60  Al-Mumtahanah

60. Surah Al-Mumtahanah (The Chapter of She Who is to be Examined) is the 60th chapter of the Qur'an. It consists of 13 verses and is unanimously classified as a Madani Surah (revealed in Medina). The historical context of this Surah is heavily intertwined with early Islamic international relations, personal loyalty, and national security during a delicate "cold war" period in Islamic history.

Proceed to Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Surah Al-Mumtahana

Surah Background Information

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60:1

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60:6

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60:12,  61:1

Surah Background Information

Surah Al-Mumtahanah (The Chapter of She Who is to be Examined) is the 60th chapter of the Qur'an. It consists of 13 verses and is unanimously classified as a Madani Surah (revealed in Medina).

The historical context of this Surah is heavily intertwined with early Islamic international relations, personal loyalty, and national security during a delicate "cold war" period in Islamic history.

1. Timeline and Historical Context

The Surah was revealed during a specific, highly tense two-year window: between the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (6 AH / 628 CE) and the Conquest of Mecca (8 AH / 630 CE).

At this point, a fragile peace treaty existed between the Muslim state in Medina and the polytheists of the Quraysh in Mecca. However, the Quraysh eventually violated the terms of this treaty, prompting the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to begin secret preparations to liberate Mecca peacefully.

2. The Reasons for Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

Two major historical incidents triggered the specific legal and spiritual guidelines in this Surah:

Incident A: The Secret Letter of Hatib (Verses 1–3)

The opening of the Surah addresses a critical national security breach. While the Prophet ﷺ was making top-secret military preparations to march toward Mecca, a companion named Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah (a veteran of the Battle of Badr) wrote a secret letter to the leaders of the Quraysh, warning them of the impending Muslim advance. He gave the letter to a woman to smuggle back to Mecca.

Divine revelation alerted the Prophet ﷺ to this leak. Ali ibn Abi Talib and other companions intercepted the messenger and retrieved the letter. When questioned, Hatib pleaded that he was not abandoning his faith; rather, unlike other emigrants, he had no tribal protection in Mecca and wanted to secure goodwill from the Quraysh to protect his vulnerable family living there.

• The Divine Response: The Surah opens by sternly rebuking this action, stating that deep-seated affection and political or strategic alliances should not be forged with active enemies who actively persecuted Muslims and drove them out of their homes.

Incident B: The Emigrant Women (Verse 10)

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah included a controversial clause: if any person from Mecca came to Medina to join the Muslims, they had to be returned to the Quraysh.

When several Meccan women accepted Islam and fled to Medina seeking asylum, the Meccan polytheists demanded their return. However, the clause in the treaty had primarily been understood to apply to men.

• The Divine Response: Verse 10 was revealed to provide a unique legal framework for asylum and women's rights. It ordered the Muslims to examine (imtihan) these women to verify the sincerity of their faith. If they migrated genuinely out of devotion to Islam (and not simply to flee a bad marriage or for worldly gain), they were granted political asylum. They were not to be returned, as their marriages to polytheists were legally dissolved. The Muslims were instructed to financially compensate the Meccan husbands by returning their dowries.

3. Name and Key Themes

• The Name: The Surah derives its name from the Arabic word Al-Mumtahinah (the Surah that examines) or Al-Mumtahanah ("She who is to be examined"), directly referencing the testing of the female refugees in verse 10.

• Al-Wala' wal-Bara' (Loyalty and Disavowal): The core theological theme is navigating personal loyalty. It establishes that a believer's ultimate spiritual allegiance belongs to God and the community of faith, superseding blood ties or family preservation if the two are in direct conflict.

• The Exemplar of Abraham (Verse 4): The Surah points to the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) as an excellent model (Uswah Hasanah), highlighting how he peacefully but firmly disassociated himself from his own family's idolatry and oppression.

• The Nuance of Justice (Verses 8–9): The Surah makes a vital ethical distinction in foreign relations. While forbidding cozy alliances with hostile enemies who wage war against Muslims, it explicitly commands Muslims to be kind, balanced, and strictly just to non-Muslims who are peaceful and do not engage in active persecution.

4. Academic and Classical Sources

The historical background and contexts of revelation for Surah Al-Mumtahanah are documented across standard classical Islamic literature:

• Asbab al-Nuzul (Occasions of Revelation): Compiled systematically by classical scholars such as Al-Wahidi (d. 468 AH) and Al-Suyuti (in Lubab al-Nuqul), which provide the detailed chains of narration regarding Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah and the refugee women.

• Hadith Literature: The detailed account of the tracking down of Hatib's letter is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Jihad, Hadith 3007) and Sahih Muslim (Book of the Virtues of the Companions).

• Classical Tafsir (Exegesis): Comprehensive analytical breakdowns of these events are found in major commentary texts, including Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, and modern sociological breakdowns like Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi's Tafheem-ul-Qur'an.