551 Page Notes

60 Surah Al-Mumtahanah (continued)

Page 551 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

61 Surah As-Saf

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 551 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah Al-Mumtahanah

Page 551 of the Quran marks the conclusion of Surah Al-Mumtahanah (Chapter 60), specifically verses 12 and 13.

Verse 12 is historically immense—it lays down the structural framework for the famous Women's Pledge of Allegiance (Bay'at al-Nisa'), a pivotal moment during the Conquest of Mecca (8 AH / 630 CE) where women were granted independent political and religious recognition. Verse 13 closes the chapter by reiterating the absolute prohibition against taking active enemies of God as close allies.

The Sunnah and authentic Hadiths provide rich, granular detail on exactly how this pledge was conducted by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

1. Verse 12: The Pillars of the Women's Pledge

"O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit adultery, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring a slander that they have falsely fabricated between their hands and feet, nor will they disobey you in what is right (Ma'ruf)—then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them from Allah..." (Quran 60:12)

The Legal Autonomy of Women in the Sunnah

Before Islam, women were often treated as property, and their political allegiance was assumed to be tied directly to their husbands or tribes. This verse and its accompanying Sunnah established that women swear their own personal, legal, and spiritual oath directly to the head of state.

The primary narration regarding this event is documented by Umaymah bint Ruqayqah:

She said: "I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a group of women to swear allegiance to him according to what is in the Quran [Verse 12]. We said, 'We pledge to you, O Messenger of Allah, that we will not associate partners with Allah...' When we finished, we asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, shall we shake your hand?'

The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'Indeed, I do not shake hands with women. My word to a hundred women is just like my word to a single woman.'" Source: Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 1597), Sunan an-Nasa'i, and Malik's Muwatta (Authenticated as Sahih).

Aisha (ra) Describes the Process

The Prophet's wife, Aisha, confirmed that this verbal acknowledgment was the absolute standard for the Prophet ﷺ throughout his life, ensuring boundaries of modesty were strictly maintained:

Aisha (ra) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to examine the believing women who emigrated to him with this verse... Whichever woman agreed to these conditions, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say to her verbally, 'I have accepted your pledge.' By Allah, the hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never touched the hand of any woman in a pledge; he only took their pledge by words." Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4891) and Sahih Muslim.

2. Granular Historical Context: Hind bint Utbah's Reactions

During the Conquest of Mecca, the women gathered on Mount Al-Safa to take this pledge. Among them was Hind bint Utbah (the wife of Abu Sufyan), who masked her face out of fear of retaliation for her past opposition to Islam. The Hadith literature preserves her witty, candid dialogue with the Prophet ﷺ as he read out the clauses of Verse 12:

• On Stealing: When the Prophet ﷺ read, "that they will not steal," Hind interrupted: "O Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a stingy man, and I take from his wealth without his knowledge to feed our children. Is that a sin?" Abu Sufyan, who was present, spoke up: "Whatever you took in the past is forgiven!" The Prophet ﷺ smiled, recognized her, and said: "Take from his wealth what is reasonably sufficient for you and your children."

• On Adultery: When he read, "nor will they commit adultery," Hind cried out in disbelief based on her noble Arab tribal pride: "O Messenger of Allah! Does a free woman commit adultery?!" (Implying that such a crime was beneath the dignity of any freeborn, honorable woman).

• On Killing Children: When he read, "nor will they kill their children" (referring to pre-Islamic infanticide), she remarked dryly: "We raised them when they were little, and you killed them at the Battle of Badr when they were grown, so you know better about them!" (Omar ibn Al-Khattab laughed heartily at her response).

Source: Documented extensively by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Al-Wahidi, and cited in Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

3. Defining "Disobedience in What is Right" (Ma'ruf)

The final clause of the pledge states that women must not "disobey you in what is right." The Companions asked what specifically constituted disobedience here. The Sunnah explicitly links this to pagan mourning rituals that harmed mental health and disrupted community peace.

Ibn Abbas (ra) explained regarding this phrase: "It was a condition stipulated by Allah that they should not wail loudly over the dead, tear their clothes, pull out their hair, or scratch their faces in grief." Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4892).

4. Verse 13: The Closing Warning Against False Allegiance

"O you who have believed, do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry. They have despaired of the Hereafter just as the disbelievers despair of [meeting] the inhabitants of the graves." (Quran 60:13)

The Sunnah on Protecting the Heart from Bad Alliances

This verse acts as a summary bookend for the entire Surah. The Prophet ﷺ heavily mirrored this closing warning throughout his lifestyle and continuous advice regarding companionship. He taught that aligning closely with those who despise one's faith will inevitably corrupt one's spiritual well-being.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "A man is upon the religion of his close friend, so let each of you look carefully at whom he takes as a close friend." Source: Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Narrated by Abu Hurairah).

Surah As-Saf

Page 551 of the Quran marks the beginning of Surah As-Saf (Chapter 61, "The Ranks"), specifically verses 1 through 5.

This Surah is categorized as one of the Musabbihat (chapters that begin with declaring God's perfection and glory). The opening verses focus heavily on internal sincerity, the gravity of failing to live up to one's promises, the spiritual value of structured discipline, and a warning using the historical narrative of Prophet Moses (Isa).

The Sunnah and classical books of Hadith preserve a highly specific, beautiful origin story (Asbab al-Nuzul) for this page, alongside its practical applications.

1. The Origin Story: The Companions' Sincere Question

"Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah... O you who have believed, why do you say that which you do not do?" (Quran 61:1-2)

The fundamental reason this page was revealed centers on a casual gathering of the Prophet’s closest companions who were seeking the highest levels of God's pleasure.

Abdullah bin Salam (ra) narrated: "A group of us companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat together and said, 'If only we knew which deed was most beloved to Allah, we would surely perform it!'

None of us went to ask the Prophet ﷺ out of awe. However, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man to gather us, and when we arrived, he recited this entire Surah—Surah As-Saf—from the beginning to the end."

Source: Musnad Ahmad (v. 5, p. 452), Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 3309), and Sunan ad-Darimi. Authenticated as Sahih.

2. Verses 2–3: The Danger of Saying What You Do Not Do

"Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do." (Quran 61:3)

The Legal Link to Hypocrisy (Nifaq)

While the sincere companions were tested after expressing their desires to strive for God, classical commentators (such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi) highlight how the Sunnah uses these verses to legally condemn false promises and deceptive speech. The Prophet ﷺ explicitly mirrored the severe warning of verse 3 when detailing the traits of a double-minded person:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The signs of a hypocrite are three: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted, he betrays."

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 33) and Sahih Muslim.

Admonishment Against False Military Boasting

Early scholars of Tabaligh and Sunnah commentary like Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak noted a secondary historical context: before discipline was fully formalized, some individuals would return from expeditions boasting, "I fought, I struck the enemy, and I stood firm," when in reality they had panicked or fled. Verses 2 and 3 descended to cleanse the community's speech of unearned bravado.

3. Verse 4: Standing in Solid, Straight Ranks

"Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in rows (ranks) as if they were a solid structure." (Quran 61:4)

The Sunnah of Perfecting the Lines

The word As-Saf means "The Row" or "The Rank." The Prophet ﷺ translated this verse into a rigorous physical discipline, not just for defense, but for the daily congregational prayers. He viewed physical alignment as a mirror of spiritual unity.

• Organizing the Military Ranks:
  The early commentator Sa'id bin Jubayr noted: "Before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would engage an enemy, he would personally walk down the lines and arrange his companions into flawless, tight rows, teaching them the physical enactment of this verse." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

• The Prayer Connection:
  The Prophet ﷺ famously used the phrase "as if they were a solid structure" to demand absolute symmetry in worship:
  The Prophet ﷺ would face the congregation before prayer and say: "Straighten your rows, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, and do not leave spaces for the devil. Do not differ in your rows, or else your hearts will differ."
  Source: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sunan Abi Dawud.

4. Verse 5: The Warning of Moses' People Turning Away

"And [remember] when Moses said to his people, 'O my people, why do you harm me when you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allah to you?' So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate..." (Quran 61:5)

This verse serves as a stark warning to the early Muslims: do not treat your Prophet the way the rebellious factions among the Children of Israel treated Moses, causing their own spiritual ruin.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ heavily referenced this historical reality whenever he faced personal insults or exhausting complaints from his community, invoking the patience of Moses as his ultimate blueprint.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (ra) narrated: "Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ distributed some property after a battle. A man from the crowd muttered secretly, 'By Allah, this distribution was not done seeking the face of Allah!'

I went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what the man had said. The Prophet's face flushed with anger, but he controlled himself and said: 'May Allah have mercy on Moses! He was hurt and annoyed with worse than this, yet he remained patient.'"

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3150) and Sahih Muslim.