AL MUMTAHINA (That which Examines)
In the Name of God,1 the Gracious, the Merciful 2
1 O you who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as friends, offering them love, even though they have rejected the truth that has come to you, and have driven out the prophet and yourselves, because you believe in God your Lord! If you have come out to strive in my way and to seek my good pleasure, holding secret converse of love with them; for I know full well all that you conceal and all that you reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the straight path.
2 If they were to get the better of you, they would behave to you as enemies, and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you for evil; and they desire that you should reject the truth.
3 Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the day of judgment: he will judge between you: for God sees well all that you do.
4 There is for you an excellent example in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people: We are clear of you and of whatever you worship besides God: we have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred forever, unless you believe in God and him alone: but not when Ibrahim said to his father: I will pray for forgiveness for you, though I have no power in anything on your behalf from God. Our Lord! In you do we trust, and to you do we turn in repentance: to you is the final goal.
5 Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the unbelievers, but forgive us, our Lord! For you are the exalted in might, the wise.
6 There was indeed in them an excellent example for you to follow, for those whose hope is in God and in the Last Day. But if any turn away, truly God is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.
7 It may be that God will grant love between you and those whom you hold as enemies. For God has power and God is oft-forgiving, most merciful.
8 God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loves those who are just.
9 God only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support in driving you out, from turning to them. It is such as turn to them that do wrong.
10 O you who believe! When there come to you believing women refugees, examine them: God knows best as to their faith: if you ascertain that they are believers, then send them not back to the unbelievers. They are not lawful for the unbelievers, nor are the lawful for them. But pay the unbelievers what they have spent. And there will be no blame on you if you marry them on payment of their dower to them. But hold not to the guardianship of unbelieving women: ask for what you have spent on their dowers, and let them ask for what they have spent. Such is the command of God: he judges between you. And God is full of knowledge and wisdom.
11 And if any of your wives deserts you to the unbelievers, and you have an accession, then pay to those whose wives have deserted the equivalent of what they had spent. And fear God, in whom you believe.
12 O prophet! When believing women come to you to take the oath of allegiance to you, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with God, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood, and that they will not disobey you in any just matter, then receive their pledge, and pray to God for the forgiveness: for God is oft-forgiving, most merciful.
13 O you who believe! Turn not to people on whom is the wrath of God. Of the hereafter they are already in despair, just as the unbelievers are in despair about those in graves.
- God, in Arabic allah, referring to the one true God, as opposed to an idol or “god.” It is the Arabic equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew), alaha (Syriac), and theos (Greek), all of which accurately translate into English as “God.” This translation choice is consistent with respected English Quran translations including those of A. Yusuf Ali (original edition), S.H. Nasr (Study Quran), T.B. Irving, and T. Itani (Clear Quran). ↩︎
- the Gracious, the Merciful, the highlighting of God’s grace and mercy predates the Quran, coming down from the many hundreds of references in the Taurat, Zabur, and Injil. A few samples follow:
Taurat, Exodus 34:6 — …YAHWEH, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
Zabur 145:8 — YAHWEH is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
Taurat, Joel 2:13 — Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to YAHWEH your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
Taurat, Yunus 4:2 — …I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.”
Injil, 1 Timothy 1:2 — …Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and AL-MASIH ‘ISA our Lord.
Injil, Hebrews 4:16 — Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need. ↩︎