Sūrah Al-Mumtaḥanah The Examined Woman

Surah Overview

Key Themes from Ibn Kathīr

Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Baltaʿah (60:1): Before the Conquest of Makkah, Ḥāṭib a Companion of Badr secretly sent a letter to the Makkans warning them of the coming expedition. Jibrīl revealed this to the Prophet ﷺ. When confronted, Ḥāṭib explained he had no family protection in Makkah and hoped the Makkans would protect his family in return not apostasy, just worldly calculation. ʿUmar said: "Let me strike his neck he has betrayed Allah and His Messenger!" The Prophet ﷺ said: "Perhaps Allah looked at the people of Badr and said: Do what you will I have forgiven you." Ibn Kathīr: the principle of mercy toward those who had previous merit.

Treating peaceful non-Muslims with justice (60:8–9): "Allah does not forbid you from those who did not fight you in religion and did not expel you from your homes that you be righteous toward them and act justly toward them. Indeed Allah loves those who act justly. Allah only forbids you from those who fought you in religion and expelled you from your homes." Ibn Kathīr: the clearest Qurʾānic statement of Muslim relations with non-Muslims birr (righteousness) and qisṭ (justice) are prescribed toward peaceful non-Muslims.

• Do not take the enemy as allies secretly (60:1): Sending private information to those at war with the Muslims is forbidden not because of hatred toward them but because it undermines the Muslim community's survival. Ibn Kathīr: the prohibition is about military alliance, not personal kindness or social interaction.
• The examination of emigrant women (60:10): When a believing woman emigrated from Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ would examine her if she was truly a believer and not a spy, she would be accepted and her mahr returned to her disbelieving husband. The Qurʾān approved this procedure as a divine ordinance.
• Do not hold to disbelieving wives (60:11): If a wife apostatises and returns to the enemy, her marriage ends Islamic men were commanded not to retain women who rejected Islam and joined the enemy. Reciprocally, if a Muslim wife emigrates and a Kafir wife stays, the dower should be compensated from the fayʾ.
• The women's bay'ah conditions (60:12): "O Prophet when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, not steal, not commit adultery, not kill their children, not bring a slander they have invented..." Ibn Kathīr: the pledge of women differs from the pledge of men (no pledge to fight); the five conditions of the women's bay'ah are moral and ethical.
• Ibrāhīm's exception (60:4): The model of Ibrāhīm in disavowing his people is cited but with an exception: his saying to his father "I will seek forgiveness for you" is not to be imitated, as it was before Ibrāhīm knew his father would die as an enemy of Allah. Ibn Kathīr: even the best models have limits not every act of a Prophet is obligatory to follow.