Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:10
سُورَةُ المُمۡتَحنَةِ · Medinan · Verse 10 of 13
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتُ مُهَٰجِرَٰتٍۢ فَٱمْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِهِنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَٰتٍۢ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ ۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّۭ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ ۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا۟ بِعِصَمِ ٱلْكَوَافِرِ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ حُكْمُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
Translation
You who believe, test the believing women when they come to you as emigrants- God 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- if you choose to marry them, there is no blame on you 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 God’s judgement: He judges between you, God is all knowing and wise.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse, addressed to believers, lays down vital rules concerning marital ties between Muslims and disbelievers, particularly following the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. It's a divine instruction on how to handle believing women who migrate and disbelieving wives of believers, marked by Allah's profound wisdom in every word.
Knowing the Heart
The verse commands, "If believing women come to you as migrants, then test them (فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ)." This isn't a casual inquiry. The very next phrase, "Allah knows best their faith (اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِهِنَّ)," immediately contextualizes the human effort. While you must examine them for outward signs of sincerity, Allah reminds us that true, innermost faith is His domain alone. As scholars like al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi explain, the "knowledge" you are expected to acquire (فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ) is not absolute certainty, but an overwhelming probability based on observable signs, such as a sworn oath that their migration is purely for Allah and His Messenger. This linguistic juxtaposition between human "testing" and divine "knowing" highlights both our responsibility to discern and our limitations.
Unwavering Separation
The verse then declares, "they are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for them (لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ)." This double negation uses a powerful rhetorical device. Ibn Ashur notes that "they are not lawful for them" (لا هن حل لهم) uses a noun, "ḥill," implying a fixed, inherent state of unlawfulness for the believing woman to her disbelieving husband. The following phrase, "nor are they lawful for them" (ولا هم يحلون لهن), uses a present tense verb, "yaḥillūn," indicating an ongoing, continuous state of unlawfulness for the disbelieving man to the believing woman. This dual emphasis leaves no room for doubt or future hope of reconciliation in marriage, signifying a complete and irreversible severance of the marital bond due to the difference in faith.
The Language of Compensation
Notice the distinct terms used for financial compensation. When referring to what the disbelieving husbands had spent on their migrant wives, the Quran uses "what they spent" (مَا أَنفَقُوا). As Ibn Ashur points out, this avoids calling it "mahr" (dowry) because once the marriage is dissolved, the previous payment no longer holds the legal status of a dowry within an Islamic marriage. However, when addressing the potential new marriages for these migrant women, the verse says, "if you give them their wages (أُجُورَهُنَّ)." Here, "ujoor" clearly refers to the new dowry required for a valid Islamic marriage, underscoring that a new marital contract with its proper conditions is necessary. This subtle word choice highlights the change in legal status of these women and their previous and future marital arrangements.
Severing the Ties
The instruction "and do not hold on to the marital ties of disbelieving women (وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ)" further emphasizes the principle. The word "ʿiṣam" (عِصَم), plural of "ʿiṣmah," refers to the bond or tie of marriage. It metaphorically represents the protective, binding covenant of matrimony. This strong wording instructs believers to sever their marital ties with disbelieving wives. Ibn Ashur explains that "al-kawāfir" (الكوافر) here refers specifically to polytheistic women, typical of the Meccan context, highlighting that such marriages are now forbidden. The command underscores that the sacred bond of marriage cannot exist where there is a fundamental disparity in faith.
Through these precise word choices, Allah establishes clear guidelines, balances human perception with His ultimate knowledge, and emphasizes the sanctity of faith in marital relations.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:10 is discussed in 6 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:10 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.