The central theme of Surah Al-Mumtahina is the appropriate relationship between believers and disbelievers, taking into account the differing attitudes of disbelievers towards believers. Not all disbelievers share the same stance—some harbor no ill will and pose no harm, while others openly declare enmity and commit acts of aggression against the believers.

(Note: There is a related story concerning this Surah regarding one of the Prophet’s (PBUH) companions, Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah (حاتم بن أبي بلتعة). This story is provided as an appendix for reference.)

Regarding those who are openly hostile towards the believers, Allah commands that no affection should be shown to them, regardless of any personal relationships that may exist between them and the believers. Allah states:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ عَدُوِّى وَعَدُوَّكُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءَ تُلۡقُونَ إِلَيۡہِم بِٱلۡمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدۡ كَفَرُواْ بِمَا جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ يُخۡرِجُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمۡ‌ۙ أَن تُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ رَبِّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ خَرَجۡتُمۡ جِهَـٰدً۬ا فِى سَبِيلِى وَٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِى‌ۚ تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيۡہِم بِٱلۡمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا۟ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَآ أَخۡفَيۡتُمۡ وَمَآ أَعۡلَنتُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡهُ مِنكُمۡ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ (١) إِن يَثۡقَفُوكُمۡ يَكُونُواْ لَكُمۡ أَعۡدَآءً۬ وَيَبۡسُطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡكُمۡ أَيۡدِيَہُمۡ وَأَلۡسِنَتَہُم بِٱلسُّوٓءِ وَوَدُّواْ لَوۡ تَكۡفُرُونَ (٢) لَن تَنفَعَكُمۡ أَرۡحَامُكُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَـٰدُكُمۡ‌ۚ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يَفۡصِلُ بَيۡنَكُمۡ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ۬ (٣)

“O you who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy as allies, extending affection to them while they have rejected the truth that has come to you. They have expelled the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you have gone forth to strive in My cause, seeking My pleasure, will you secretly show them affection? I know all that you conceal and all that you reveal. And whoever does this has surely strayed from the right path. (1) If they were to encounter you, they would act as enemies, stretching forth their hands and tongues to harm you. They desire that you disbelieve.  (2) Your kinship ties and your children will be of no benefit to you on the Day of Resurrection. He will judge between you, and Allah sees all that you do (60:1-3)

On the other hand, there are disbelievers who neither display hostility towards the believers nor engage in war against them. For such individuals, believers are commanded to treat them with kindness and ensure that they are dealt with justly. Allah says:

لَّا يَنۡهَٮٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡہِمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ (٨) إِنَّمَا يَنۡہَٮٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ قَـٰتَلُوكُمۡ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَأَخۡرَجُوڪُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِكُمۡ وَظَـٰهَرُواْ عَلَىٰٓ إِخۡرَاجِكُمۡ أَن تَوَلَّوۡهُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمۡ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and justly with those who have not fought against you because of your religion, nor driven you out of your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. (8) Allah only forbids you from taking as allies those who have fought against you on account of your religion, expelled you from your homes, or aided in your expulsion. And whoever takes them as allies is indeed a wrongdoer.” (60:8-9)

 Allah’s expectation regarding the treatment of disbelievers who do not display hostility is expressed in the phrase (أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ ۚ), which is often translated as “deal kindly with them.” However, the word “bir” (بر) carries a deeper meaning beyond mere kindness. It conveys a sense of piety, righteousness, and responsibility. Allah uses the same word when describing the treatment of children towards their parents, implying a high level of respect, care, and dutifulness. For instance, Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) described how he was commanded to treat his mother with the words:“(وَبَرَّۢا بِوَٲلِدَتِى)” (Maryam 19:32)

This emphasizes that the kindness prescribed towards peaceful disbelievers is not superficial but rather reflects a deep moral and ethical responsibility akin to the duty of a child towards their parents.

Allah presents the example of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his followers as a model for how believers should interact with disbelievers. He instructs us to follow their example in dealing with the disbelievers among our people. Their approach involved rejecting false beliefs and showing enmity towards those who transgressed while keeping the door open for reconciliation, in case Allah willed to bring about love and understanding between the believers and the disbelievers. Allah says:

قَدۡ كَانَتۡ لَكُمۡ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ۬ فِىٓ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُ ۥۤ إِذۡ قَالُواْ لِقَوۡمِہِمۡ إِنَّا بُرَءَٲٓؤُاْ مِنكُمۡ وَمِمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَفَرۡنَا بِكُمۡ وَبَدَا بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٲوَةُ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَحۡدَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا قَوۡلَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسۡتَغۡفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىۡءٍ۬‌ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيۡكَ تَوَكَّلۡنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ أَنَبۡنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ (٤) رَبَّنَا لَا تَجۡعَلۡنَا فِتۡنَةً۬ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا رَبَّنَآ‌ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ (٥) لَقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِيہِمۡ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ۬ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأَخِرَ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِىُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ (٦) ۞ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ ٱلَّذِينَ عَادَيۡتُم مِّنۡہُم مَّوَدَّةً۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ قَدِيرٌ۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ (٧)

You have a good example in Abrahim and his companions, when they said to their people, ‘We disown you and what you worship besides God! We renounce you! Until you believe in God alone, the enmity and hatred that has arisen between us will endure!’ –– except when Abraham said to his father, ‘I will pray for forgiveness for you though I cannot protect you from Allah’–– [they prayed] ‘Our Lord, we have put our trust in You; we turn to You; You are our final destination. (4) Our Lord, do not make us temptation (trial, test) for the disbelievers. Forgive us, our Lord, for You are the Almighty, the All Wise.’ (5) Truly, they are a good example for you to follow – for those who fear Allah and the Last Day. If anyone turns away, Allah is self-sufficing and worthy of all praise. (6)  Allah may still bring about affection between you and your present enemies – God is all powerful, God is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful. (60:4-7)

 One of the supplications is verse 5 is (رَبَّنَا لَا تَجۡعَلۡنَا فِتۡنَةً۬ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ) “Our Lord! Do not make us temptation for those who disbelieve”.  This means that we are asking Allah not to let our behavior or condition serve as a justification for the disbelievers to persist in their disbelief. How could Muslims be a cause of confusion that leads disbelievers to reject Islam? This can happen if:

• Muslims behave immorally,
• They become untrustworthy,
• They remain backward and ignorant, or
• They are weak and subservient to the disbelievers.

When Muslims fail to uphold the values of Islam, their shortcomings can be used as an argument against the faith itself, deterring others from embracing it.

In this Surah, Allah provides a ruling on an issue that was ambiguous in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. One of the treaty’s provisions stated:

من أتى محمداً من قريش من غير إذن وليه رده إليهم ، ومن جاء قريشاً ممن مع محمد لم يرد إليه .

“Whoever from Quraysh comes to Muhammad without the permission of his guardian shall be returned to them, whereas whoever from among those with Muhammad goes to Quraysh shall not be returned to him.”

The wording of this clause suggests that it applies to men, as it did not explicitly address women. To clarify this matter, Allah revealed the ruling that Muslim women who migrated to the Prophet (PBUH) were not to be returned to the disbelievers, as their faith made them unlawful for their former disbelieving husbands. Moreover, the believers were commanded not to maintain marriage ties with disbelieving women and to seek compensation for any dowries they had given, just as the disbelievers had the right to do the same.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا جَآءَڪُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ مُهَـٰجِرَٲتٍ۬ فَٱمۡتَحِنُوهُنَّ‌ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِيمَـٰنِہِنَّ‌ۖ فَإِنۡ عَلِمۡتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤۡمِنَـٰتٍ۬ فَلَا تَرۡجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِ‌ۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ۬ لَّهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ‌ۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُواْ‌ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ‌ۚ وَلَا تُمۡسِكُواْ بِعِصَمِ ٱلۡكَوَافِرِ وَسۡــٴَـلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقۡتُمۡ وَلۡيَسۡــٴَـلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقُواْ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ حُكۡمُ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۬ (١٠)

“O you who believe, when believing women come to you as emigrants, test them.  Allah knows best about their faith – and if you are sure of their belief, do not send them back to the disbelievers: they are not lawful wives for them, nor are the disbelievers their lawful husbands. Give the disbelievers whatever bride gifts they have paid. There is no blame on you if you choose to marry them, once you have paid their bride-gifts – and do not yourselves hold on to marriage ties with disbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the bride gifts you have paid, and let the disbelievers do the same. This is Allah’s judgement: He judges between you; Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise. (60:10)

When any woman migrated from Mecca to Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) would ask her two key questions:

1. Do you testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?
2. Do you swear that you have come solely out of love for Islam and for Allah and His Messenger, and not because of a dispute with your husband or a desire to leave him?

If the woman affirmed both questions, the Prophet (PBUH) would not return her to Mecca. Instead, he would compensate her husband or guardian for any expenses they claimed to have spent on her. While the Muslims were committed to fulfilling Allah’s command by paying compensation to the disbelievers, a potential issue arose—what if the disbelievers refused to compensate Muslim husbands in return?  To address this, Allah established a ruling: if a Muslim husband suffered financial loss due to this situation, he would be compensated from the spoils of war.

This Surah outlines the conditions of the pledge of allegiance that Muslim women took with the Prophet (PBUH):

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ يُبَايِعۡنَكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن لَّا يُشۡرِكۡنَ بِٱللَّهِ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَلَا يَسۡرِقۡنَ وَلَا يَزۡنِينَ وَلَا يَقۡتُلۡنَ أَوۡلَـٰدَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأۡتِينَ بِبُهۡتَـٰنٍ۬ يَفۡتَرِينَهُ ۥ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِنَّ وَأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعۡصِينَكَ فِى مَعۡرُوفٍ۬‌ۙ فَبَايِعۡهُنَّ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُنَّ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ (١٢)

“O Prophet, when believing women come and pledge to you that they will not ascribe any partner to Allah, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor lie about who has fathered their children, and nor disobey you in any righteous thing, then accept their pledge of allegiance and pray to Allah to forgive them. Indeed, Allah is most forgiving and merciful. (60:12)

It is noteworthy that even when the Prophet (PBUH) took this pledge, he specifically stated “do not disobey him in anything righteous.” While it is beyond question that the Prophet (PBUH) would never command anything but righteousness, including this condition in the pledge serves an important purpose: It encourages Muslims to critically assess any command they receive before following it, ensuring that it aligns with righteousness and justice.

The Surah concludes by reinforcing the command given at its beginning:

ـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ قَوۡمًا غَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَدۡ يَٮِٕسُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ كَمَا يَٮِٕسَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مِنۡ أَصۡحَـٰبِ ٱلۡقُبُورِ (١٣)

Do not take as allies the people who incurred the Wrath of Allah. Surely, they have despaired of the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves (that they will not come alive). (60:13)

This final verse serves as a reminder that aligning with those who oppose Allah’s guidance is a betrayal of faith and that true believers must uphold their loyalty to Allah and His Messenger.

 

Background – Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah (حاتب بن أبي بلتعة).

Certain aspects of Surah Al-Mumtahina relate to an incident involving the companion Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah (حاتب بن أبي بلتعة).

In the 8th year of Hijrah, two years after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (صلح الحديبية), Amr ibn Salim Al-Khuza‘i (عمرو بن سالم الخزاعي), the chief of the Khuza‘a tribe, arrived in Medina with forty horsemen. He informed the Prophet (PBUH) that Quraysh had breached the treaty by attacking his people, with the assistance of the Banu Bakr tribe, who were aligned with Quraysh. He requested the Prophet’s (PBUH) help in retaliation.

After confirming that Quraysh had indeed violated the treaty, the Prophet (PBUH) decided to invade Mecca and began preparing an army. However, he kept the true purpose of the preparation a secret, revealing it only to a select few companions. Among those entrusted with the plan was Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah. Hatib was a trusted companion who had previously been assigned by the Prophet (PBUH) to deliver messages to world leaders, including Al-Muqawqas (المُقَوْقِس), Juraij bin Matta (جُرَيْج بـن مَتَّي), the ruler of Egypt.

To conceal his true intentions and ensure that news of the invasion did not reach Mecca, the Prophet (PBUH) dispatched an eight-man platoon under the leadership of Qatadah bin Rab‘i (أبي قتادة بن رِبْعِي) towards Edam (إضَم), a location near Medina. This strategic move served as a diversion, drawing attention away from the main preparation.

While the Prophet (PBUH) was still preparing for the campaign, a woman from Mecca named Sarah, a singer and dancer, arrived in Medina. The Prophet (PBUH) asked her whether she had come because she had accepted Islam, to which she replied no. When asked about the reason for her visit, she explained that after the Battle of Badr, Quraysh had become depressed and no longer sought her services, leaving her in poverty. She was seeking food, shelter, and transportation. The Prophet (PBUH) arranged the assistance she needed.

After spending a few days in Medina, Sarah decided to return to Mecca. Seizing this opportunity, Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah secretly contacted her, offering her money in exchange for carrying a letter to the leaders of Quraysh. The letter contained details of the Prophet’s (PBUH) plan to invade Mecca and a warning to the Quraysh about the impending attack. Sarah accepted the task and set out for Mecca.

As soon as Sarah left, the Prophet (PBUH) received revelation about Hatib’s betrayal. He immediately dispatched Ali ibn Abi Talib (علي بن أبي طالب) and Al-Miqdad (المقداد) with instructions to intercept her. He informed them that they would find her at Al-Rawda (الروضة) between Medina and Mecca.

Upon catching up with her, they demanded the letter, but Sarah denied carrying anything. However, they insisted, stating that the Prophet (PBUH) had informed them about the letter’s existence. They then threatened that if she refused to hand it over, they would search her and, if found guilty, she would be executed. Recognizing their seriousness, Sarah confessed and retrieved the letter from her hair.

When the Prophet (PBUH) received the letter and confirmed that it had been written by Hatib, he immediately summoned him and asked: “What led you to commit this act?”

Hatib responded:

لا تَعْجَلْ على يا رسول الله‏.‏ والله إني لمؤمن بالله ورسوله، وما ارتددت ولا بدلت، ولكني كنت امرأ مُلْصَقـًا في قريش ؛ لست من أنْفَسِهم، ولي فيهم أهل وعشيرة وولد، وليس لي فيهم قرابة يحمونهم، وكان من معك له قرابات يحمونهم، فأحببت إذ فاتني ذلك أن أتخذ عندهم يداً يحمون بها قرابتي‏. والله ما كفرت ولا ارتددت فاغفر لي ذلك يا رسول الله

“O Messenger of Allah, please do not be hasty in judgment against me. By Allah, I am a believer in Allah and His Messenger. I have not abandoned my faith nor changed my beliefs. However, I was a man with no strong lineage in Quraysh; I was not among their noble ranks. I have family, relatives, and children in Mecca, but unlike others among your companions who have influential relatives to protect their families, I have no such protection.

 So, I wanted to establish a favor with Quraysh that might ensure the safety of my family. By Allah, I have not disbelieved, nor have I abandoned my faith. Please forgive me, O Messenger of Allah.”

Hearing this, the Prophet (PBUH) turned to his companions and said:

(إنَّي صَدَّقته فَصَدِّقوه ولا تقولوا فيه إلا خيراً) “I believe him, so you should also believe him. Do not say anything but good about him.”

However, Omar ibn Al-Khattab (عمر بن الخطاب) was outraged and said:“O Messenger of Allah, allow me to behead this man! He has betrayed Allah and His Messenger, and he is a hypocrite!””.

The Prophet (PBUH) responded:

‏(‏إنه قد شهد بدراً، وما يدريك يا عمر لعل الله قد اطلع على أهل بدر فقال‏:‏ اعملوا ما شئتم فقد غفرت لكم‏)‏،

“He participated in the Battle of Badr. And how do you know, O Omar? Perhaps Allah has looked upon the people of Badr and said: ‘Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you.”

 With a tone of regret, Omar said: Allah and his Prophet know better.

Upon hearing this, Omar regretted his statement and humbly replied: “Allah and His Messenger know best.”