Surah Al-Mumtahinah

The Woman Tested

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is named al-Mumtahinah (The woman tested), because of the test that is mentioned in verse 10. This chapter is also named al-Mawaddah (The Friendship) because of the prohibition of friendship with the disbelievers.

Chapter Number

Surah al-Mumtahinah is the 60th chapter of the Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter contains 13 verses.

Place of Revelation

All exegetes agree that this chapter is a Madani one.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1 to 9 and 13

Forbids the Muslims from becoming friends with the disbelievers; introduces Prophet Ibrahim and his companions as the role models for hatred towards the disbelievers; and invites the Muslims to take inspiration from Prophet Ibrahim.

Verses 10 to 12

Contain rulings on the immigrant women and the method of women’s elegance.

Traditions Related to this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله عليه و سلم: من قرأ سورة الممتحنة كان له المؤمنون و المؤمنات شفعاء يوم القيامة

The Prophet of Allah has said: “A person who recites Surah al-Mumtahinah, the believing men and the believing women alike will be his intercessors on the Day of Judgement.”

Verse 12: “O Prophet! If the faithful women come to you to take the oath of allegiance to you, [pledging] that they shall not ascribe any partners to Allah, that they shall not steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor utter any slander that they may have intentionally fabricated, nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their allegiance, and plead for them to Allah for forgiveness. Indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.”

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَى أَنْ لَا يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ١٢

قال الحافظ أبو يعلى: حدثنا هدبة بن خالد حدثنا أبان بن يزيد حدثنا يحيى بن أبي كثير أن زيدا حدثه أن أبا سلام حدثه أن أبا مالك الأشعري حدثه أن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله عليه و سلّم قال: «أربع في أمتي من أمر الجاهلية لا يتركونهن: الفخر في الأحساب و الطعن في الأنساب و الاستسقاء بالنجوم و النياحة على الميت- و قال- النائحة إذا لم تتب قبل موتها تقام يوم القيامة و عليها سربال من قطران و درع من جرب»

Al-Hafidh Abu Yala narrates from Hudbah ibn Khalid, from Aban ibn Yazid, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Zaid, from Abu Salam, from Abu Malik al-Ashari, from the Prophet to have said: “Four things will remain in my people from the time before Islam, and they will not abandon them: The pride from their lineage and the taunting each other about lineage; asking the stars for rain; wailing for the dead; and - he said - if a woman who wails does not repent to Allah before she dies, then on the Day of Judgement she will be raised while wearing a garment of tar.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ الْخَيَّاطِ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ الثُّمَالِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ قَالَ: مَنْ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ الْمُمْتَحِنَةِ فِي‏ فَرَائِضِهِ‏ وَ نَوَافِلِهِ امْتَحَنَ الله قَلْبَهُ لِلْإِيمَانِ وَ نَوَّرَ لَهُ بَصَرَهُ وَ لَا يُصِيبُهُ فَقْرٌ أَبَداً وَ لَا جُنُونٌ فِي بَدَنِهِ وَ لَا فِي وُلْدِهِ.

It has been narrated from Hasan, who narrates from Asim al-Khayyat, from Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, from Ali ibn al-Husayn to have said: “A person who recites Surah al-Mumtahinah in one’s compulsory prayers as well as the recommended prayers - Allah will test his heart with faith and enlighten his sight, and he will never become poor, and him and his child will be safe from insanity.”

Verse 1: “O you who have faith! Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends, [secretly] offering them affection, if you have set out for jihad in My way and to seek My pleasure, for they have certainly denied whatever has come to you of the truth, expelling the Apostle and you, because you have faith in Allah, your Lord. You secretly nourish affection for them, while I know well whatever you hide and whatever you disclose, and whoever among you does that has certainly strayed from the right way.”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ خَرَجْتُمْ جِهَادًا فِي سَبِيلِي وَابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِي تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا أَخْفَيْتُمْ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُمْ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْهُ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ١

ابْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ: مِنْ‏ أَوْثَقِ‏ عُرَى‏ الْإِيمَانِ‏ أَنْ تُحِبَّ فِي الله وَ تُبْغِضَ فِي الله وَ تُعْطِيَ فِي الله وَ تَمْنَعَ فِي الله

Ibn Mahjoob narrates from Malik ibn Atiyyah, from Said al-Araj, from Abu Abdullah to have said: “The most firm and reliable way to achieve faith is to love and hate for the sake of Allah, and to give and forbid for the sake of Allah.”

الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِمْرَانَ السَّبِيعِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ جَبَلَةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ: كُلُ‏ مَنْ‏ لَمْ‏ يُحِبَ‏ عَلَى‏ الدِّينِ‏ وَ لَمْ يُبْغِضْ عَلَى الدِّينِ فَلَا دِينَ لَه‏

Husayn ibn Muhammad narrates from Muhammad ibn Imran al-Sabiie, from Abdullah ibn Jabalah, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abu Abdullah to have said: “Whosoever’s love and hate is not based on the teachings of religion, does not have a religion.”

Verse 12: “O Prophet! If the faithful women come to you, to take the oath of allegiance to you, [pledging] that they shall not ascribe any partners to Allah, that they shall not steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor utter any slander that they may have intentionally fabricated, nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their allegiance, and plead for them to Allah for forgiveness. Indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.”

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَى أَنْ لَا يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ١٢

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ‏ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله عَنْ قَوْلِ الله‏ وَ لا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ‏، قَالَ: هُوَ مَا فَرَضَ الله عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ- وَ مَا أَمَرَهُنَّ بِهِ مِنْ خَيْر

Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrates from Ali, from Abdullah ibn Sinaan to have said: “I asked Abu Abdillah to explain the sentence ‘nor disobey you in what is right’ and he said that it means what is obligatory upon them, for example: the prayers and the charity and everything which they have been ordered to do which is good.”