Sura al-Mumtahana

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Sura al-Mumtahana
al-Hashr
Sura Number60
Juz'28
Revelation
Revelation Number91
Makki/MadaniMadani
Information
Verse Count13
Word Count325
Letter Count1560\


This article is an introduction to the Sura al-Mumtahana; to read its text see text:Sura al-Mumtahana.

Sūra al-Mumtaḥana (Arabic:سورة الممتحنة) is sixtieth sura of the Qur'an. It is a Madani sura located in juz' twenty eight. This sura is called "al-mumtahana" because in verse ten of this sura, the Prophet (s) is ordered to test Immigrant women to find about their motives for leaving their husbands and immigrating from Mecca to Medina.

Sura al-Mumtahana speaks about the friendship of believers with disbelievers and seriously prohibits it. About the merits of recitation of this sura, it is narrated from the Prophet (s) that whoever recites this sura, angels send salutations to him and ask God to forgive him; and if he dies on that day, he has died a martyr and believers will intercede for him on the Day of Judgement.

Introduction

  • Naming

This sura is called "al-mumtahana" because in verse ten of this sura, the Prophet (s) is ordered to test women of the Immigrants to find about their motives for leaving their husbands and immigrating from Mecca to Medina and then decides about them.[1] Sura al-Mumtahana has also been called "Sura al-Imtihan"[2] and "Sura al-Mawadda".[3] It is to note that "mawadda" means "affection and friendliness"[4] and is mentioned three times in this sura.

  • Place and Order of Revelation

Sura al-Mumtahana is a Madani sura and the ninety first sura revealed to the Prophet (s). In the current order of the Qur'an, it is 60th sura[5] located in juz' twenty eight.

  • Number of Verses and Other Features

Sura al-Mumtahana has thirteen verses, 352 words and 1560 letters. This sura is among Mufassalat suras (having several short verses). Regarding size, it is about one fourth of one hizb.[6]

Content

Sura al-Mumtahana is about friendship between believers and disbelievers and seriously prohibits it. At the beginning of the sura, at the end of it and in the middle, the sura mentions some rulings about Immigrant women and their allegiance.[7]

Content of Sura al-Mumtahana[8]
Breaking the friendship with the enemies of Islam
First discussion: verses 1-9
Not befriending hostile disbelievers
Second discussion: verses 10-11
Breaking the marital relationship with the enemies of Islam
Third discussion: verse 12
Taking pledges from new Muslim women
Fourth discussion: verse 13
Not befriending Jews
First issue: verses 1-3
Reasons for not befriending the enemies of God
First issue: verse 12
ideological pledge
Second issue: verses 4-7
Taking example from Ibrahim (a) in dealing with hostile disbelievers
Second issue: verse 12
Moral and social pledges
Third issue: verses 8-9
The duty of believers against disbelievers who are not enemies of Islam
Third issue: verse 12
Political pledge

Occasion of Revelation

Two occasion of revelation are mentioned in exegetical books about the verses at the beginning and the end of (verse ten) of sura al-Mumtahana.

Prohibiting Friendship with Polytheists

About the occasion of revelation for the verses at the beginning of Sura al-Mumtahana, it is mentioned that: Hatib b. Abi Balta'a was among Muslims who had immigrated to Medina; but his family had stayed in Mecca and he had no relatives in Medina to support him.

Before the immigration of Muslims for the conquest of Mecca, he wrote a letter and gave it to a woman named Sareh to give to the people of Mecca and inform them about the Prophet's (s) movement and this way could support his family; but the Prophet (s) was informed about the two spies and give the mission to Imam Ali (a), al-Zubayr and Miqdad to capture that woman. They found that woman in the middle of the way between Medina and Mecca.[9] First, she denied everything. They searched her stuffs, but they did not find anything. They decided to return; but, Imam Ali (a) said that neither the Prophet (s) tells lie to us, nor do we do so. So, he (a) became angry at the woman and Sareh took out the letter hidden in her hair. The Prophet (s) asked to bring Hatib. He apologized and said that he was a believer, but he wanted to support his family. Then, the first verses of this sura were revealed and prohibited Muslims from friendship with polytheists.[10]

Testing Immigrant Women

About the occasion of revelation for verse ten of Sura al-Mumtahana, it is mentioned that: In Hudaybiyya, the Prophet (s) signed a peace treaty with polytheists of Mecca. In this peace treaty, it was mentioned that if a man from polytheists goes to Medina, Muslims have to return him, but if a person goes from Medina to Mecca and takes refuge there, polytheists do not have to return him. After a while, a woman called Sabi'a, daughter of Harith went to Medina from Mecca. Verses ten to twelve were revealed. The Prophet (s) asked that woman to swear if her going to Medina was only because of seeking religion and rejecting disbelief.

This swearing was that test mentioned in the verse ten of this sura, saying that, "When faithful women come to you as immigrants, test them. Allah knows best [the state of] their faith." After this swear, the noble Prophet (s) argued that the treaty only had mentioned about men, not women and did not give immigrant women to polytheists; and based on the verse ten, paid those women's dowry to their polytheist husbands and those women could marry again in Medina.[11]

Historical Stories

In Sura al-Mumtahana, the stories of Ibrahim's (a) rejection of idol-worshipping and asking forgiveness for his father, Azar are mentioned. [12]

Merits and Benefits

Whoever recites Sura al-Mumtahana, believers will intercede for him on the Day of Judgement and he will be protected from some diseases. In a hadith from Imam al-Sajjad (a), it is mentioned that whoever recites this sura in his obligatory and recommended prayers, God prepares his heart to accept faith, makes his eyes bright, will never inflict him with poverty and that he and his children will not be afflicted with insanity.[13] It is narrated from the Prophet (s) that whoever recites this sura, angels send salutations to him and ask God to forgive him; and if he dies on that day, he has died a martyr and believers will intercede for him on the Day of Judgement.[14]

External Links

Notes

  1. Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1255.
  2. Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1255.
  3. Suyūṭī, al-Itqān fī ʿulūm al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 201.
  4. Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān, under the word «ودّ».
  5. Maʿrifat, Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 168.
  6. Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1255.
  7. Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 19, p. 388.
  8. Khamagar, Muhammad, Sakhtar-i suraha-yi Qur'an-i karim, Mu'assisa-yi Farhangi-yi Qur'an wa 'Itrat-i Nur al-Thaqalayn, Qom: Nashra, ed.1, 1392 Sh.
  9. Ibn Khaldūn, Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn, vol. 1, p. 441.
  10. Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr nimūna, vol. 24, p. 9.
  11. Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 410.
  12. apart from Abraham’s saying to his father, ‘I will surely plead forgiveness for you, though I cannot avail you anything against Allah. Qur'an 60:4
  13. Ṣadūq, Thawāb al-aʿmāl, p. 118.
  14. Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, vol. 5, p. 351.

References

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