النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 10 - 13
أَزْوَاجُهُمُ مِّثْلَ مَآ أَنْفَقُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِىُّ اَنْتُمُ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١١﴾
◌َأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ ◌ِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنْتُ يُبَايِعُنَكَ عَلَى أَنْ لَّايُشْرِكُنَ بِاللهِ
شَيْئًا وَّلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِيْنَ بِيُهْتَانِ
يَّفْتَرِيْنَه بَيْنَ اَيْدِيُهِنَّ وَاَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعُصِيْنَكَ فِىُ مَعُرُوُفٍ فَبَايِعُهُنَّ
وَاسْتَغْفِرْلَهُنَّ اللهَ ، إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٢﴾ ◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا
لَاتَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمُ قَدْ يَئِسُوا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ
ع
الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصُحِبِ الْقُبُوُرِ ﴿١٣﴾
O you who believe, when the believing women come to
you as emigrants, put them to a test. Allah knows best
about their faith. So, if you find them faithful, do not
send them back to the disbelievers. Neither these
(women) are lawful for them, nor are those
(disbelievers) lawful for these (women). And give them
(the disbelievers) that (dower) which they had paid (to
these women). And there is no sin for you if you marry
them, when you give them their dowers. And do not
hold on to the ties of marriage with the disbelieving
women, and ask (their new non-muslim husbands to
pay to you) that (dower) which you had paid (to such
women), and they (the previous non-muslim husbands
of the Muslim women) should ask (their new Muslim
husbands) to pay that (dower) which they had paid (to
their previous wives). That is the decision of Allah. He
decides between you. And Allah is All-Knowing,
All-Wise. [10] And if some of your (non-muslim) wives
have slipped from you, (and their present non-muslim
husbands do not pay to you the dower as aforesaid,)
and you have your turn (of paying dower to the
previous non-muslim husbands of your present wives),
then (instead of paying dower to them,) give those
whose wives have slipped the like amount of what they
had paid (to them). And fear Allah, the One in whom
you believe. [11]
O Prophet, when the believing women come to you,
seeking bai'ah (a pledge of allegiance) with you that
they will not ascribe any thing as a partner to Allah,
and will not commit theft, and will not commit

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fornication, and will not kill their children, and will
not come up with a calumny that they falsely attribute
between their hands and their feet, and will not disobey
you in what is recognized (in Shari'ah), then effect
bai'ah with them (i.e. accept their pledge) and pray
Allah for their forgiveness. Surely Allah is
Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. [12]
O you who believe, do not have friendship with a people
with whom Allah is angry. They have despaired from
the Hereafter as the infidels have despaired from those
(buried) in the graves. [13]
Commentary
Cause of Revelation
Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah and an Analysis of some of its
Clauses
These verses are related to the event of the treaty of Hudaibiyah
which was discussed at legnth in Surah Al-Fath. After protracted
negotiation, a treaty was concluded between the Quraish of Makkah and
the Messenger of Allah
for ten years. Some of the terms of the treaty
were accepted only under pressure and the Muslims apparently felt
subdued and thus were greatly disturbed. Therefore, the noble
Companions expressed extreme grief and indignation but the Messenger
of Allah
was working under Divine direction, in that the temporary
feeling of defeat is actually a prelude to 'a clear victory', so he conceded to
the fragile terms and conditions of the treaty, and eventually the blessed
Companions also accepted.
One of the terms of the treaty was that if any person goes away to
Madinah from Makkah, the Holy Prophet
will send him back to
Makkah, but if any person goes away to Makkah from Madinah, he will
not be returned. The wordings of this clause are general, apparently
covering both men and women. In other words, if a Muslim man or
woman goes to the Holy Prophet
from Makkah, he shall send him or
her back.
The treaty had hardly been concluded while the Holy Prophet
5 was
still in Hudaibiyah, several incidents occurred that were trying for the
Muslims. One such incident was that of Sayyidna Abu Jandal 4
who
was imprisoned and held captive by the pagan Quraish in Makkah.

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Somehow he managed to escape and appeared before the Holy Prophet
in the Muslim camp with his feet in fetters. When the blessed Companions
saw him, they were totally puzzled. They felt that he should be returned
in terms of the treaty but, on the other hand, they thought it would be
improper for them to hand their oppressed brother back to the oppressive
enemies. But the Holy Prophet
had already concluded the treaty and
the protection and firmness of the principles of Shari'ah could not be
sacrificed on account of an individual. The Holy Prophet
was, at the
same time, foresighted and farsighted. He could foresee the victory of the
oppressed Muslims and their salvage very soon. The Holy Prophet de for
sure must have felt natural grief about returning Sayyidna Abu
Jandalee, but as he was bound by the terms of the treaty, he explained
to him the situation and sent him off.
A similar incident was that of Sayyidah Sa'idah bint al-Harith
al-Aslamiyyah 453, a Muslim lady. She was married to Şaifi Ibn Ansab
who was a non-believer. Some reports give his name as Musafir
al-Makhzumi. Up to this point, marriage relationship between Muslims
and non-Muslims was not forbidden. This Muslim lady escaped from
Makkah and went to the Holy Prophet
¿. The husband followed her and
demanded that the Holy Prophet
should restore his wife to him
because he [the Holy Prophet ] has accepted this condition and the seal
of the treaty is still fresh. On that occasion, the above verses were
revealed, which declare that marriage tie between Muslims and
idol-worshippers is forbidden. Consequently, if a Muslim lady, whether
her Islam was known from beforehand, as in the case of Sayyidah
Sa'idah bint al-Harith de, or her Islam is verified at the time of
migration, emigrates and joins the Holy Prophet &g, she will not be
returned to her non-Muslim husband, because she is forbidden to him.
[Qurțubi cited this incident in his commentary on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
4% ].
Hence, these verses clarify that the assumption that the general sense
of the wordings of the treaty cover both genders, males as well as females,
is incorrect. This condition is acceptable in the case of men, and not in the
case of women. The best that can be done in their case is as follows: If a
lady becomes Muslim and emigrates to the Muslim land, her mahr [dower]
should be returned to her non-Muslim husband which he had spent on

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her. On the basis of these verses, the Holy Prophet
clarified the
meaning of the clause. Hence, he did not restore the aforementioned
Saidah de to her non-Muslim husband.
According to some reports, Umm Kulthum, the daughter of the
notorious 'Utbah Ibn Abi Mu'ait, emigrated from Makkah and came to the
Holy Prophet
'. The disbelievers invoked the treaty and demanded her
return. Some reports also indicate that she was married to 'Amr Ibn al-'Aş
[who had not become a Muslim until then]. Her two brothers along with
her escaped from Makkah and reached the Holy Prophet g. Her
husband 'Amr Ibn al-'As came to Madinah to take her back. In
compliance with the terms of the treaty, the two brothers, 'Umarah and
Walid, were sent back, but the Holy Prophet
did not send Sayyidah
Umm Kulthum de and said that the clause applied to men, not to women.
صَلى الله
At this, the verses were revealed and confirmed the Holy Prophet's
interpretation.
Besides, several other reports relate similar incidents of other women
who reached the Holy Prophet
after embracing Islam. Obviously, there
is no contradiction in these narratives. Possibly all these incidents have
taken place.
Exemption of Women from the Terms of the Treaty is not a
Breach of Treaty. It is a clarification by Mutual Agreement of
Parties Concerned.
Qurtubi's above narration indicates that the wordings of the relevant
clause were, though general, did not, according to the Holy Prophet
cover women. Therefore, he clarified this position in Hudaibiyah, and
these verses were revealed to confirm it. According to other versions, it
seems that the Holy Prophet
went along with the general import of the
clause, which covered women as well as men. These verses abrogated the
general meaning of it, and the Holy Prophet
made it clear to the
Quraish of Makkah, then and there, that the women are exempted from
the clause. Consequently, he did not send them back. This shows that this
exception was neither a breach of the treaty, which was highly unlikely
from the Holy Prophet , nor was it the case of ending the treaty. It was,
in fact, a case of clarifying the true import of the clause. It does not matter
whether this was the Holy Prophet's
" understanding from the outset or
whether he restricted the generality of the clause to men, to the exclusion
1
1

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of women, after the revelation of the verse. At any rate, even after the
clarification, both parties confirmed the peace treaty and acted upon it for
a period of time. As a result of the peace pact, roads were safe and secure.
The Messenger of Allah
wrote letters to the kings and emperors of the
world. Abu Sufyan's trading caravan freely went into the Syrian territory
where Heraclius invited him to his royal court and investigated about the
Messenger of Allah
In short, even after the clarification both parties took the treaty as a
valid document and acted upon it for a period of time. Therefore, it is not
true to construe the clarification of the clause as a breach or termination
of the treaty. Allah knows best!
Let us now study the meaning of the verses:
Testing the Believing Emigrant Women
O you who) يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا إِذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنْتُ مُهْجِرْتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوْهُنَّ ط اللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِيْمَانِهِنَّ
believe, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, put them to
a test, Allah knows best about their faith ... 60:10). The verse purports to
say that women are exempted from the relevant clause of the treaty
because of their being Muslims. Since it was possible that a woman had
fled from Makkah, not because of her faith, but on account of displeasure
with her husband or being in love with some person in Madinah or for
some other mundane motive. Such women are not exempted from the
terms of the treaty, but it is incumbent to send her back. Therefore the
Muslims were ordered by this verse that they should put such a woman to
a test to discover whether she was sincere and honest in her faith. Allah
further states : ◌َّاَللَّهُ أَعُلَمُ بِإِيمَانِهِن (Allah knows best about their faith ... 60:10) It
indicates that real faith belongs to human heart which none besides Allah
knows. It is possible to estimate a man's faith by his verbal confession and
circumstantial evidence. Muslims are legally obliged to do just this much.
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 42% has explained the method of their testing as
follows: An oath used to be taken from an emigrant woman to assert that
she had not come because of hatred for her husband, or for the love of
any man in Madinah, or for any mundane reason, but purely and solely
for the sake of Allah and for the love and pleasure of His Messenger
When she swore an oath to this effect, the Messenger of Allah & would
permit her to reside in Madinah and would return to her disbelieving

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husband the dower [mahr] etc. that he might have spent on the believing
emigrant wife. [Qurțubi]
Sayyidah Şiddiqah : reports, as recorded in Tirmidhi [and he grades
it as 'hasan sahih'], that the method of testing them was the pledge of
allegiance as in the forthcoming verse: ◌َإِذَاجَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنتُ يُبَايِعُنَك ( ... when the
believing women come to you, seeking bai'ah [a pledge of allegiance] with
you .... 60:12). In other words, the methodology of testing the faith of the
emigrant women was the pledge the women swore on the blessed hands of
the Messenger of Allah
as set out in this verse. It is not inconceivable
that they had first to take an oath as mentioned in the narration of
Sayyidnā Ibn 'Abbas 4
and then they had to accomplish it by giving an
oath of loyalty as mentioned in the verse 12. And Allah knows best!
So, if you find them faithful, do .. ) فَإِنْ عَلِمُتُمُوْهُنَّ مُؤُمِنْتٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ
not send them back to the disbelievers. . . 60:10). In other words, when you
have tested the emigrant women according to the above method and
ascertained to your satisfaction that they were sincere and honest in their
faith, then it is not permissible to send them back to the unbelievers.
,Neither these [women] are lawful for them ... ) لَاهُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَاهُمْ يَحِلُونَ لَهُنَّ
nor are those [disbelievers)] lawful for these [women]. .. 60:10). That is to
say, neither the believing women are permitted to remain in marriage
with the unbelieving men nor are the unbelieving men permitted to
marry them again.
Ruling
The verse states that any woman who was married to an unbeliever,
but later she embraced Islam while her husband did not, the marriage tie
between a believing woman and her disbelieving husband was ipso facto
dissolved. This is the reason why women were exempted from the relevant
clause of the treaty, as she was no longer permitted to her disbelieving
husband.
And give them [the disbelievers] that [dower] which ... ) وَاتُوُهُمُ مَّ أَنْفَقُوا
they had paid [to these women] .... 60:10) In other words, the emigrant
believing woman's unbelieving husband should be refunded the dower
etc. that he spent on her at the time of marriage. The relevant clause of
treaty merely exempted women from being returned to their disbelieving
husbands, because the relationship is not permitted, but the wealth or

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money the latter had spent on the former should be paid back. The verse
does not address the emigrant women to refund what their former
husbands have spent on them. It addresses the Muslim Community as a
whole to return the wealth or money, because it was possible, rather most
likely that the wealth that was given to her might have finished or might
have been depleted and they might be left with nothing to return. Hence,
the Muslim Community as a whole was entrusted with the responsibility
of paying back on her behalf to fulfil the terms of the treaty. If this
responsibility could be carried out by the State from its public treasury
[bai-ul-mal], it would be so much the better, or it should have been paid
by contributions of the Muslims. [Qurțubi]
And there is no sin for you if ... ) وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمُ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوُهُنَّ إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ
you marry them, when you give them their dowers .... 60:10) The previous
verse made it clear that the marriage tie between the emigrant believing
woman and her disbelieving husband dissolves, and thus she is forbidden
to him. The current verse clarifies that it is possible for a Muslim man to
marry this emigrant lady, although her former husband is still alive and
did not divorce her, but in terms of the sacred law of Shari'ah, the
marriage with him stands dissolved. Marriage, therefore, with another
Muslim is permitted.
It is clear from the above verse that if an unbeliever's wife becomes
Muslim, the marriage tie is automatically broken. The question now is
when will it be possible for her to marry another Muslim man. According
to Imam Abu Hanifah رحمه الله تعالى, the basic principle is as follows: When
the wife becomes a convert to the Islamic faith and her husband remains
an infidel, the Muslim ruler should call upon the husband to embrace the
faith also. If he accepts, the woman continues to be his wife; but if he
refuses, the Muslim ruler must separate them. Thus separation is
completed between them. She may then marry any Muslim man of her
choice. But obviously, a Muslim ruler can approach the husband only in
an Islamic country. It is not possible to approach him, if he is in a
non-Muslim country, to make any such requisition and decide on
separation in case of refusal. In such an instance, the way out is for the
woman to migrate to the Islamic State or join the Muslim army base, in
which case the separation will be accomplished. This situation, in the legal
parlance of the jurists, is referred to as ikhtilaf-ud-darain or difference of

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states. It means that if there is a difference of states between an
unbelieving husband and a believing wife, the former being in un-Islamic
State and the latter in the Islamic state, the separation is accomplished,
and the wife is free to marry someone else. [Hidayah and others]
The verse, while permitting the Muslims to marry such women, has
added: ◌َّإِذَا اتَيْتُمُوُهُنَّ أُجُورَهُن "when you give them their dowers". This in fact is
not a condition of marriage, because the jurists unanimously agree that
the validity of marriage is not conditional upon payment of dower [mahr],
though its payment is compulsory on or after marriage. It has been
mentioned here as a condition presumably because one mahr has already
been returned to the unbelieving husband, and the Muslim who wished
to marry her might think that there was no need for him to pay another
mahr, since her mahr has already been paid. Hence, the verse clarifies
that the previous mahr was in lieu of the previous marriage. When the
next marriage would take place, another mahr would be compulsory.
And do not hold on to the ties of marriage with ... ) وَلَا تُمُسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكْوَافِرِ
the disbelieving women .... 60:10) The word 'isam is the plural of 'ismah,
which originally means 'protection//bond' and it refers to the marriage
bond that is protected. The word kawafir is the plural of kafirah and it
refers to a 'pagan woman'. It cannot refer to an unbelieving woman who
is a kitabiyyah [a follower of a previously revealed scripture, like a Jew or
a Christian], because it is permitted to marry her by the express text of
the Qur'an. The purport of the verse is to explain that the marriage
between the Muslims and the pagans that was allowed so far is now
repealed. It is forbidden for a Muslim now to marry a pagan woman. Such
marriages that had been contracted previously have also been cancelled.
It is not lawful for any Muslim man to carry on marriage ties with women
who are polytheists. When this verse was revealed, the blessed
Companions gave up their wives who were polytheists. Sayyidna 'Umar
had two pagan wives who were with him until the migration, but
when the migration took place, they remained in Makkah. When this
verse was revealed, Sayyidna 'Umar
> divorced them. [Transmitted by
al-Baghawi from Zuhri, as quoted by Mazhari]. The word talaq (divorce) used in
this narration means to 'sever relationship'. Talaq in its technical sense
was not needed here, because by virtue of this verse the marriage tie or
bond has already been broken.

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and ask that which you had paid, and, ... ) وَاسْئَلُوا مَآ أَنْفَقُتُمُ وَلْيَسْئَلُوا مَآ أَنْفَقُوا
they should ask to pay that which they had paid .... 60:10). It was stated
previously that when a woman converts to Islam and emigrates to
Madinah, she is not sent back to Makkah, but becomes part of the
Muslim Community, and the marriage tie between an emigrant believing
woman and her disbelieving husband becomes dissolved in this way.
However, it is necessary to give back the mahr (dower) of the disbelieving
husband that he paid to her. Similarly, if [God forbid!] a Muslim woman
becomes an apostate and absconds to Makkah, or if she was an infidel
from beforehand and flees from her Muslim husband, the pagans of
Makkah will not send her back, but they would be legally responsible to
return the mahr that the Muslim husband had paid to her. Therefore, the
amounts thus obligated should be determined by mutual understanding
of the accounts. The Muslims acted upon this law willingly, because they
sincerely believed that adherence to the command of the Qur'an is
binding. Thus they paid back the mahr to all unbelieving husbands who
had paid it to their women. The pagans of Makkah, however, did not
believe in the Qur'an. Therefore, they did not act upon it, on which
occasion the following verse was revealed. [Mentioned by al-Baghawi on the
authority of Zuhri, as quoted by Mazhari]
وَإِنْ فَاتَكُمُ شَىْءٌ مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمُ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمُ فَأُّوا الَّذِيْنَ ذَهَبَتُ أَزْوَاجُهُمْ مِّثْلَ
مَآ أَنْفَقُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِىُّ أَنْتُمُ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ
And if some of your [non-Muslim] wives have slipped from you,
[and their present non-Muslim husbands do not pay to you the
dower as aforesaid,] and you have your turn [of paying dower to
the previous non-Muslim husbands of your present wives], then
[instead of paying dower to them,] give those whose wives have
slipped the like amount of what they had paid [to them]. And
fear Allah, the One in whom you believe. (60:11)
The verb 'agabtum is derived from mu 'aqabah. It means 'to retaliate'.
This meaning is possible here [as reported by Qatadah, Mujahid and Qurțubi].
In this case, it implies that if some of the wives of the Muslims desert to
disbelievers, it was legally binding on them in terms of the treaty to pay
back the dowers given to them by the Muslim husbands, just as the
Muslims gave them back the dowers given by the pagan husbands to the
emigrant Muslim women. But since the pagans failed to reciprocate, and

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did not pay the dower money, the believing husbands are entitled to
retaliate by withholding an amount equal to what was due on the
disbelieving husbands who married the deserting wives of the Muslims,
and did not pay it. How this withheld amount will be spent is mentioned
in the following sentence: فَأُتُوا الَّذِيْنَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَاجُهُمُ مِّثْلَ مَآ أَنْفَقُوا ( ... then [instead of
paying dower to them,] give those whose wives have slipped the like
amount of what they had paid.) This means that the amounts withheld as
aforesaid shall be given to the Muslims whose wives had gone to the
pagans, and they did not pay back their dowers to their Muslim
husbands.
Another sense of the verb 'aqabtum, 'aqqabtum and a'qabtum in its
variant form is 'to acquire spoils of war'. The verb 'agabtum is read in
these variant forms (qira'at) by various master readers of the Qur'an.
Authorities like Qatadah and Mujahid 4
have said that all these three
forms of the verb mean to 'acquire spoils of war'. In this case the verse
means: if the Muslim husbands' wives fled to the unbelievers and, in
terms of the treaty, they did not return the dowers to the Muslim
husbands, they would be compensated from the booty acquired in war.(1)
Did some of the Muslim Women become Apostates and flee to
Makkah?
Some of the authorities believe that the situation mentioned in this
verse arose only in one incident. The wife of Sayyidna 'Iyad Ibn Ghanam
Quraishi, Umm-ul-Hakam bint Abi Sufyan, abandoned the Islamic Faith
and fled to Makkah. However, later on she reverted to Islam.
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
reports that about six women altogether
abandoned Islam and deserted to the unbelievers, one of whom is the
woman whose name has been given in the previous paragraph. The other
(1) A third interpretation of the word is that it is derived from 'aqibah' which means
'turn', and the infinitive mu'aqabah means 'to take turn in riding a horse etc.' In
this case the verb 'aqabtum in the verse would mean: 'you have your turn', and the
sense would be that when it is your turn to pay the dowers to the unbelievers, you
should, instead of paying it to them, pay it to those Muslims whose wives have
deserted them and joined the unbelievers who did not return to their husbands the
dower they had paid to deserting wives and were entitled, by virtue of the treaty, to
take it back from the unbelievers. This interpretation is adopted by 'Alusi in
Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, and by Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi Ju ill . The translation
in the text is based on it. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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five of them were infidels from outset and remained in Makkah at the
time of migration. When this verse was revealed dissolving the marriage
between Muslims and pagans, they stubbornly clung to their disbelief and
were not willing to embrace the Faith. As a result, these women were also
counted among those whose dowers should be paid to their Muslim
husbands by the pagans of Makkah. But they did not pay, so the
Messenger of Allah
compensated for the loss of their dowers from the
spoils of war.
This indicates that there is only one incident where a woman actually
became an apostate and fled to Makkah from Madinah. The rest of the
five women were unbelievers from beginning. As reported earlier, even
the woman who abandoned Islam and fled to Makkah later on reverted to
Islam. [Qurțubi]. Baghawi cites, on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
, that all five women who are counted as apostates reverted to Islam
later on. [Mazhar]].
Bai'ah of Women
O Prophet, when the) يَأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنْتُ يُبَايِعُنَكَ عَلَى أَنْ لََّيُشْرِكُنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا
believing women come to you, seeking bai'ah [a pledge of allegiance] with
you that they will not ascribe any thing as a partner to Allah, .... 60:12).
This verse requires the Holy Prophet
to take a pledge from the Muslim
women not only to adhere to Islamic articles of faith, but also to all the
Islamic precepts. Previously, in verse [10] Allah had directed that when
the emigrant women come to the believers, they should be tested and
examined. The pledge of allegiance in the present verse is a complement
to this test of the faith. But the words of the verse are general, and not
confined to new Muslim emigrants. In fact, it covers all Muslim women.
Accordingly, when the pledge was actually taken, it was not restricted to
the emigrant new Muslim women, but the earlier Muslim women joined it
as well, as is recorded in Sahih of Bukhari, on the authority of Sayyidah
Umm 'Atiyyah $2. It is also recorded by Baghawi from Sayyidah
Umaimah bint Ruqaiqah 45: who adds that in the company of a few other
women she gave bai'ah (pledge) to the Messenger of Allah 5. The Holy
Prophet g added the following over-rider ◌َّفِيُمَا اسْتَطَعْتُنَّ وَاَطَقُتُن (In as much as
you have the ability and strength to carry them out.) Sayyidah Umaimah
"Le says: "This shows that the Holy Prophet
had more mercy and

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Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 10 - 13
compassion for us than ourselves, as we wanted to pledge without any
restriction or condition, but by utterance of this sentence he reduced the
burden and tension of the terms of the loyalty, so that we may not be held
guilty for any violation under compelled circumstances." [Mazhari].
Sayyidah 'A'ishah & says, as recorded in Bukhari, that the loyalty of
women was their verbal pledge of allegiance, not by touching the hand of
the Messenger of Allah
", as was the custom in the case of men's loyalty.
The Holy Prophet's
blessed hand never touched the hand of any
non-mahram. [Mazhari]
Reports indicate that the bai'ah (pledge of allegiance) of women took
place not only on this occasion after Hudaibiyah, but several times later
as well. Such a pledge was taken on the day of the Conquest of Makkah.
At first, the Holy Prophet
¿ took pledge of loyalty from men, then he took
it from women at mount Safa. Sayyidna 'Umar Ibn Khattab
é used to
relay the words of loyalty, on behalf of the Holy Prophet
, to the women
gathering at the foot of the mountain, who participated in this pledge.
Abu Sufyan's wife, Hind, also participated in this pledge. At first, she felt
embarrassed and wanted to hide herself. But the pledge contained some
injunctions of Shari'ah, and she was forced to speak and asked several
questions. Mazhari sets out a detailed account of this incident.
Men's bai'ah was Concise and Women's bai'ah Elaborate
Generally, the bai'ah taken from men was about Faith and Islam.
Their pledge did not contain the details of injunctions of Shari'ah, unlike
the pledge of women, which contained the details that are forthcoming.
The difference between the two pledge is that men's pledging for faith
and obedience secures an undertaking to practice the entire system of
Shari'ah and religion, and therefore there was no need for details.
Women, on the other hand, are generally less intelligent than men.
Therefore, details were thought to be necessary. This is the bai'ah that
started with women, but later on was not confined to them. As time went
on, the same detailed bai'ah was taken from men as well. Prophetic
Traditions confirm this [as transmitted by Sayyidna 'Ubadah Ibn Samit
] [Qurtubi]. Furthermore, the injunctions mentioned in the bai'ah of
women in this verse are those regarding which they are normally lax.

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Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 10 - 13
That is another reason why the following details had to be set out. There
... ) يُبَايِعُنَكَ عَلَى أَنْ لَّا يُشْرِكُنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا ;are six injunctions mentioned in the verse
seeking bai'ah (pledge of allegiance) with you that they will not ascribe
any thing as a partner to Allah, .... 60:12) The first is that they will not
ascribe any partner to Allah. Affirmation of faith and avoidance of shirk
are vows common to men as well as women. The second pledge is that
they shall not commit theft. Many women are wont to stealing from their
husband's possessions. Therefore, this vow has been taken. The third vow
is that they shall avoid committing adultery. If the women are firm in
this, it shall make men's salvation from this sin easier. The fourth vow is
that they shall not kill their children. In the Days of Ignorance, it was a
common practice to bury infant girls alive and destroy their lives. This
clause of the vow is a bar to it. The fifth vow is that they shall not bring
calumny against anyone. While referring to this injunction, following
words are added: ◌َّبَيْنَ آَيْدِيُهِنّ وَاَرُجُلِهِن ( ... that they falsely attribute between
their hands and their feet") This phrase has been added in order to
indicate that on the Day of Resurrection man's hands and feet will bear
witness against his actions. The verse thus warns that he is committing
such sins in the presence of four witnesses who will bear witness against
him.
The word buhtan [calumny] is used in its general sense and it is
totally forbidden, whether against the husband or any other person or
even against a non-believer. Buhtan is even more severe sin if it is
against the husband. Commentators have interpreted that the clause of
buhtan may take place in the following ways: [1] a woman may claim
that a child born to her from another man is her husband's; [2] a woman
may take custody of another child and claim that it is her husband's; and
[3] God forbid! a woman may commit adultery and conceive, and when
the child is born, she may impute it to her husband. In short, it is
prohibited to give a false ascription of paternity in anyway whatsoever.
The sixth vow is a general rule: ◌ٍوَلَا يَعْصِيْنَكَ فِى مَعُرُوف ( ... and will not
disobey you in what is recognized [in Shari'ah] .... 60:12) This vow means
that they shall obey Allah's Messenger
and will not disobey him. But
the obedience is qualified by the words, "in what is recognized in
Shari'ah" that is, the right and good things, although we know for sure

434
Surah Al-Mumtahinah : 60 : 10 - 13
that Allah's Messenger
will only command people to do right and good.
This is because the Muslims in general are made to understand clearly
that obedience to any creation in disobedience to Allah is absolutely
forbidden, so much so that even obedience to the Holy Prophet
has
been qualified by this condition.
Another reason for adding this phrase may be that since this pledge of
obedience was taken from women, the Satan could whisper evil thoughts
into their minds and create deviant ways for them to go awry. The
restriction blocked the way. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Mumtahinah
Ends here

435
Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 1 - 9
Surah As-Saff
(The Row)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 14 verses and 2 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 9
سَبَّحَ لِلْهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ ، وَهُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيْمُ
﴿١﴾ يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لِمَ تَقُوُلُوْنَ مَالَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقْنًا عِنْدَ
اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُوْلُوا مَالَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِيْنَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِىُ
سَبِيْلِهِ صَفَّا كَاَنَّهُمُ بُنْيَانٌ مَّرُصُوُصٌ ﴿٤﴾ وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ
يُقَوْمِ لِمَ تُؤْذُوْنَنِىُ وَقَدْ تَّعْلَمُوْنَ آَنِّى رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلَيْكُمْ ، فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا
أَزَاغَ اللهُ قُلُوْبَهُمْ، وَاللهُ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الْفُسِقِيْنَ ﴿﴿ وَإِذْ قَالَ
عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ نَبَنِىٌ إِسْرَائِيْلَ إِّى رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلَيْكُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا
بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ التَّوْرِيةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا" بِرَسُوْلٍ يَّأْتِىُ مِنْ بَعْدِى اسْمُه،
اَحْمَدُهُ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّئْتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِيْنٌ ﴿٦﴾ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ
مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدُغَى إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ﴿ وَاللَّهُ لَا
يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظُّلِمِيْنَ ﴿٧﴾ يُرِيُدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَاللّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمُ وَاللَّهُ
مُتِمُّ نُوْرِهٍ وَلَوْكَرِهَ الْكَفِرُوْنَ ﴿٨) هُوَالَّذِىْ أَرْسَلَ رَسُوْلَهُ بِالْهُدى
وَدِيْنِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّيْنِ كُلِّهِ " وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُوْنَ

436
Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 1 - 9
Allah's purity has been proclaimed by all that is in the
heavens and all that is in the earth, and He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [1] O those who believe, why do
you say what you do not do? [2] It is severely hateful in
Allah's sight that you say what you do not do. [3] Surely
Allah loves those who fight in His way in firm rows, as
if they were a solid edifice. [4] And (remember) when
Musa said to his people, "O my people, why do you hurt
me, while you know that I am a messenger of Allah
towards you." So, when they adopted crookedness, Allah
let their hearts become crooked. And Allah does not
guide the sinful people. [5] And (remember) when 'Isa,
son of Maryam, said, "O children of Isra'il, I am a
messenger of Allah towards you, confirming the Taurah
that is (sent down) before me, and giving you the good
news of a messenger who will come after me, whose
name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with
manifest signs, they said, "This is a clear magic." [6] And
who is more unjust than the one who forges a lie
against Allah, while he is invited to Islam? And Allah
does not guide the unjust people. [7] They wish to
extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but
Allah is to perfect His light, even though the
disbelievers dislike (it). [8] He is the One who has sent
His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth,
so that He makes it prevail over all religions, even
though the mushriks (those who ascribe partners to
Allah) dislike (it). [9]
Commentary
Background of the revelation
Tirmidhi has recorded, on the authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
Salam 4
e, that a group of Companions discussed among themselves that
if we come to know which is the dearest of actions in the sight of Allah, we
shall act upon it. Hakim reported this Tradition and graded its chain as
'sahih'. Baghawi in his citation added the following words: "If we come to
know which is the dearest of actions in the sight of Allah, we shall
dedicate our lives and wealth to it." [Mazhari].
Ibn Kathir, with reference to Musnad of Ahmad, reports that some of
the Companions gathered and wanted someone to go to Allah's Messenger
and ask him about the action that is dearest to Allah, but no one dared
to do so. Whilst this discussion was going on, the Holy Messenger
sent
a man to call each one of them by name. When they all arrived, the Holy

437
Sūrah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 1 - 9
Prophet & recited the entire Surah As-Saff which had been revealed just
then. This Surah shows that the 'dearest action' they were looking for was
'jihad in the cause of Allah' and their statement that 'if we come to know
about it, we shall dedicate our lives in acting upon it' was a sort of claim of
having ability to do it. At this, they are admonished that it is not proper
for any believer to make such a claim, because no one can for sure know
whether he will be able to implement his intentions when the time
arrives. It is not in his power that all the causes of action are made
effective and all impediments are removed. Nor are the abilities and
strengths of his hands or arms or limbs or organs altogether in his power.
Nor is his determination or intention completely in his control. Therefore,
even the Holy Prophet
has been instructed in the Qur'an, thus:
وَلَا تَقُوْلَنَّ لِشَائُّ إِنِّى فَاعِلٌ ذلِكَ غَدًا إِلَّا أَنْ يَّشَآءَ اللَّهُ
"And never say about anything, 'I am going to do this tomorrow,
unless [you say - 'if ] Allah wills.) [18: 23-24]
Although the intention of the blessed Companions was not to make a
boastful claim, it did seem apparently as a claim, which Allah dislikes. If a
person makes a commitment to do something in the future, he needs to
surrender it to the Divine will and affirm it by saying 'If Allah wills'. The
following verses are revealed to admonish the believers.
يَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُوُلُونَ مَالَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُوْلُوا مَالَا
تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣﴾
(O those who believe, why do you say what you do not do? It is
severely hateful in Allah's sight that you say what you do not
do ... 61:2-3)
Apparently, the phrase 'what you do not do' implies that one should
not claim to do something he does not intend to do. From this it may be
deduced that it is prohibited to make a commitment to do a work while a
person does not have the genuine intention to really do it, because this
would be ostentation and a false commitment. Obviously, the blessed
Companions, in the story of the background of revelation, were not
making such promises without having intention to fulfill them. Instead,
their intention was genuine. From this we learn that the verse includes a
situation where a person commits to do something with true intention to
do it, but relies solely on his own strength, it is not in keeping with his

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Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 1 - 9
station of 'abdiyyah or 'servitude'. First of all, there is no need to make
such a claim. If the occasion does arise to do something, he may go ahead
and do it. If, for some reason or the other, a person has to make a promise
or claim, he may affirm it by saying 'If Allah wills'. In this way, it would
not be a boastful claim.
Ruling
It follows from the above discussion that if a person claims that he will
do something in future but has no intention to do it, it is a major sin
(kabirah) and a cause of incurring Allah's wrath. The sentence: de Guns
¿UI "It is severely hateful in Allah's sight that you say what you do not
do .... [61:3]" applies to this situation. However, in a situation where one
makes a claim to do something in future with real intention to do it, it is
makruh [reprehensible] and forbidden only if he makes the claim relying
on his own strength and ability.
Difference between a Claim (Da'wa) and Preaching (Da'wah)
It is learnt from the foregoing discussion that these verses are related
to false claims (Da'wa) to do something in future without intention to do
it, which incurs Divine displeasure and indignation. This verse is not
related to a situation where a preacher invites others to do something,
while he himself does not do it. The rules of this situation are mentioned
in other verses and Ahadith. For example: ◌ُأَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوُنَ اَنْفُسَكُم (Do
you bid others to righteousness while you ignore your own selves) [2:44]
This verse puts to shame such preachers who do not practice what they
preach. The import of this verse is that when they are preaching to
others, they should preach to themselves with greater force, and if they
are calling other people to do good deeds, they too should practice them.
All this does not imply that if a person has been lax in the
performance of good deeds, he should abandon preaching to others. Or if
he has been indulging in any kind of sin, he should not forbid others from
indulging in such sins. It needs to be borne in mind that the performance
of a righteous deed is one form of virtue, and urging others to perform
this righteous deed is another form of virtue in its own right. Obviously, if
one has abandoned one form of virtue, it does not necessarily follow that
he should abandon the other form as well. It is possible that through the
blessing of the preachment, the preacher might develop the ability to
perform the righteous deed. This has been experienced widely and on a

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Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 1 - 9
large scale. However, if the deed belongs to the category of wajib or
sunnah mu'akkadah, it is obligatory, in the light of the verses, to
continuously show remorse and regret on one's not practicing it. And if
the action belongs to the category of mustahabbat, it is mustahab
[rewardable] to show remorse and regret.
Surely Allah loves those) إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِيْنَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَانَّهُمُ بُنْيَانٌ مَّرُصُوُصٌ
who fight in His way in firm rows, as if they were a solid edifice ... 61:4)
The main subject of this Surah for which it was revealed is to mention the
dearest action in the sight of Allah. This verse states that it is jihad in
Allah's way, and that the best row of battle in the sight of Allah is the one
firmly established against Allah's enemies to make Allah's word prevail,
and which, on account of the valor and unshaken determination of
Mujahidin, looks like a strong structure cemented with molten lead.
This is followed by a description of the Jihads which Prophets Musa
and 'Isa >JI Lede fought in Allah's Cause, and how they suffered at the
hands of the enemies. After this description, the Muslims are directed to
undertake jihad. The stories of Prophets Musa and 'Isa MuJI Lagde have
many academic and practical lessons and guidance to offer. For instance,
it is described in the story of 'Isa cell
that when he invited the Children
of Israel to accept his prophet-hood and obey him, he mentioned two
things in particular. First, he said that he was not a unique Prophet who
came with unique teachings. In fact, his teachings were the same as
those of the previous prophets. They are mentioned in the earlier celestial
scriptures, and the same teachings will be imparted later by the Final
Messenger of Allah
. From among the earlier Scriptures, Torah is
specially mentioned in this context, probably because that was the latest
Scripture that was revealed to the Children of Israel. Otherwise belief in
the Prophets embraces all the previous Scriptures of Allah. This also
points out that the Shari'ah of 'Isa Seel was, though an independent
Shari'ah, its most rules conformed to the sacred laws of Musa Sel and
the Torah. Only a few laws had been changed. This theme covered the
subject of belief in the previous Prophets and their Books.
The second thing 'Isa due mentioned in particular was the good news
of the advent of the Final Messenger . This too points out that his
teachings will also be the same as those of the previous Prophets, and
therefore it is the demand of reason and honesty to believe in him.

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Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 1 - 9
Prophet 'Isa &E foretold the Children of Israel that a Final
Messenger
will come after him by the name of Ahmad. When he
appears, it would be obligatory for them to embrace faith in him and obey
him ◌ُمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُوْلِ يَّأْتِى مِنْ بَعْدِى اسْمُهُ، أَحْمَد ( ... and giving you the good news of a
messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad." ... 6) The name
of the Final Messenger is given here as Ahmad. The name of the Final
Messenger
was Muhammad and Ahmad. He had some other names as
well. However, the name given in Injil is Ahmad rather than
Muhammad, perhaps because Muhammad was a common name in Arabia
since time immemorial. There was a possibility that the people might take
the reference to some other person, rather than the Final Messenger of
Allah. The name Ahmad, on the other hand, was an uncommon name in
Arabia, and was exclusive to the Final Messenger of Allah
Prophecy of The Final Messenger of Allah in Injil
It is a known fact that the previously revealed Divine scriptures have
been changed and distorted. The Jews and the Christians themselves had
to admit that Torah and Injil have been subjected to changes and
distortion. As a matter of fact, the distortions made in these scriptures are
so drastic that it is hardly possible to make out the original texts of the
scriptures. Based on the distorted version of Injil, the Christians today
challenge the correctness of the Qur'anic version of the prophecy,
asserting that no prophecy in the name of Ahmad is found in the Injil. An
elaborate response to Christian challenge has been prepared by Maulana
Rahmatullah Kairanwi @ dll .,. The name of his book is Izhar-ul
- Haqq. He has thoroughly analyzed Christianity and changes made in
the Bible. He concludes that despite drastic changes in the present
Biblical version the prophecy about the Prophet Ahmad
is still
available.
This book was originally written in Arabic, later its translations
appeared in Turkish and English. Christian missionaries attempted their
utmost to destroy it. Its Urdu translation was not available until recently.
A little while back, Maulana Akbar 'Ali, a lecturer at Darul Uloom
Karachi, translated it into Urdu, with in-depth research into current
versions of the Bible by Maulana Muhammad Taqi, lecturer at Darul
Uloom, and published in three volumes. Volume [3] from pages 182 to 362
elaborates on the prophecies pertaining to the Holy Prophet
É with