Commentary
The saying of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic: "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 good to them and act justly towards them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly." "Indeed, Allah only forbids you from those who fought you in religion and expelled you from your homes and aided in your expulsion, that you take them as allies. And whoever takes them as allies, then it is they who are the wrongdoers." "O you who have believed, when there come to you believing women as emigrants, test them. Allah is most Knowing of their faith. So if you know them to be believing women, do not return them to the disbelievers. They are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for them."
People have differed regarding those whom it is not forbidden to be good to among them. Mujahid said: They are the believers from the people of Mecca who believed but did not emigrate, and they were in a state of blame for missing the opportunity of migration. Others said: He meant the believers who left migration, whether they were from the people of Mecca or from elsewhere. Al-Hasan and Abu Salih said: He meant the Khuz'a and the Banu al-Harith and tribes from the Arabs who were disbelievers, except that they were supportive of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and loving towards him and in his support. Among them are Kinana and the Banu al-Harith ibn Abd Manaf and Muzayna. Some said: He meant from the disbelievers of Quraysh those who did not fight, nor were expelled, nor showed any hostility. According to these two opinions, the verse is abrogated by fighting. Abdullah ibn al-Zubair, may Allah be pleased with him, said: He meant the women and children of the disbelievers. He said: The verse was revealed because of Umm Asma when she sought permission from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, to be good to her and maintain ties with her, and he permitted her. The woman was her maternal aunt as narrated, and she referred to her in her narration as a mother. Abu Ja'far ibn al-Nahhas and al-Thalabi said: He meant the weak among the believers who were unable to migrate. This is a weak opinion. Murrah al-Hamdani and Atiyyah al-Awfi said: It was revealed about a group from Banu Hashim, among them Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. Qatadah said: It was abrogated by "So kill the polytheists wherever you find them." And His saying, the Exalted and Majestic: "that you be good to them" is a substitute, and this is the substitute of inclusion. And "acting justly" means justice, and "aided" means assisted, and "those who fought in religion and expelled them" refers to the rebels of Quraysh.
His saying, the Exalted and Majestic: "O you who have believed, when there come to you believing women..." The verse was revealed after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, because the treaty included that the believers would return to the disbelievers anyone who came as a Muslim, whether man or woman. So Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, abrogated from that the matter of women with this verse, ruling that the believing emigrant woman is not to be returned to disbelief, rather she remains to seek her rights and can marry, and her disbelieving husband is to be given the dowry that he spent. He also commanded the believers to seek the dowry of whoever's wife fled from the believers. And Allah ruled this in the incident, and He called them believing women before it was confirmed because it is apparent in their matter. And "emigrants" is in the accusative case as a state, and "test them" means: try them and inquire about the truth of what they have.
And the people differed regarding this trial, how it was. Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid, and Ikrimah said: It was that a woman should swear that she did not migrate out of hatred for her husband, nor due to a sin that she committed, nor for any worldly matters except for the love of Allah, the Most High, and His Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, and the Hereafter. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, also said: The trial is that she is asked to bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If she does that, she does not intend. A group among them said, Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her: The trial is that the conditions mentioned in the verse after this are presented to her, such as abandoning theft, adultery, slander, and disobedience. If she acknowledges that, then that is her trial. It was said that this verse was revealed concerning Umaymah bint Bishr, the wife of Hassan ibn al-Dahdah. In the book of al-Thaalabi, it is mentioned that it was revealed concerning Subai'ah bint al-Harith.
And His saying, the Most High: "Allah knows best about their faith" is an indication of doubt regarding some of them, and it encourages testing them. And the Most High mentioned the reason for not returning the women to the disbelievers, which is the prohibition of intercourse and its sanctity. Talhah read: "They are not lawful for them."
Explore Other Scholars on This Verse
Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah Al-Mumtahanah verse 10