Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Mumtahana, Ayah 10
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Tafsir
O you who believe when believing women come to you saying with their tongues that they are emigrating from the company of disbelievers — this was following the truce concluded with them the disbelievers at al-Hudaybiyya to the effect that if any of their number should go to join the believers that person should be sent back — test them by making them swear that they had only gone forth from Mecca because of their sincere wish to embrace Islam and not out of some hatred for their disbelieving husbands nor because they might be enamoured by some Muslim man that was how the Prophet s used to take from them their oaths. God knows best the state of their faith. Then if you know them if you suppose them on the basis of their oaths to be believers do not send them back to the disbelievers. They the women are not lawful for them nor are they the disbelievers lawful for them. And give them that is to say their disbelieving husbands what they have expended on them on such women in the way of dowries. And you would not be at fault if you marry them on that previous condition when you have given them their dowries. And do not hold on read tumassikū or tumsikū to the conjugal ties of disbelieving women your wives for your Islam automatically prohibits you from this or to the ties of those apostatising women who return to the idolaters for likewise their apostatising automatically prohibits you from marrying them and ask for demand the return of what you have expended on these women of dowries in the event of apostasy from those disbelievers to whom they are married. And let them ask for what they have expended on those women who have emigrated as explained above that it may be repaid to them. That is God’s judgement. He judges between you therewith and God is Knower Wise.
Related Hadiths
`Urwa said, "Aisha told me that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to examine the women emigrants. We have been told also that when Allah revealed the order that the Muslims should return to the pagans what...
"All types of women were prohibited for the Messenger of ALlah (ﷺ) except for the believing women among those who emigrated. (Allah) said: 'It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this, ...
When the believing women migrated (to Medina) and came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they would be tested in accordance with the following words of Allah. the Almighty and Exalted:" O Prophet, when b...
(the wife of the Prophet) When believing women came to the Prophet (ﷺ) as emigrants, he used to test them in accordance with the order of Allah. 'O you who believe! When believing women come to you ...
-- "O Prophet! When the believing Women come to you, to give the pledge of allegiance to you." (60.12) `Urwa's uncle said, "We were informed when Allah ordered His Apostle to return to the pagans wh...
from Ibn Abbas, regarding the saying of Allah, the Most High: When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. He said: “When a woman come to the Prophet to accept Islam, she would have to...
(from the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)) When Suhail bin `Amr agreed to the Treaty (of Hudaibiya), one of the things he stipulated then, was that the Prophet (ﷺ) should return to them (i.e. the...
Aisha the wife of the Prophet, said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to examine the believing women who migrated to him in accordance with this Verse: 'O Prophet! When believing women come to you to tak...
“When the believing women emigrated to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they would be tested in accordance with Allah’s saying: ‘O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the pledge...’” ‘Ai...
That he heard Marwan bin Al-Hakam and Al-Miswar bin Makhrama relating one of the events that happened to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the `Umra of Al-Hudaibiya. They said, "When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) co...
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(O ye who believe! When believing women) who truly believe in Allah (come unto you as fugitives) from Mecca to Medina or al-Hudaybiyyah, (examine them) ask them and let them swear as to their intentions from their coming. (Allah is best aware of their faith) Allah is best aware of their hearts' firmness in faith. (Then, if ye know them for true believers) through examination, (send them not back unto the disbelievers) do not send them back to their disbelieving husbands. (They are not) i.e. the believing women, (lawful for the disbelievers) for their disbelieving husbands, (nor are the disbelievers lawful for them) for the believing women. Allah says: a believing woman is not lawful for a disbelieving man nor is a disbelieving woman lawful for a believing man. (And give the disbelievers that which they have spent (upon them)) give their husbands that which they have spent on them as dower. This was revealed about Subay'ah Bint al-Harth al-Aslamiyyah who came to the Prophet (pbuh) in the year of al-Hudaybiyyah, to declare her Islam but her husband Musafir came after her to take her back. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give peace, gave him back the dowry which her husband had given her. In that particular year, and before the revelation of this verse, the people of Mecca had signed a treaty with the Prophet (pbuh) which stipulated that whoever from the people of Mecca embraces Islam can join the Muslims, and whoever of the Muslims embraces the religion of the Meccan pagans is returned to the Muslims; and any woman from the people of Mecca who embraces Islam, the Muslims should pay back the dowry given to her to her husband, and any Muslim woman who joins the religion of the Meccan pagans, the people of Mecca should pay back her dowry to her husband. This is why the Prophet (pbuh) paid back to Musafir the dowry which he had given to Subay'ah. (And it is no sin for you) O believers (to marry such women) those who were disbelievers and then embraced Islam (when ye have given them their dues) when you have given them their dowry. Allah says here: any woman who embraces Islam while her husband remains a disbeliever, the sacred bond that ties her to her husband becomes broken and, therefore, she does not have to observe a waiting period and can marry after making sure she is not pregnant.