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Chapter 60

The Woman Testedal-Mumtaḥanah ( الممتحنة )

13 verses • revealed at Medinan

»The surah that instituted for lone female Émigrés to Islam the swearing of a scared oath as the test of faith, The Women Tested, establishing publicly that their migration was purely for the sake of God, without worldly motive, so as to vouchsafe to them full protection and rights in the Muslim community. It takes its name from verse 10 concerning “the testing” (imtiḥān) of new female converts to Islam. The surah was revealed between the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah and the conquest of Mecca: instructions are given on how to deal with women who leave Mecca and join the Muslims, and the procedure for wives who leave Medina for Mecca (verse 10 ff.). The Muslims are instructed on the appropriate allocation of their loyalties (verse 1 ff., verse 7 ff. and verse 13) and Abraham is cited for them as an example to learn from (verse 4).«

The surah is also known as Examining Her, She Who Is Tested, That Which Examines, The Examiner, The Test of Faith, The Woman Tried, The Woman to be Examined, Women Tested

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Yusuf Ali: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تَتَّخِذوا عَدُوّي وَعَدُوَّكُم أَولِياءَ تُلقونَ إِلَيهِم بِالمَوَدَّةِ وَقَد كَفَروا بِما جاءَكُم مِنَ الحَقِّ يُخرِجونَ الرَّسولَ وَإِيّاكُم ۙ أَن تُؤمِنوا بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُم إِن كُنتُم خَرَجتُم جِهادًا في سَبيلي وَابتِغاءَ مَرضاتي ۚ تُسِرّونَ إِلَيهِم بِالمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنا أَعلَمُ بِما أَخفَيتُم وَما أَعلَنتُم ۚ وَمَن يَفعَلهُ مِنكُم فَقَد ضَلَّ سَواءَ السَّبيلِ

Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as friends (or protectors),- offering them1 (your) love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, and have (on the contrary) driven out the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes), (simply) because ye believe in God your Lord!2 If ye have come out to strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure, (take them not as friends), holding secret converse of love (and friendship) with them: for I know full well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the Straight Path.
  • The immediate occasion for this was a secret letter sent by one Hatib, a Muhājir, from Medīna, to the Pagans at Mecca, in most friendly terms, seeking for their protection on behalf of his children and relatives left behind in Mecca. The letter was intercepted, and he confessed the truth. He was forgiven as he told the truth and his motive did not appear to be heinous, but this instruction was given for future guidance. This was shortly before the conquest of Mecca, but the principle is of universal application. You cannot be on terms of secret intimacy with the enemies of your Faith and people, who are persecuting your Faith and seeking to destroy your Faith and you. You may not do so even for the sake of your relatives as it compromises the life and existence of your whole community.
  • Such was the position of the Muslim community in Medīna after the Hijrat and before the conquest of Mecca.