the Muslims were to retain the female Prisoners of war on condition that they pay back the dowry to the former husband of the married female POWs. It is good to pass off as a breach of contract, for which if any had done that the Muslims would be attacking them before they could say “what”. But apparently, it is the right thing to do when Allah is in the equation. This is satisfying the sexual needs of the Muslims warriors.

¹²O Prophet! when believing women come to you to take the oath of fealty to you, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood, and that they will not disobey you in any just matter, then receive their fealty and pray to Allah for their forgiveness: for Allah is often forgiving, most merciful.

¹³O you who believe! turn not to people on whom is the wrath of Allah. Of the hereafter they are already in despair just as the unbelievers are in despair about those in graves.

¹²Ya ayyuhan nabiyu iza ja akal muminatu yubayinaka ala alla yusrikna billahi sai aw wa la yasriqna wa la yaznina wa la yaqtulna auladahun na wa la yatina bibuhtani yaftarinahu baina aidihin na wa arjulihin na wa la yasinaka fi marufin fabayihun na wastagfir lahun nallah innallaha gafuru rahim

¹³Ya ayyuhallazina amanu la ta tawalau qauman gadiba lahu alaihim qad ya isu minal akhirati kama ya isal kuffaru min ashabil qubur