The surah that instituted for lone female Émigrés to Islam the swearing of a scared oath as the test of faith, The Women Tested, establishing publicly that their migration was purely for the sake of God, without worldly motive, so as to vouchsafe to them full protection and rights in the Muslim community. It takes its name from verse 10 concerning “the testing” (imtiḥān) of new female converts to Islam. The surah was revealed between the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah and the conquest of Mecca: instructions are given on how to deal with women who leave Mecca and join the Muslims, and the procedure for wives who leave Medina for Mecca (verse 10 .). The Muslims are instructed on the appropriate allocation of their loyalties (verse 1 ., verse 7 . and verse 13) and Abraham is cited for them as an example to learn from (verse 4).The surah is also known as: Examining Her, She Who Is Tested, That Which Examines, The Examiner, The Test of Faith, The Woman Tried, The Woman to be Examined, Women Tested.
1
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تَتَّخِذوا عَدُوّي وَعَدُوَّكُم أَولِياءَ تُلقونَ إِلَيهِم بِالمَوَدَّةِ وَقَد كَفَروا بِما جاءَكُم مِنَ الحَقِّ يُخرِجونَ الرَّسولَ وَإِيّاكُم ۙ أَن تُؤمِنوا بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُم إِن كُنتُم خَرَجتُم جِهادًا في سَبيلي وَابتِغاءَ مَرضاتي ۚ تُسِرّونَ إِلَيهِم بِالمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنا أَعلَمُ بِما أَخفَيتُم وَما أَعلَنتُم ۚ وَمَن يَفعَلهُ مِنكُم فَقَد ضَلَّ سَواءَ السَّبيلِ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū lā tattakhidhū ʿaduwwī wa-ʿaduwwakum ʾawliyyāʾa tulqūna ʾilayhim bi-l-mawaddati wa-qad kafarū bi-mā jāʾakum mina l-ḥaqqi yukhrijūna r-rasūla wa-ʾiyyākum ʾan tuʾminū bi-llāhi rabbikum ʾin kuntum kharajtum jihādan fī sabīlī wa-btighāʾa marḍātī tusirrūna ʾilayhim bi-l-mawaddati wa-ʾana ʾaʿlamu bi-mā ʾakhfaytum wa-mā ʾaʿlantum wa-man yafʿalhu minkum fa-qad ḍalla sawāʾa s-sabīli
O you who have faith!Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends,[secretly] offering them affection(for they have certainly defiedwhatever has come to you of the truth,expelling the Apostle and you,because you have faith in Allah, your Lord)if you have set out for jihād in My wayand to seek My pleasure.You secretly nourish affection for them,while I know well whatever you hideand whatever you disclose,and whoever among you does thathas certainly strayed from the right way.
2
إِن يَثقَفوكُم يَكونوا لَكُم أَعداءً وَيَبسُطوا إِلَيكُم أَيدِيَهُم وَأَلسِنَتَهُم بِالسّوءِ وَوَدّوا لَو تَكفُرونَ
ʾin yathqafūkum yakūnū lakum ʾaʿdāʾan wa-yabsuṭū ʾilaykum ʾaydiyahum wa-ʾalsinatahum bi-s-sūʾi wa-waddū law takfurūna
If they were to confront youthey would be your enemies,and would stretch out against you their handsand their tongueswith evil [intentions],and they are eager that you should be faithless.
3
لَن تَنفَعَكُم أَرحامُكُم وَلا أَولادُكُم ۚ يَومَ القِيامَةِ يَفصِلُ بَينَكُم ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِما تَعمَلونَ بَصيرٌ
lan tanfaʿakum ʾarḥāmukum wa-lā ʾawlādukum yawma l-qiyāmati yafṣilu baynakum wa-llāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīrun
Your relatives and your children will not avail youon the Day of Resurrection:He will separate you [from one another],and Allah sees best what you do.
4
قَد كانَت لَكُم أُسوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ في إِبراهيمَ وَالَّذينَ مَعَهُ إِذ قالوا لِقَومِهِم إِنّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُم وَمِمّا تَعبُدونَ مِن دونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرنا بِكُم وَبَدا بَينَنا وَبَينَكُمُ العَداوَةُ وَالبَغضاءُ أَبَدًا حَتّىٰ تُؤمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَحدَهُ إِلّا قَولَ إِبراهيمَ لِأَبيهِ لَأَستَغفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَما أَملِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيءٍ ۖ رَبَّنا عَلَيكَ تَوَكَّلنا وَإِلَيكَ أَنَبنا وَإِلَيكَ المَصيرُ
qad kānat lakum ʾuswatun ḥasanatun fī ʾibrāhīma wa-lladhīna maʿahū ʾidh qālū li-qawmihim ʾinnā buraʾāʾu minkum wa-mimmā taʿbudūna min dūni llāhi kafarnā bikum wa-badā baynanā wa-baynakumu l-ʿadāwatu wa-l-baghḍāʾu ʾabadan ḥattā tuʾminū bi-llāhi waḥdahū ʾillā qawla ʾibrāhīma li-ʾabīhi la-ʾastaghfiranna laka wa-mā ʾamliku laka mina llāhi min shayʾin rabbanā ʿalayka tawakkalnā wa-ʾilayka ʾanabnā wa-ʾilayka l-maṣīru
There is certainly a good exemplar for youin Abrahamand those who were with him,when they said to their own people,‘Indeed we repudiate youand whatever you worship besides Allah.We disavow you,and between you and us there has appearedenmity and hate for ever,unless you come to have faith in Allah alone,’except for Abraham’s saying to his father,‘I will surely plead forgiveness for you,though I cannot avail you anything against Allah.’‘Our Lord! In You do we put our trust,and to You do we turn penitently,and toward You is the destination.
5
رَبَّنا لا تَجعَلنا فِتنَةً لِلَّذينَ كَفَروا وَاغفِر لَنا رَبَّنا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزيزُ الحَكيمُ
rabbanā lā tajʿalnā fitnatan li-lladhīna kafarū wa-ghfir lanā rabbanā ʾinnaka ʾanta l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīmu
Our Lord!Do not make us a trial for the faithless,and forgive us.Our Lord!Indeed You are the All-mighty, the All-wise.’
6
لَقَد كانَ لَكُم فيهِم أُسوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَن كانَ يَرجُو اللَّهَ وَاليَومَ الآخِرَ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الغَنِيُّ الحَميدُ
la-qad kāna lakum fīhim ʾuswatun ḥasanatun li-man kāna yarjū llāha wa-l-yawma l-ʾākhira wa-man yatawalla fa-ʾinna llāha huwa l-ghaniyyu l-ḥamīdu
There is certainly a good exemplar for you in them—for those who look forward to Allahand the Last Day—and anyone who refuses to comply [should know that]indeed Allah is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable.
7
۞ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَجعَلَ بَينَكُم وَبَينَ الَّذينَ عادَيتُم مِنهُم مَوَدَّةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ قَديرٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ
ʿasā llāhu ʿan yajʿala baynakum wa-bayna lladhīna ʿādaytum minhum mawaddatan wa-llāhu qadīrun wa-llāhu ghafūrun raḥīmun
It may be that Allah will bring aboutbetween you and those with whom you are at enmityaffection,and Allah is all-powerful,and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
8
لا يَنهاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذينَ لَم يُقاتِلوكُم فِي الدّينِ وَلَم يُخرِجوكُم مِن دِيارِكُم أَن تَبَرّوهُم وَتُقسِطوا إِلَيهِم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ المُقسِطينَ
lā yanhākumu llāhu ʿani lladhīna lam yuqātilūkum fī d-dīni wa-lam yukhrijūkum min diyārikum ʾan tabarrūhum wa-tuqsiṭū ʾilayhim ʾinna llāha yuḥibbu l-muqsiṭīna
Allah does not forbid you in regard to thosewho did not make war against youon account of religionand did not expel you from your homes,that you deal with them with kindness and justice.Indeed Allah loves the just.
9
إِنَّما يَنهاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذينَ قاتَلوكُم فِي الدّينِ وَأَخرَجوكُم مِن دِيارِكُم وَظاهَروا عَلىٰ إِخراجِكُم أَن تَوَلَّوهُم ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الظّالِمونَ
ʾinnamā yanhākumu llāhu ʿani lladhīna qātalūkum fī d-dīni wa-ʾakhrajūkum min diyārikum wa-ẓāharū ʿalā ʾikhrājikum ʾan tawallawhum wa-man yatawallahum fa-ʾulāʾika humu ẓ-ẓālimūna
Allah forbids you only in regard to thosewho made war against you on account of religionand expelled you from your homesand supported [others] in your expulsion,that you make friends with them,and whoever makes friends with them—it is they who are the wrongdoers.
10
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا إِذا جاءَكُمُ المُؤمِناتُ مُهاجِراتٍ فَامتَحِنوهُنَّ ۖ اللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِإيمانِهِنَّ ۖ فَإِن عَلِمتُموهُنَّ مُؤمِناتٍ فَلا تَرجِعوهُنَّ إِلَى الكُفّارِ ۖ لا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَهُم وَلا هُم يَحِلّونَ لَهُنَّ ۖ وَآتوهُم ما أَنفَقوا ۚ وَلا جُناحَ عَلَيكُم أَن تَنكِحوهُنَّ إِذا آتَيتُموهُنَّ أُجورَهُنَّ ۚ وَلا تُمسِكوا بِعِصَمِ الكَوافِرِ وَاسأَلوا ما أَنفَقتُم وَليَسأَلوا ما أَنفَقوا ۚ ذٰلِكُم حُكمُ اللَّهِ ۖ يَحكُمُ بَينَكُم ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ حَكيمٌ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū ʾidhā jāʾakumu l-muʾminātu muhājirātin fa-mtaḥinūhunna llāhu ʾaʿlamu bi-ʾīmānihinna fa-ʾin ʿalimtumūhunna muʾminātin fa-lā tarjiʿūhunna ʾilā l-kuffāri lā hunna ḥillun lahum wa-lā hum yaḥillūna lahunna wa-ʾātūhum mā ʾanfaqū wa-lā junāḥa ʿalaykum ʾan tankiḥūhunna ʾidhā ʾātaytumūhunna ʾujūrahunna wa-lā tumsikū bi-ʿiṣami l-kawāfiri wa-sʾalū mā ʾanfaqtum wa-l-yasʾalū mā ʾanfaqū dhālikum ḥukmu llāhi yaḥkumu baynakum wa-llāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīmun
O you who have faith!When faithful women come to you as immigrants,1test them.Allah knows best [the state of] their faith.Then, if you ascertain them to be faithful women,do not send them back to the faithless.They2 are not lawful for them,3nor are they4 lawful for them.5And give them6 what they have spent [for them].7There is no sin upon you in marrying themwhen you have given them their dowries.Do not hold onto [conjugal] ties with faithless women.Ask [the infidels] for what you have spent,and let the faithless ask for what they have spent.8That is the judgment of Allah;He judges between you;and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.That is, as fugitives.That is, faithful women.That is, for infidel men.That is, infidel men.That is, for faithful women.The infidel men who were their husbands before.That is, the amount of their dowry.That is, the dowry given to the women who were formerly their wives.
11
وَإِن فاتَكُم شَيءٌ مِن أَزواجِكُم إِلَى الكُفّارِ فَعاقَبتُم فَآتُوا الَّذينَ ذَهَبَت أَزواجُهُم مِثلَ ما أَنفَقوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذي أَنتُم بِهِ مُؤمِنونَ
wa-ʾin fātakum shayʾun min ʾazwājikum ʾilā l-kuffāri fa-ʿāqabtum fa-ʾātū lladhīna dhahabat ʾazwājuhum mithla mā ʾanfaqū wa-ttaqū llāha lladhī ʾantum bihī muʾminūna
If anything pertaining to your wives is not reclaimedfrom the faithless1and then you have your turn,then give to those whose wives have leftthe like of what they have spent,and be wary of Allahin whom you have faith.That is, if their dowry is not paid by the infidels. Or ‘If any of your wives goes away toward the infidels.’
12
يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذا جاءَكَ المُؤمِناتُ يُبايِعنَكَ عَلىٰ أَن لا يُشرِكنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيئًا وَلا يَسرِقنَ وَلا يَزنينَ وَلا يَقتُلنَ أَولادَهُنَّ وَلا يَأتينَ بِبُهتانٍ يَفتَرينَهُ بَينَ أَيديهِنَّ وَأَرجُلِهِنَّ وَلا يَعصينَكَ في مَعروفٍ ۙ فَبايِعهُنَّ وَاستَغفِر لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ
yā-ʾayyuhā n-nabiyyu ʾidhā jāʾaka l-muʾminātu yubāyiʿnaka ʿalā ʾan lā yushrikna bi-llāhi shayʾan wa-lā yasriqna wa-lā yaznīna wa-lā yaqtulna ʾawlādahunna wa-lā yaʾtīna bi-buhtānin yaftarīnahū bayna ʾaydīhinna wa-ʾarjulihinna wa-lā yaʿṣīnaka fī maʿrūfin fa-bāyiʿhunna wa-staghfir lahunna llāha ʾinna llāha ghafūrun raḥīmun
O Prophet!If 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 slanderthat 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.
13
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تَتَوَلَّوا قَومًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِم قَد يَئِسوا مِنَ الآخِرَةِ كَما يَئِسَ الكُفّارُ مِن أَصحابِ القُبورِ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū lā tatawallaw qawman ghaḍiba llāhu ʿalayhim qad yaʾisū mina l-ʾākhirati ka-mā yaʾisa l-kuffāru min ʾaṣḥābi l-qubūri
O you who have faith!Do not befriend a peopleat whom Allah is wrathful:they have despaired of the Hereafter,just as the faithless have despairedof the occupants of the graves.