As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is the entirety of Surah 60, Mumtahinah or That Which Examines, verses 1-13. This Surah talks about social relations with Unbelievers. A distinction is made between those who persecute you for your Faith and want to destroy you and your Faith and those who those who have no such rancour. For the latter, there is hope of mercy and forgiveness. The question of women and cross-marriages is also dealt with.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.O believers! Do not make friendship with those who are enemies of Mine and yours. Would you show them friendship, when they have denied the truth that has come to you and have driven the Messenger and yourselves out of your homes, simply because you believe in Allah, your Lord? If you left your homes in order to strive in My way, and to seek My good pleasure, how can you befriend in secret? I know all that you conceal, and all that you reveal. Any of you who does this, he indeed has gone astray from the Right Way.[1] If they overcome you, they would behave to you as enemies and stretch out their hands and their tongues towards you with evil, and they wish to see you become unbelievers.[2] On the Day of Resurrection, neither your relatives nor your children shall avail you. Allah will judge between you, and He is observing all your actions.[3] 60:[1-3]
You have an excellent example in Abraham (Ibrãhïm) and his companions. They said to their people plainly: “We are clear of you and your gods, whom you worship besides Allah. We renounce you. Enmity and hate shall reign between us forever until you believe in Allah, the One and Only God.” But do not emulate what Abraham said to his father: “I will pray for your forgiveness, although I have no power to get anything for you from Allah.” Their collective prayer was: “Our Lord! In You we have put our trust, to You we turn in repentance and to You is our final goal.[4] Our Lord! Do not expose us to the plots of the unbelievers. Forgive us, our Lord! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”[5] Truly, in those there is an excellent example for everyone who puts their hopes in Allah and the Last Day. He that gives no heed should know that Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.[6] 60:[4-6]
It may well be that Allah will put love between you and those with whom you are now at odds because of the order which is given to you, for Allah is All-Powerful, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.[7] Allah does not forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who had neither fought against your faith nor driven you out of your homes. In fact Allah loves the equitable.[8] Allah only forbids you to make friendship with those who fought you on account of your faith and drove you out of your homes and backed up others in your expulsion. Those who will take them for friends are indeed the wrongdoers.[9] 60:[7-9]
O believers! When the believing women seek refuge with you, test them. Allah best knows their faith. If you find them true believers, do not send them back to the unbelievers. They are not lawful to the unbelievers, nor are the unbelievers lawful to them. Return to their unbelieving husbands what they have spent on them. There is no blame on you if you marry such women, provided you give them their dowers. Do not hold on to your marriages with unbelieving women. Demand what you have spent on them and let the unbelievers do the same. This is the order of Allah which He has decreed between you. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.[10] If you do not get back the demanded amount that you have spent on your disbelieving wives from the unbelievers, and your turn comes, to pay the demanded amount of Muslim wives to the unbelievers, you can offset the amount and pay those whose wives have fled the equivalent of the amount they have spent on their disbelieving wives. Fear Allah, in Whom you believe.[11] 60:[10-11]
O Prophet! When the believing women come to you to take the oath of allegiance , take their pledge: that they will not commit shirk with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery, that they will not kill their children, that they will not give any cause for scandal which they may invent between either their hands or legs (a woman accusing another woman of having an illicit relationship with a man and spreads such stories – or – a woman carrying an illegitimate child and makes her husband believe that it is his), and that they will not disobey you in any just matter, then accept their allegiance and pray to Allah for forgiveness. Surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.[12] 60:[12]
O believers! Do not befriend those who have incurred the wrath of Allah. Indeed they despair of the Hereafter, just as the unbelievers despair of those buried in the graves.[13] 60:[13]
Ameen.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.