النص المفهرس

401
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 11 - 17
وَإِذْ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيُطْنُ أَعْمَالَهُمُ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ إِنِّىُ جَارٌ لَّكُمُ
فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَتِ الْفِعَتْنِ نَكَصَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّىُ بَرِىٌ مِّنْكُمُ إِنّىِّ ◌َرَى مَالَا تَرَوْنَ إِنِّىّ
أَخَافُ اللهَ ﴿ وَاللهُ شَدِيْدُ الْعِقَابِ.
"And when the Satan beautified their deeds for them and said,
'None of the people is to overpower you today, and I am a
protector for you.' But, when the two groups saw each other, he
turned back on his heels and said, 'I have nothing to do with
you. I am seeing what you do not see. I am scared of Allah, and
Allah is severe in punishment.""
This incident occurred on the occasion of the battle of Badr when the
Satan misled the pagan Quraish, urged them to wage a war against
Muslims, and then he withdrew, and left them in the lurch when they
were in the middle of a pitched-battle. It is not clear how the Satan did all
this, whether he cast suggestions into their minds or whether he came to
them in human shape and spoke to them face to face. A full explanation is
: available in Volume [4] of Ma'ariful Qur'an, pages 242-247.
If the verse refers to this incident, in which the Satan provokes man
to disbelieve and when he does that, he washes his hands of them, it does
not seem that the Satan asked them to commit kufr, because they were
already kafirs. He asked them to be firm in opposing the Messenger. The
answer is all too obvious, in that it is all the same whether he asked them
to commit kufr, or bids them to remain firm in their kufr or fight the
Messenger of Allah, because it is also tantamount to kufr.
Tafsir Mazhari, Qurțubi, Ibn Kathir and others have cited several
incidents where monks and devotees were deceived into kufr. For
example, one of the Israeli monks devoted himself to Allah in his
synagogue, and fasted consecutively and broke his fast only once in ten
days. In this way, he spent seventy years of his life. The accursed Satan
pursued him. He sent after him the most cunning devil in the shape of a
monk, a devotee of God. He went up to him and exerted himself in the
worship of God and thus built up confidence in the genuine monk.
Eventually, the impostor succeeded in teaching the monk a few of the
prayers that are efficacious in curing the sickly people. Then the former
exerted his influence on many people to fall sick, and gave them the
monk's address. When the latter recited the prayers, the devil would
remove his influence and thus they would feel cured. He kept up this

402
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
process for a long period of time, until one day he performed his exertion
on the beautiful daughter of an Israeli leader. He sent her also to the
monk. He succeeded in getting her into his synagogue and gradually he
succeeded in getting him to commit fornication with the girl who, as a
result, fell pregnant. He suggested that the girl be killed to save face.
After the killing, the devil himself went around telling the story of the
killing and put up the people against the monk. They, in their fury,
demolished the synagogue and decided to kill him and crucify him. Then
the Satan went back to the monk and said to him that there is no way out
to save his life. 'Of course', he said to him, 'there is one way of saving your
life, in that you prostrate to me and I will save your life.' The monk had
already committed all the sins. The way to commit kufr was paved. So, he
prostrated. At that juncture, the Satan said to him plainly, 'You were not
falling into my trap. I adopted all these guiles for you to commit kufr. I
cannot assist you in any way.' This story is recounted fully in Tafsir
Mazhari and Qurțubi. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best!
Verses 18 - 24
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرُ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍحَ وَاتَّقُوْا
اللّهَ ﴿ إِنَّ اللّهَ خَبِيْرٌ، بِمَا تَعُمَلُونَ ﴿١٨﴾ وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِيْنَ نَسُوا
اللهَ فَنْسِهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ، أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفُسِقُوْنَ ﴿١٩﴾ لَا يَسْتَوِىُّ
أَصْحِبُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحِبُ الْجَنَّةِ ، أَصْحِبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَآئِزُونَ
﴿٢٠﴾ لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنُ
خَشْيَةِ اللهِ ، وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمُ يَتَفَّرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
هُوَاللهُ الَّذِىُ لا إِلهَ إِلََّهُوَ عِلِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمُنُ
الرَّحِيُمُ ﴿٢٢﴾ هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِىُ لَّ إِلهَ إِلَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُوُسُ السَّلْمُ
الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيْزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ، سُبْحَنَ اللهِ عَمَّا
يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ

403
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
الْحُسُنِى « يُسَبّحُ لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ، وَهُوَ الْعَزِيُزُ
ع
الْحَكِيمٌ ﴿٢٤﴾
O those who believe, fear Allah, and everybody must
consider what he (or she) has sent ahead for tomorrow.
And fear Allah. Surely Allah is fully aware of what you
do. [18] And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He
made them forget their own selves. Those are the
sinners. [19] The people of the Fire and the people of the
Paradise are not equal. The people of the Paradise are
the successful. [20] Had We sent down this Qur'an to a
mountain, you would have seen it humbled, burst apart
out of awe for Allah. And such examples are cited by Us
for the people, so that they may ponder. [21] He is Allah,
besides whom there is no god, the Knower of the unseen
and the seen. He is the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.
[22] He is Allah, besides whom there is no god, the
Sovereign, the Most Pure [from all defects], the Most
Safe [from all defects], the Peace-Giver, the Guardian,
the All-Mighty, the Restorer [of the losses], the Lord of
Greatness. Pure is Allah from what they associate with
Him. [23] He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the
Originator-Of-Shapes. His are the Most Beautiful
Names. His purity is proclaimed by all that is in the
heavens and the earth, and He is the All-Mighty, the
All-Wise. [24]
Commentary
The Command to Taqwa and to prepare for the Day of
Resurrection
The earlier parts of Surah Al-Hashr has described different events
relating to the Jews, the pagans and the hypocrites and their
punishments in this world and in the next. Now the concluding part of
the Surah makes the believers conscious of their duty towards Allah and
advises them to perform the righteous deeds regularly.
The first verse in this set reads ◌ٍيَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرُ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتُ لِغَد (O
those who believe, fear Allah, and everybody must consider what he [or
she] has sent ahead for tomorrow. .... 59:18) In an eloquent style, the verse
enjoins upon the believers to take care of the Hereafter and commands
them to prepare for it. Here a few points need to be considered:

404
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
First: In this verse, the Hereafter is described as ghad [tomorrow],
which means the 'day after today'. This points to two things. First of all, it
means that the entire period of this world, compared to the Hereafter, is
very short. That is, this entire world, in relation to the Hereafter, is like
one day. In fact, in terms of pure calculation, this comparison too is
difficult to imagine, because the Hereafter is eternal which will exist
without an end. The age of human world is said to be a few thousand
years old. If this is calculated with the creation of the heaven and the
earth, it will extend to a few million years, which in any case will be a
limited period. This is no comparison to an unlimited or infinite period of
time. Some Traditions state ◌ٌالدُّنْيَا يَوْمٌ وَلَنَا فِيْهِ صَوْم (The entire world is a day and
on that day we fast.) Whether we calculate from human creation or from
the creation of the heaven and the earth, it does not matter, because
neither of these factors is important for a human individual. In fact, every
individual's world is made up of the days and years of his age. Every
person should be able to realize how short a period that is in relation to
the eternity of the Hereafter.
Second of all, this verse shows that the Day of Resurrection is as
certain as the arrival of tomorrow after today which is a stark reality, and
no one doubts it. Likewise the Hereafter is beyond any reasonable doubt.
Thirdly, the Day of Resurrection will happen very shortly. Just as
tomorrow is not very far away from today, it is thought to be very near,
likewise, the Day of Resurrection will happen very soon after this world.
The first phase of the Hour is when an individual dies, his Hour is
already established as stated in a Tradition: "مَنُ مَّاتَ فَقَدُ قَامَتُ قِيَامَتُه "He who
dies, his Day of Judgement has been established" because the signs of the
next world start from the grave and examples of reward and punishment
come forward. The world of grave or the world of barzakh is like a waiting
room in this world which accommodates all types of people, ranging from
the first class to the third class. The waiting room of the criminals is the
prison house. A person should be able to determine his position and status
in the waiting room. Therefore, every person's Judgement Day starts with
his death. Man's death has been made such a puzzling phenomenon that
not even the greatest philosopher or scientist can with any degree of
certainty determine the exact time of its occurrence. In fact, every coming
moment is fraught with the danger that one may not live to see it,

405
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
especially in this time and age when it is moving at the pace of lightning
and heart-failure is the order of the day. The second phase of the Hour is
when the entire world, the heaven and earth and everything else, will
perish, though this might take place after hundreds of thousands of
years, it is very close in relation to the eternity of the Hereafter .
In short, this verse by describing qiyamah [Doomsday] as ghad
[tomorrow] made man conscious of the fact that the Doomsday is not very
far off; it is very close like tomorrow. It is also possible that it might come
even before tomorrow.
The second point put by this verse for consideration is that the arrival
of Doomsday being certain and also near, everyone is invited to think
what he has prepared for the Day of Resurrection. This shows that his
original abode is the Hereafter. His residence in this world is like a
wayfarer. It is necessary to send something from here for the eternal
abode. The main purpose of man's residence is to live here, acquire and
accumulate things and send them forward to the eternal abode of the
Hereafter. It is quite obvious that no material wealth or property can be
taken with from this world. There is only one way of transferring wealth
[gold, silver, money and so on] from one country to another, that is to
deposit it into the bank from where the currency of another country is
obtained. In exactly the same manner, wealth is spent in the way of Allah
and the sacred laws of Allah are implemented and deposited in the
Divinely celestial bank, where the currency of reward is recorded in the
celestial Account-Book. When a believer reaches the eternal abode, it is
handed over to him without claim or demand.
The phrase " Entu what he (or she) has sent ahead' carries the
general sense of the good, as well as, the bad deeds. He who sends forth
good deeds will obtain the currency of reward in the Hereafter; and he
who sends forth evil deeds will be indicted in the Hereafter. The command
of " ... fear Allah ... [18]" has been repeated. It could be for emphasis, or the
first of such command is for man to fulfil the obligatory and imperative
duties, and the repetition of the command is to abstain from sins. The
second explanation is given by Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi ( dl ).
Also, it is possible that the first command to fear Allah is to send forth
good deeds for the Hereafter by acting upon imperatives set by Allah, and

406
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
the second command to fear is to ensure that what is being sent is not
fake or counterfeit. Fake or counterfeit deeds, in relation to the Hereafter,
would imply the deeds done seem to be genuinely righteous deeds, but
they lack sincerity of purpose and the good pleasure of Allah. What was
done ostentatiously or for ulterior motive or an ostensible action that
seems like an act of worship, but having no base in religion, it is
tantamount to innovation (Bid'ah). Thus the second command to fear
Allah implies that for the Hereafter it is not sufficient to merely
accumulate ostensible actions, but to send forth genuine deeds performed
with sincerity according to the rules set in religion. Spurious actions will
not be acceptable there.
so He made them forget their own selves .... 59:19) It ... ) فَانُسْبهُمُ اَنْفُسَهُمُ
means they did not forget Allah but themselves, because they are
unaware of their own loss and gain.
,Had We sent down this Qur'an to a mountain) لَوْاَنْزَلْنَا هذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ
.... 59:21) This is a parable that Allah is using to illustrate the fact that if
the Holy Qur'an were to be revealed on such strong, firm and unmovable
mountain and endowed with intelligence like man, it would have
submitted to the greatness of the Qur'an, nay, it would have crushed to
pieces. But man is too selfish and proud. As a result, he has lost his
natural intelligence and remains unaffected by the powerful message of
the Qur'an. This, it would appear, is a hypothetical example, that is 'if
mountains had sense or intelligence. Some scholars have stated that
reason and revelation both bear testimony to the fact that everything in
nature has sense, perception and intelligence, be it a mountain or a tree.
Therefore, this is not a hypothetical example. It is a stark reality.
[Mazharī]. And Allah knows best!
A Few of Allah's Attributes of Perfection
Having urged the people to be concerned about the Hereafter and
having asserted the greatness of the Qur'an, this Surah is concluded with
a few of Allah's attributes of perfection, as follows:
the Knower of the unseen and the seen - 23). The ... ) عِلِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشِّهَادَةِ
attribute 'the Knower of the Unseen and the seen' means that Allah
knows all things, visible or invisible.
"Mají The attribute Al-Quddus means 'the Most Pure from all defects',

407
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
that is, Allah is the Being Who is free from all kinds of defect, deficiency
and imperfection which are not in conformity to His Supreme status.
i'll The word mu'min, when applied to a human being, means a
believer, but when this attribute is applied to Allah, it means the one who
provides peace and safety, as explained by Ibn 'Abbas age. It means that
He provides safety and perfect peace to those who believe in Allah and
His Messengers.
JI The attribute Al-Muhaimin, according to Ibn 'Abbas
,
Mujahid and Qatadah means 'Guardian'. The Arabic lexicon Al-Qamus
has explained that its route is 'hamn' which means 'to look after or take
care of or watch over'. [Mazhari].
yJÍ The attribute Al-'Aziz means 'the Almighty'.
„JÍ The attribute Al-Jabbar means the One who is dominant. It
could also be derived from the word jabr, meaning to 'join broken bones'
and thus we have the word jabirah, which refers to the bandage or
plaster that is used in binding the broken bones. From this point of view,
the attribute would mean that Allah is the Being Who sets aright every
broken and useless things, matters or restores all losses and rectifies
situations or mends every breakage.
"Ji The attribute Al-Mutakabbir [the Lord of Greatness] is derived
from takabbur and that from kibriya' meaning 'greatness' which is one of
the peculiar characteristics of Allah. It implies that every greatness is
attributable only to Allah who is not in need of anyone. Whoever is in
need cannot be great. Therefore, if this word is used for a person other
than Allah, it is a defect and sin, because the claim of greatness by a
person who is not actually great is false and tantamount to a claim of
being a partner of Allah, the Besought of all, in one of His exclusive
attributes. That is why the word Al-Mutakabbir, when attributed to Allah
is an attribute of perfection, but in respect of others it is no more than a
false claim.
@.J ( ... the Originator of all Shapes .... 59:24) In other words, He gives
shape to every thing He creates. He has given particular shapes to all
creatures whereby they are distinguished from one another. Every species
has a shape distinguishable from all other species. Within one species too,

408
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
there are differences in shape between males and females. Then there are
uncountable differences between the shapes of the individuals of even
one sex. The excellence of shaping or fashioning is of such high degree
that the shapes of zillions of men and women are different from one
another in a way that no face is an absolute copy of some other face. Had
it not been so, no one could be distinguished from the other. This
excellence and perfection of creative power belongs to none but Allah.
Just as takabbur (show of greatness) is not permissible for anyone other
than Allah [as kibriya'is His exclusive attribute'], likewise no one, besides
Allah, is permitted to do picture-making, because that too is the exclusive
characteristic of Allah, and picture-making is an implied claim of being
associate with Allah in this attribute.
His are the Most Beautiful Names .... 59:24). The Holy ... ) لَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسُنى
Qur'an has not given the exact number of these Most Beautiful Names of
Allah. Authentic Prophetic ahadith have counted them ninety-nine.
Tirmidhi has collected all the ninety-nine names in one Tradition. Many
scholars have written full books on the subject of Asma'ul-Husna or 'Most
Beautiful Names of Allah'. The present writer has also compiled a concise
monograph on the subject of 'Most Beautiful Names of Allah' published as
an annexure to Munajat-i-Maqbul (by Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi
(الله تعالى
His purity is proclaimed by all that is in the ... ) يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمْوَتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
heavens and the earth .... 59:24). That all creatures in the heavens and
the earth declare the purity of Allah in unuttered language is
self-evident: The wonderful, marvelous and amazing things created by
Allah, and the awe-inspiring and staggering shapes fashioned by Him
proclaim the praises of their Creator in unuttered language. However, it
is possible too that the word 'tasbih' is used here in its real and literal
sense, because according to the authentic view everything in this
universe has some kind of sense that accords to its ability. Now, the
foremost and primary requirement of this sense is to recognize one's
Creator and paying gratitude to Him. Based on this premise, it is not
far-fetched to conceive that everything in nature really declares the
purity of Allah in articulate language, though human ears might not be
وَلكِنُ لَّا تَفْقَهُوُنَ تَسُبِيحَهُمُ able to hear it. Thus the Qur'an on one occasion says
( ... but you do not understand their extolling.) (17:44)
-

409
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 18 - 24
Benefits and Blessings of the Concluding Verses of Surah
Al-Hashr
It is recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidna Ma'qil Ibn
Yasar
that the Messenger of Allah
has stated that Allah appoints
70,000 angels who pray for Divine mercy for anyone who recites the
following three times: ◌ِأَعُوذُ بِاللّهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيُمِ مِنَ الشَّيُطِنِ الرَّحِيم and the last three
verses of Surah Al-Hashr ◌َهُوَاللهُ الذِىُ لا إلهَ الأُهُو. If he dies the same day, he
will attain the status of a martyr. If a person recites the same solemn
words in the evening, he will attain the same status. [Mazhari].
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Hashr
Ends here

410
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
Surah Al-Mumtahinah
(The Examiner)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 13 verses and 2 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 6
يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّىُ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلُقُونَ إِلَيْهِمُ
بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَ كُمُ مِّنَ الْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُوْلَ
وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللّهِ رَبِّكُمْ ﴿ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ خَرَجُتُمُ جِهَادًا فِى سَبِيلِى
وَابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِى تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ ◌ٌ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا أَخْفَيْتُمْ
وَمَآ أَعْلَنْتُمُ * وَمَنْ يَّفْعَلْهُ مِنْكُمُ فَقَدُ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيْلِ ﴿١﴾ إِنْ
يَّتْقَفُوْكُمْ يَكُوْنُوْا لَكُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَّيَبْسُطُوْا إِلَيْكُمُ اَيْدِيَهُمُ وَالْسِنَتَهُمُ
بِالسُّوْءِ وَوَدُّوْا لَوْ تَكْفُرُوْنَ ﴿٢ٌ﴾ لَنْ تَنْفَعَكُمْ أَرْحَامُكُمُ وَلَا
أَوْلَادُكُم٢ُ يَوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِّ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَكُمْ، وَاللهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ بَصِيرٌ
، قَدْ كَانَتُ لَكُمُ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِىِّ إِبْرِهِيُمَ وَالَّذِيْنَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا
لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَةِ ؤُا مِنْكُمُ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ، كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ
وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَآءُ أَبَدًا حَتّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللهِ وَحْدَهٌ
إِلَّا قَوْلَ اِبْرِهِيُمَ لِاَبِيْهِ لَاَ سُتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَآ أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِنْ
شَىْءٍ * رَبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ انَبْنَا وَ إِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيْرُ ﴿٤﴾ رَبَّنَا لَا

411
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا وَاغْفِرُ لَنَا رَبَّنَاء إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيُمُ
﴿٥﴾ لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمُ فِيْهِمُ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَنُ كَانَ يَرْجُوا اللهَ وَالْيَوْمَ
الْآخِرَءُ وَمَنْ يَّتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ اللهَ هُوَ الْغَنِىُّ الْحَمِيْدُ
O you who believe, do not take My enemies and your
enemies for friends, expressing love with them, while
they have rejected the Truth that has come to you,
expelling the Messenger and your selves (from Makkah),
merely because you have faith in Allah, your Lord, if
you have set out to do jihad (struggle) in My way, and
to seek My pleasure. You express love with them
secretly, while I know what you have concealed and
what you have revealed. And any of you who does this
has missed the straight path. [1] Should they have
access to you, they will become your enemies, and will
stretch their hands and tongues towards you with evil;
and they desire that you should reject the (True) faith.
[2] Neither your womb-relations nor your children will
avail you on the Day of Judgment. He will decide
between you, and Allah is watchful of what you do. [3]
Indeed, there is an excellent example for you in Ibrahim
and those with him, when they said to their people, "We
disown you and what you worship instead of Allah. We
disbelieve in you. Enmity and hatred has arisen
between us and you forever, unless you believe in Allah
alone", - but (his example is) not (to be followed) in
what Ibrahim said to his father, "I will pray to my Lord
for your forgiveness, and I have no power from Allah (to
do any thing) for you." - "O our Lord, in you alone we
trust, and to you alone we turn for help, and to you is
the final return. [4] Our Lord, do not make us
persecuted by those who disbelieve, and forgive us, our
Lord! You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." [5]
Indeed, for you there is an excellent example in them,
for anyone who hopes (to meet) Allah and the Last Day.
And whoever turns away, then Allah is Free of all
needs, Worthy of all Praise. [6]
Commentary
The Surah opens with a prohibitory injunction to Muslims against
having close and intimate friendship with disbelievers and those who

412
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
associate partners with Allah. This injunction was revealed in the context
of a particular incident which is mentioned below:
Background of Revelation
The tafsir of Qurtubi, with reference to Qushairi and Tha'labi, records
that after the battle of Badr, before the Conquest of Makkah, a Makkan
female vocalist whose name was Sarah, first arrived in Madinah. The
Messenger of Allah
asked her whether she had migrated to Madinah.
She replied in the negative. Then he asked her whether she had
embraced Islam. Again her reply was in the negative. Then he asked her
to explain the reason why she arrived in Madinah. She explained, 'You
belong to the high society of Makkah and I used to do my living amongst
you. The great leaders of Makkah were killed in the battle of Badr, and
you have moved here. My living has become impossible. I am
down-and-out and hard-pressed. I have come to you for help.' The Holy
Prophet
said to her, 'You are a professional female singer of Makkah
and where are the Makkan youngsters who used to shower money on
you?' She said that after the battle of Badr all her functions and singing
sessions had come to an end. "Since that time", she said, "nobody has
invited me." The Holy Prophet
encouraged Banu 'Abd-ul-Muttalib to
assist her. They helped her with money, clothing and other things and
sent her off.
This happened at a time when the pagans of Makkah had failed to
honour the treaty of Hudaibiyah, and the Holy Prophet was making
secret preparations to march on Makkah. He had also prayed to Allah
that his secret plan must not be prematurely divulged to the people of
Makkah. However, from amongst the foremost Muhajirin (Refugees)
there was a Companion Sayyidna Hatib Ibn Abi Balta'ah
He was
originally from Yemen, who had settled in Makkah where he had no
relatives and had embraced Islam. After migration, he settled in
Madinah, but his family was still in Makkah. The pagans of Makkah used
to persecute the Muslims tortuously who had remained in Makkah after
the Holy Prophet
, and his blessed Companions migrated to Madinah.
The Refugees who had relatives in Makkah had some degree of
protection. But Sayyidna Hațib Ibn Abi Balta'ah 4
was worried that he
had no relatives to protect his family from the persecution. He seized this
opportunity to have his family protected from Makkan persecution. So, he
--

413
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
thought if he did a favor to the Makkans, they would feel obliged to him,
and in return they will take care of his family and protect them.
Sayyidna Hațib Ibn Abi Balta'ah
was sure that Allah would grant
victory to the Messenger of Allah
, and leaking the secret information
would not harm the Holy Prophet
or Islam. He thought if he were to
write a letter and inform the Makkans that the Holy Prophet
intends
to attack them, his children would be safe. He thus committed the mistake
of writing a letter to the people of Makkah telling them the intention of
the Holy Prophet to invade upon Makkah. He dispatched the letter
with the singing woman, Sarah, who was on her way to Makkah. [Qurtubi
and Mazharī].
Allah Ta'ala informed the Holy Prophet
about it through
revelation, and he was also informed that the bearer of the letter, a
woman, has reached the place known as Raudah Khakh. According to a
narration in the two Sahihs on the authority of Sayyidna 'Ali ce, the
Holy Prophet
called for him, Abu Marthad and Zubair Ibn 'Awwam 4'e
and commanded them to ride their horses and pursue the woman who
would be found in Raudah Khakh. He said: "There you will find a pagan
woman bearing a letter from Sayyidna Hatib Ibn Abi Balta'ah
addressed to the pagans of Makkah. Overtake her and bring back the
letter." The Companions, in pursuance of the command, galloped on their
horses and went after the woman and found her in the place where the
Holy Prophet
had named. She was seen there riding a camel. They
made the camel sit and searched for the letter, but to no avail. They said
to themselves that she must have the letter with her because the
information of the Holy Prophet
¿ could never be wrong. She must have
hidden it somewhere. They asked her to produce the letter, but she denied
any knowledge of it. They then had to adopt a sterner attitude and
threatened to remove all her clothes, if she did not surrender the letter.
When she saw their determination, she produced it from her loincloth.
The letter was brought back to the Messenger of Allah . When
Sayyidna 'Umar Al-Faruq 4
heard the story, he exclaimed seeking the
Holy Prophet's
permission to behead the one who betrayed Allah, His
Messenger and all the Muslims.
The Holy Prophet
asked Sayyidna Hațib Ibn Abi Balta'ah 4%: '0
Hațib! What has prompted you to do this?' Sayyidna Hațib Ibn Abi

414
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
Balta'ah
replied that his faith was not shaken in the least. He
explained that he intended to do a favor to the residents of Makkah, so
that they might not harm his family. He pleaded that all other muhajirin
(Emigrants) had their clans in Makkah, while his family had no one to
take care of them.
The Holy Prophet
said to his Companions: "He has told you the
truth." Sayyidna 'Umar Al-Faruq4
e was not convinced on account of his
zeal of faith, and repeated his request to kill him. The Holy Prophet
put forward more compelling arguments. He said:
'He attended Badr. What can I tell you, perhaps Allah looked at
those who attended Badr and said, "O People of Badr, do what
you like, for I have forgiven you.'
Having heard this, tears rolled down from Sayyidna 'Umar's 42 eyes
and he said: "Allah and His Messenger alone has the knowledge of
reality." [This narration of Bukhari is recorded in the Book of Mghazi: The Battle of
Badr, as quoted by Ibn Kathir]. Some of the versions also have the additional
statement of Sayyidna Hațib Ibn Abi Balta'ah 4,
"I never did this to
harm Islam or the Muslims because I knew for sure that Allah will grant
victory to the Holy Prophet
irrespective of whether or not the Makkans
came to know about the impending attack."
It was with reference to this incident that Allah revealed the opening
verses of Surah Al-Mumtahinah forbidding the Muslims vehemently to
have friendly relations with the infidels.
O you who believe, do) يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّىُ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلُقُونَ إِلَيْهِمُ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ
not take My enemies and your enemies for friends, expressing love with
them ... 60:1). The immediate occasion of the revelation of the verse under
comment was the incident stated earlier. Such a letter written to the
disbelievers amounted to having friendly intimacy with them. This verse
uses the expression ◌ْعَدُوِّى وَ عَدُوَّكُم "My enemy and your enemy" instead of
kuffar [infidels] presumably to indicate the underlying cause of the
injunction, in that hopes of friendship from your enemy and Allah's
enemy are illusory. It needs to be avoided. Furthermore, this expression is
an indication that an infidel, as long as he is an infidel, can never be a
friend of a Muslim as long as he is a Muslim. An infidel is the enemy of
Allah, whereas a Muslim loves Allah. How can there be an intimate

415
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
friendship between the two?
while they ... ) وَقَدُ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَ كُمُ مِّنَ الْحَقِّ ◌ٌ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللّهِ رَبِّكُمْ
have rejected the Truth that has come to you, expelling the Messenger
and your selves [from Makkah], merely because you have faith in Allah,
your Lord ... 60:1). The word haqq [truth] refers either to the Qur'an or to
Islam. This part of the verse refers to their kufr (rejection of Truth) as the
real reason of their enmity. Then it points out even to their hostile
attitude, proved on the ground, that they drove the Holy Prophet
and
his followers out of their dear homes, not for any worldly grudge, but for
one and only one reason, that is, their faith. Thus it becomes clear that
believers as long as they are believers, the non-believers cannot be their
intimate friends. This also clarifies that the position Hatib
had taken
was inappropriate. He was wrong in his thinking that if he did them a
favor, they would be obliged to him and take care of his family, because
they were enemies of the faith. Unless [God forbid!] one loses one's faith,
the hope of friendly intimacy with the enemies of Allah is illusory and
virtually impossible.
if you have set out to do jihad ... ) إِنْ كُنْتُمُ خَرَجُتُمُ جِهَادًا فِىُ سَبِيلِىُ وَابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِى
(struggle) in My way, and to seek My pleasure ... 60:1). This statement also
points out that if the migration was indeed for the sake of Allah and His
good pleasure, it is impossible for an infidel, the enemy of Allah, to take
care of Allah's friend.
You express love with them ... ) تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيْهِمُ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ فَ وَأَنَّا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا اَخْفَيْتُمُ وَمَآ أَعْلَنْتُمُ
secretly, while I know what you have concealed and what you have
revealed .... 60:1). This statement makes it clear that anyone who secretly
maintains a friendly intimacy with the unbelievers should not think that
it will remain secret. Allah is fully aware of what people do secretly and
openly, as it happened in the story recounted above. Allah informed the
Holy Prophet
by revelation and had the secret plot thwarted.
Should they have) إِنْ يَّتْقَفُوْكُمُ يَكُونُوا لَكُمُ اَعُدَآءً وَّيَبْسُطُوْا إِلَيْكُمُ اَيْدِيَهُمُ وَاَلْسِنَتَهُمُ بِالسُّوْءِ
access to you, they will become your enemies, and will stretch their hands
and tongues towards you with evil ;... 60:2). The verse indicates how bitter
are the feelings of disbelievers towards Muslims. They would use all
means, their hands and their tongues, and would spare no effort to harm
the Muslims. Therefore, it is impossible that when they find an

416
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 1 - 6
opportunity in their favor and overpower Muslims, they will ever exercise
tolerance towards them.
(and they desire that you should reject the (true ... ) وَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُوُنَ
faith ... 60:2). The greatest desire of the non-believers' hearts is to see the
Muslims revert to disbelief. Thus when the Muslims stretch their hand of
friendship towards them, it will be at the cost of their belief. They will
never be happy with the Muslims unless they give up their faith.
Neither) لَنْ تَنُفَعَكُمُ اَرْحَامُكُمُ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ ج ◌َوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَكُمُ ◌ُ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيْرٌ
your womb-relations nor your children will avail you on the Day of
Judgment. He will decide between you, and Allah is watchful of what you
do ... 60:3). The verse refutes the plea of Sayyidna Hatib 4
He did what
he did for the love of his children, but they will be of no help on the Day
of Resurrection. All relations on that day will come to an end. Parents will
flee from their children, and children from their parents, and no secret
will ever remain hidden from Allah.
Indeed, there is an) قَدُ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِىٌّ إِبْرِهِيُمَ ...... حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللهِ وَحْدَه،
excellent example for you in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said
to their people, "We disown you and what you worship instead of Allah.
We disbelieve in you. Enmity and hatred has arisen between us and you
forever, unless you believe in Allah alone", .... 60:4). This verse supports
and emphasizes the abstaining from maintaining close friendly relations
with non-believers. This rule of law is illustrated by the excellent example
of Holy Prophet Ibrahim & whose entire family worshipped idols, but
he not only washed his hands of them and disowned them, but also
announced, and erected a wall of, enmity and hatred with them for ever,
unless and until they give up idol-worship and have belief in Allah alone.
Allaying a Doubt
The current verse emphasizes that Muslims should follow the
excellent model of Holy Prophet Ibrahim See and, it is established in
Surah Taubah and in other places in the Qur'an that, he prayed for the
forgiveness of his father who was an idol-worshipper. This could create
doubt that, in pursuance of the command of Allah to follow the example of
Prophet Ibrahim Cel, it is permitted to pray for the forgiveness of one's
parents or other relatives who are idol-worshippers. But the later part of
Verse [4] makes an exception to the command of following Ibrahim Sel.

417
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 7 - 9
but [his example is] not [to be followed] in what ... ) إِلَّا قَوُلَ اِبُرْهِيْمَ لِاَبِيُهِ لَاَسُتَغُفِرَنَّ لَكَ
Ibrahim said to his father, "I will pray to my Lord for your forgiveness ...
60:4). This implies that it is imperative to follow the model of Holy Prophet
Ibrahim & in all respects, except in the case of prayer for his father's
forgiveness. It is not permitted to emulate his sunnah in this respect. His
reason for praying for his father's forgiveness has been explained in
Surah Taubah. He prayed for his father's forgiveness before the
prohibitory injunction was ordained, or probably when he felt that faith
has entered into his father's heart, but when it became plain to him that
he was Allah's enemy he washed his hands of him and disowned him,
thus ◌ُفَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلْهِ تَبَرَّا مِنْه ( ... and when it became clear to him that he
was an enemy of Allah, he renounced him .... 9:114)
Some of the scholars analyze the phrase ◌َإِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْراهِيم (but not in what
Ibrahim said ... ) grammatically as istithna' munqați‘, that is, exceptive
sentence in which the exception is severed from, or wholly different in
kind from, the general term. In terms of this grammatical analysis,
praying for his father's forgiveness is not contrary to Abrahamic model.
Holy Prophet Ibrahim MA was under the impression that his father had
become a Muslim, so he prayed for the forgiveness of his Muslim father.
Later when he learnt the truth, he gave up praying for him and
renounced him. If anyone believes, even today, that a particular
unbeliever has most probably embraced Islam, there is no harm in
praying for his pardon. [Qurtubi]. Allah knows best!
Verses 7 - 9
عَسَى اللهُ أَنْ يَّجْعَلَ بَيْنَكُمُ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ عَادَيْتُمْ مِّنْهُمُ مَّوَدَّةً وَاللهُ
قَدِيْرٌ، وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٢﴾ لَا يَنْهِكُمُ اللهُ عَنِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوْكُمْ
فِى الدِّيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوْكُمُ مِّنْ دِيَارِكُمُ أَنْ تَبَرُّوُهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا
إِلَيْهِمُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِيْنَ ﴿٨﴾ إِنَّمَا يَنْهِكُمُ اللهُ عَنِ الَّذِيْنَ
قَاتَلُوْكُمْ فِىُ الدِّيْنِ وَأَخْرَجُوْكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمُ وَظَاهَرُوْا عَلَى
إِخْرَاجِكُمُ أَنْ تَوَلَّوُهُمْ، وَمَنْ يَّتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظُّلِمُونَ ﴿٩﴾

418
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 7 - 9
Hopefully Allah will bring about love between you and
those of them with whom you have enmity. And Allah is
Powerful, and Allah is Most-forgiving, Very-Merciful. [7]
Allah does not forbid you from doing good and justice to
those who did not fight you because of faith, and did not
expel you from your homes. Surely Allah loves those
who maintain justice. [8] Allah forbids you only from
having friendship with those who fought you on
account of faith, and expelled you from your homes, and
helped (others) in expelling you. And those who develop
friendship with them, it is they who are the
wrongdoers. [9]
Commentary
The preceding verses vehemently prohibited Muslims to maintain any
friendly intimacy with non-believers, even though they had very near
blood relationships with them. The noble Companions used to carry out
the commands of Allah and His Messenger in letter and spirit. In this
matter, they did not care about their personal desires, or about their near
and dear ones. This command was also carried out with the result that in
some homes the father was a Muslim and the son was an unbeliever or
vice versa. Friendly relations were severed. Obviously, this situation was
not easy for their human nature. That is why Allah gives them the
assurance that soon the hardship will be over.
According to some ahadith, when a servant of Allah gives up his
favorite thing for the sake of Allah, Allah delivers it to him in a lawful
manner, and at times he is granted something better than it.
The present verses give an indication that those who are implacable
enemies of Muslims because of their disbelief would soon become their
friends. In other words, Allah will grant the enemies the ability to
embrace the Faith and thus restore the mutual relationships. This
prophecy was fulfilled on the occasion of the Conquest of Makkah when,
besides the unbelievers who were killed, the rest of the people became
يَدْخُلُونَ فِىُ دِيْنِ اللَّهِ أَغْوَاجًا Muslims. [Mazhari]. The Holy Qur'an describes it thus
( ... and you see people entering Allah's [approved] religion in multitudes .. )
[110:2]
It is recorded in Sahih of Bukhari, on the authority of Sayyidah
Asma' bint Abu Bakr 4%, that her mother arrived in Madinah from

419
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 7 - 9
Makkah in the state of disbelief. According to a narration in Musnad of
Ahmad, this incident occurred when peace treaty of Hudaibiyah with the
Makkan Quraish had been concluded and was in force. Her mother's
name was Qutailah. She brought gifts for her daughter Sayyidah Asma'
w", but she refused to accept them. She did not even allow her to enter
her house unless she sought the permission of the Holy Prophet.
Sayyidah Asma' de
4 asked the Holy Prophet ag how to treat her mother
who came to her while still disbeliever. The Holy Prophet
advised her
to treat her kindly, politely and courteously. On that occasion, the
following verse was revealed ◌ِلَا يَنْهِكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمُ يُقَاتِلُوكُمُ فِى الدِّين (Allah does
not forbid you from doing good and justice to those who did not fight you
because of faith .... 60:8)
Some reports indicate that Sayyidah Asma"'s de mother Qutailah was
divorced by Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4% in the Days of Ignorance. Sayyidah
Asma"'s sister, Sayyidah 'A'ishah 4, was born of the second wife of Abu
Bakr 4
Je, namely, Umm Ruman, who had embraced Islam. [Ibn Kathir and
Mazhari].
The verse directs that justice and good behavior should be maintained
with those unbelievers who did not fight the Muslims. As for justice, it is
obligatory to maintain with every non-Muslim, whether he is a citizen of
an Islamic State, or the Muslims have peace agreement with him, or a
citizen of an un-Islamic State, even though he is at war with Muslims.
Rather, Islam enjoins upon Muslims to do justice even to animals. We are
not allowed to lay a burden on them more than they can bear. We need to
take care of their fodder and comfort. The focus of the verse, therefore, is
upon the direction that they should be treated, not only with justice, but
also in good and courteous manner.
Ruling
This verse proves that optional charities may be spent on non-Muslim
citizens of an Islamic State and on non-Muslims with whom the Muslims
have a peace pact. It is, however, forbidden to spend on non-believers
who are at war with Muslims.
إِنَّمَا يَنْهِكُمُ اللهُ عَنِ الَّذِيْنَ قَاتَلُوْكُمْ فِىُ الدِّيْنِ وَأَخْرَجُوْكُمُ مِّنُ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوْا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوُهُمْ
(Allah forbids you only from having friendship with those who fought you
on account of faith, and expelled you from your homes, and helped

420
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 10 - 13
(others) in expelling you .... 60:9) This verse speaks of those unbelievers
who fought the Muslims in the matter of religion, drove them from their
homes or supported their expulsion. These are hostile disbelievers and the
Divine injunction in connection with them is to abstain from having
friendly or cordial intimacy with them. This verse does not forbid just and
kind treatment of them. It merely forbids friendly intimacy and relations.
Prohibition of having such friendly intimacy is not restricted only to those
enemies who actively wage war against Muslims, but it is extended to
ahludh- dhimmah [non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic State] and to
ahlus-sulh [non-Muslims with whom there is a peace pact]. Intimate and
heart-felt friendship is not allowed with them too. On the basis of this
juristic principle, Mazhari has ruled that justice, equity and fairness are
necessary even with the hostile disbelievers who are at war with Muslims.
Prohibition applies only in the case of cordial and friendly intimacy, not in
the case of courteous attitude and kindness. This shows that it is
permissible to be polite and courteous to those hostile enemies who are at
war with Muslims. However, treating them with tenderness and courtesy
should not cause danger, threat, harm or loss to Muslims. Wherever
courtesy or tenderness might pose such a danger, it is not permitted to be
tender or courteous towards them. Of course, justice and equity in all
cases and under all circumstances are necessary and imperative. Allah,
the Pure and Exalted, knows best!]
Verses 10 - 13
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا إِذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنْتُ مُهِجِرْتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوُهُنَّ ،
اللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِيْمَانِهِنَّ، فَإِنُ عَلِمُتُمُوُهُنَّ مُؤْمِنْتٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى
الْكُفَّارِ ، لَاهُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَاهُمْ يَحِلُوْنَ لَهُنَّ، وَأَتُوُهُمُ مَّآ أَنْفَقُوا ه
وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمُ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوُهُنَّ إِذَا أَتَيْثُمُوْهُنَّ أُجُوْرَهُنَّ ، وَلَا
تُمُسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ وَسُئَلُوا مَآ أَنْفَقْتُمُ وَلْيَسْئَلُوا مَآ أَنْفَقُوا ه
ذِلِكُمْ حُكُمُ اللهِ، يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمُ ، وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿١٠﴾ وَإِنْ
فَاتَكُمُ شَىْءٌ مِّنُ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمْ فَأَتُّوا الَّذِيْنَ ذَهَبَتْ