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4. And he who finds not [the wherewithal], let him fast for
two successive months before they touch one another; and
for him who is unable to do so [the penance is] the feeding
of sixty needy ones. This, that you may put trust in Allah
and His messenger. Such are the limits [imposed by Allah];
and for disbelievers is a painful doom.
5. Lo! those who oppose Allah and His messenger will be abased
even those before them were abased; and We have sent down
clear verses, and for disbelievers is a shameful doom
6. On the day when Allah will resurrect them all together and
inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account of
it while they forgot it. And Allah is Witness over all things.
7. Have you not seen that Allah knows all that is in the heavens
and all that is in the earth? There is no secret conference
of three but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their
sixth, nor of less than that or more but He is with them
wheresoever they may be; and afterward, on the Day of
Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did lo!
Allah is Knower of all things.
8. Have you not observed those who were forbidden from
private conversation and afterward returned to that which
they had been forbidden, and [now] converse together
about sin and aggression and disobedience toward the
messenger? And when they come to you they greet you with
a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not, and say within
themselves: Why should Allah punish us for what we say?
Hell will suffice them; they will feel the heat thereof– And
wretched is the destination!
9. O you who believe! When you converse together, converse
not together about sin and aggression and disobedience
toward the messenger, but converse together for
righteousness and piety, and fear Allah, to whom you will
be gathered.
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10. Lo! Private conversation is only of the Satan, that he may
grieve those who believe; but he can harm them not at all
unless by Allah’s leave. In Allah let believers put their trust.
11. O you who believe! When it is said, Make room! in
assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you
[hereafter]. And when it is said, “Arise,”! then arise; Allah
will exalt those who believe among you, and those who
have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is Acquainted of
what you do.
12. O you who believe! When you [wish to] privately consult
the messenger, offer a charity before your consultation.
That is better and purer for you. But if you cannot find
[the wherewithal] then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
13. Fear you to offer charities before your consultation?
Then, when you do it not and Allah has forgiven you,
establish prayer and pay the poor-due and obey Allah and
His messenger. And Allah is Acquainted of what you do.
14. Have you not seen those who make allies of a folk with
whom Allah is wroth? They are neither of you [Muslims]
nor of them [Jews], and they swear a false oath knowingly.
15. Allah has prepared for them a dreadful doom. Evil indeed
is that which they are used to do.
16. They make a shelter of their oaths and turn [men] from
the way of Allah; so theirs will be a shameful doom.
17. Their wealth and their children will avail them nothing
against Allah. Such are rightful owners of the Fire; they
will abide therein eternally.
18. On the day when Allah will resurrect them all together,
then will they swear to Him as they [now] swear to you,
and they will fancy that they have some standing. Lo! is it
not they who are the liars?
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19. Satan has engrossed them and so has caused them to
forget remembrance of Allah. They are Satan’s party. Lo!
is it not Satan’s party who will be the losers?
20. Lo! those who oppose Allah and His messenger, they will
be among the lowest [most humiliated].
21. Allah has written: Lo! I verily shall conquer, I and My
messengers. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.
22. You will not find folk who believe in Allah and the Last
Day loving those who oppose Allah and His messenger:
even though they be their fathers or, their sons or their
brothers or their clan. As for such, He has written faith
upon their hearts and has strengthened them with a
Spirit from Him, and He will bring them into Gardens
underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide
eternally. Allah is well pleased with them, and they are
well pleased with Him. They are Allah’s party. Lo! is it not
Allah’s party who are the successful?
59- EXILE [AL-HASHR]
Revealed at Al-Madînah, [24 verses]
Al-Hashr, “Exile,” takes its name from. vv. 2-17, which
refer to the exile of the Banî Nadîr, a Jewish tribe of Al-
Madînah (for treason and projected murder of the Prophet)
and the confiscation of their property. The “Hypocrites” as
the lukewarm Muslims were called, had secretly sympathised
with these Jews, whose opposition had grown strong since
the Muslim reverse at Mt. Uhud, and had promised to side
with them if it came to a collision with the Muslims; and
to emigrate with them if they were forced to emigrate. But
when the Muslims marched against the Banî Nadîr, and the
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latter took refuge in their strong towers, the Hypocrites did
nothing. And when at length they were reduced and exiled,
the Hypocrites did not go with them into exile. The date of
revelation is the fourth year of the Hijrah.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies
Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
2. He it is Who has caused those of the People of the Scripture
who disbelieved to go forth from their homes to the first
exile. You deemed not that they would go forth, while they
deemed that their strongholds would protect them from
Allah. But Allah reached them from a place whereof they
reckoned not, and cast terror in their hearts so that they
ruined their houses with their own hands and the hands of
the believers. So learn a lesson, O you who have eyes!
3. And if Allah had not decreed exile for them, He verily
would have punished them in this world, and theirs in the
Hereafter is the punishment of the Fire.
4. That is because they were opposed to Allah and His
messenger; and whoso is opposed to Allah, [for him] verily
Allah is stern in punishment.
5. Whatsoever palm-trees you cut down or left standing on
their roots, it was by Allah’s leave, in order that He might
confound the defiantly disobedient.
6. And that which Allah gave as spoil to His messenger from
them, you urged not any horse or riding-camel for the sake
thereof, but Allah gives His messengers power over whom
He wills. Allah is Able to do all things.
7. That which Allah gives as spoil to His messenger from the
people of the townships, it is for Allah and His messenger
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and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and
the wayfarer, that it become not a commodity between the
rich among you. And whatsoever the messenger gives you,
take it. And whatsoever he forbids, abstain [from it]. And
fear Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in punishment.
8. And [it is] for the poor emigrants who have been driven out
from their homes and their belongings, who seek bounty
from Allah and help Allah and His messenger. They are
the truthful.
9. Those who were settled in al-Madînah and [adapted] the
faith before them love those who emigrate to them for
refuge, and find in their breasts no need for that which
has been given them, but prefer [the emigrants] above
themselves though poverty become their lot. And whoso
is saved from the stinginess of his soul– such are they who
are successful.
10. And those who came [into the faith] after them say: Our
Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who were before us in
the faith, and place not in our hearts any rancour toward
those who believe. Our Lord! You are Kind, Merciful.
11. Have you not observed those who are hypocrites, [how]
they tell their brothers who disbelieve among the People
of the Scripture: If you are driven out, we surely will go
out with you, and we will never obey anyone against you,
and if you are attacked we verily will help you. And Allah
bears witness that they verily are liars.
12. [For] indeed if they are driven out they go not out with
them, and indeed if they are attacked they help not, and
indeed if they had helped them they would have turned
and fled, and then they would not have been victorious.
13. You are more fearful within their breasts than Allah. That
is because they are a folk who understand not.
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14. They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified
villages or from behind walls. Their adversity among
themselves is very great. You think of them as a whole
whereas their hearts are divers. That is because they are a
folk who do not reason.
15. On the likeness of those [who suffered] a short time
before them, they taste the ill-effects of their conduct,
and theirs is painful punishment.
16. [And the hypocrites are] on the likeness of the Satan when
he tells man to disbelieve, then, when he disbelieves says: Lo!
I am quit of you. Lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
17. And the consequence for both will be that they are in
the Fire, therein abiding eternally. Such is the reward of
wrong-doers.
18. O you who believe! Fear Allah. And let every soul look
to that which it sends on before for tomorrow. And fear
Allah! Lo! Allah is Acquainted of what you do.
19. And be not you as those who forgot Allah, therefor He
caused them to forget their souls. Such are the defiantly
disobedient.
20. Not equal are the owners of the Fire and the owners of
the Paradise. The owners of the Paradise, they are the
victorious.
21. If We had caused this Qur’ân to descend upon a mountain,
you [O Muhammad] verily had seen it humbled, rent
asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitudes We coin
for mankind that perhaps they may reflect.
22. He is Allah, than Whom there is no other deity, the Knower
of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Beneficent,
the Merciful.
23. He is Allah, than Whom there is no other deity, the
Sovereign Lord the Pure One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith,
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the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb.
Glorified be Allah from all that they associate with Him.
24. He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of nothing, the
Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is
in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the
Mighty, the Wise.
60- SHE THAT IS TO BE EXAMINED
[AL-MUMTAHANA]
Revealed at Al-Madînah, [13 verses]
Al-Mumtahanah, “She who is to be Examined” takes
its name from v. 10, where the believers are told to examine
women who come to them as fugitives from the idolaters
and, if they find them sincere converts to Al-Islâm, not to
return them to the idolaters. This marked a modification in
the terms of the Truce of Hudeybiyah, by which the Prophet
had engaged to return all fugitives, male and female, while the
idolaters were not obliged to give up renegades from Al-Islâm.
The more terrible persecution which women had to undergo,
if extradited, and their helpless social condition were the causes
of the change. Instead of giving up women refugees who were
sincere, and not fugitives on account of crime or some family
quarrel, the Muslims were to pay an indemnity for them; while
as for Muslim husbands whose wives might flee to Qureysh,
no indemnity was to be paid by the latter but, when some turn
of fortune brought wealth to the Islamic State, they were to be
repaid by the State what their wives had taken of their property.
In v. 12 is the pledge which was to be taken from the women
refugees after their examination. The date of revelation is the
eighth year of the Hijrah.
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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. O you who believe! Take not My enemy and your enemy
for allies. Do you extend them affection when they
disbelieve in that truth which has come to you, driving out
the messenger and you because you believe in Allah, your
Lord? If you have come forth to strive [jihad] in My way
and seeking My good pleasure, [show them not friendship].
Do you show affection to them in secret, when I am Best
Aware of what you hide and what you proclaim? And
whoever does it among you, he verily has strayed from the
right way.
2. If they have the upper hand of you, they will be your foes,
and will stretch out their hands and their tongues toward
you with evil [intent], and they long for you to disbelieve.
3. Your ties of kindred and your children will avail you nothing
upon the Day of Resurrection. He will part you. Allah is
Seer of what you do.
4. There is a goodly pattern for you Abraham and those with
him, when they told their folk: Lo! we are guiltless of you
and all that you worship other than Allah. We have denied
you. And there has arisen between us and you hostility and
hate for ever until you believe in Allah only save that which
Abraham promised his father [when he said]: I will ask
forgiveness for you, though I own nothing for you from
Allah– Our Lord! upon You we rely, and to You we turn
repentant, and to You is [our] final return.
5. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for those who disbelieve, and
forgive us, our Lord! Lo! You, only You, are the Mighty,
the Wise.
6. Verily you have in them a goodly pattern for everyone who
looks to Allah and the Last Day. And whosoever may turn
away, lo! still Allah, He is Free of need, the Praiseworthy.
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7. It may be that Allah will ordain affection between you
and those of them with whom you are at enmity. Allah is
Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
8. Allah forbids you not those who fought not against you
on account of religion and drove you not out from your
homes, that you should show them kindness and deal justly
with them. Lo! Allah loves the just dealers.
9. Allah forbids you only those who fought against you on
account of religion and have driven you out from your
homes and helped to drive you out, that you make allies
of them. Whosoever makes allies of them– [All] such are
wrong-doers.
10. O you who believe! When believing women come to you
as emigrants, examine them. Allah is Best Aware of their
faith. Then, if you know them for true believers, send
them not back to the disbelievers. They are not lawful
for the disbelievers, nor are the disbelievers lawful for
them. And give the disbelievers that which they have
spent [upon them]. And it is no sin for you to marry such
women when you have given them their dues. And hold
not to marriage ties of disbelieving women; and ask for
[the return of] that which you have spent; and let the
disbelievers ask for that which they have spent. That is
the judgment of Allah. He judges between you. Allah is
Knower, Wise.
11. And if any of your wives have gone from you to the
disbelievers and afterward you have your turn [of triumph],
then give to those whose wives have gone the like of that
which they have spent, and fear Allah in Whom you are
believers.
12. O Prophet! If believing women come to you, taking oath
of allegiance to you that they will not associate anything
with Allah, and will neither steal nor commit adultery nor
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kill their children, nor produce any slander that they have
devised between their armies and legs, nor disobey you in
what is right,[1] then accept their allegiance and ask Allah
to forgive them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
13. O you who believe! Do not make allies of a folk with
whom Allah is wroth, [a folk] who have despaired of the
Hereafter as the disbelievers despair of those who are in
the graves.
61- THE RANKS [AS-SAFF]
Revealed at Al-Madînah, [14 verses]
As-Saff, “The Ranks” takes its name from a word in v. 4.
In the copy of the Qur’ân which I have followed, it is stated
to have been revealed at Mecca, though its contents evidently
refer to the Madînah period. It may have been revealed
while the Prophet and his companions were encamped in
the valley of Mecca during the negotiations of the Truce of
Hudeybîyah, with which some of its verses are associated by
tradition. In that case the date of revelation would be the
sixth year of the Hijrah.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorify
Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
2. O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not?
3. It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say that
which you do not.
[1] This is called the women’s oath of allegiance. It was the oath exacted
from men also until the second pact of Al-’Aqabah when the duty of
defence was added to the men’s oath.
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4. Lo! Allah loves those who battle for His cause in ranks, as
if they were a solid structure.
5. And [remember] when Moses said to his people: O my
people! Why you persecute me, when you well know that
I am Allah’s messenger to you? So when they went astray
Allah sent their hearts astray. And Allah guides not the
defiantly disobedient folk.
6. And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo!
I am the messenger of Allah to you, confirming that which
was [revealed] before me in the Torah [Books of Moses],
and bringing good tidings of a messenger who comes after
me, whose name is Ahmad [the Praised One].[1] Yet when
he has come to them with clear proofs, they say: This is
mere magic.
7. And who does greater wrong than he who invents a lie
against Allah when he is summoned to Al-Islâm. And
Allah guides not wrong-doing folk.
8. Willingly they would put out the light of Allah with their
mouths, but Allah will perfect His light however much the
disbelievers are averse.
9. He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and
the religion of truth, that He may make it victorious over
all religion however much the polytheists may be averse.
10. O you who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will
save you from a painful doom?
11. [It is that] you believe in Allah and His messenger, and
strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your
lives. That is better for you, if you did but know.
[1] Ar. Ahmad. A name of the Prophet of Arabia. The promised
“Comforter” was believed by many Christian communities of
the East to be a Prophet yet to come, and most of them accepted
Muhammad as that Prophet.
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12. He will forgive you your sins and bring you into Gardens
underneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in
Gardens of Eden. That is the supreme triumph.
13. And [He will give you] another blessing which you love:
victory from Allah and a near conquest. And give good
tidings [O Muhammad] to believers.
14. O you who believe! Be Allah’s helpers, even as Jesus son
of Mary said to the disciples: Who are my helpers for
Allah? They said: We are Allah’s helpers. And a party of
the Children of Israel believed, while a party disbelieved.
Then We strengthened those who believed against their
foe, and they became the uppermost.
62- THE CONGREGATION [AL-JUMU’AH]
Revealed at Al-Madînah, [11 verses]
Al-Jum’ah, “The Congregation,” takes its name from a
word in v. 9, where obedience to the call to congregational
prayer is enjoined. Tradition says that vv. 9-11 refer to an
occasion when a caravan entered Al-Madînah with beating
of drums at the time when the Prophet was preaching in the
mosque, and that the congregation broke away to look at it
except twelve men. If, as one version of the tradition says, the
caravan was that of Dahyah al-Kalbi, the incident must have
occurred before the fifth year of the Hijrah, because Dahyah
was a Muslim in the fifth year A.H. The date of revelation is
between the years 2 and 4 A.H.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies
Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Pure One, the Mighty, the
Wise.
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2. He it is Who has sent among the unlettered ones a
messenger of their own, to recite to them His verses and
purify them, and to teach them the Book and Wisdom,
though they were before indeed in manifest error,
3. Along with others of them who have not yet joined them.
He is the Mighty, the Wise.
4. That is the bounty of Allah; which he gives to whom He
wills. Allah is of Infinite Bounty.
5. The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Torah,
yet apply it not, is as the likeness of the donkey carrying
books. Wretched is the likeness of folk who deny the signs
of Allah. And Allah guides not wrong-doing folk.
6. Say [O Muhammad]: O you who are Jews! If you claim that
you are favoured of Allah apart from [all] mankind, then
long for death if you are truthful.
7. But they will never long for it because of all that their own
hands have sent before, and Allah is Aware of wrongdoers.
8. Say [to them, O Muhammad]: Lo! the death from which
you flee will surely meet you, and afterward you will be
returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed,
and He will tell you what you used to do.
9. O you who believe! When the call is heard for the prayer on
the day of Friday, haste to remembrance of Allah and leave
your trading. That is better for you if you did but know.
10. And when the prayer is ended, then disperse in the land
and seek of Allah’s bounty, and remember Allah much,
that you may be successful.
11. But when they see some merchandise or pastime they
break away to it and leave you standing. Say: That which
Allah has is better than pastime and than merchandise,
and Allah is the Best of Providers.
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63- THE HYPOCRITES [AL-MUNAFIQUN]
Revealed at Al-Madînah, [11 verses]
Al-Munâfiqûn, “The Hypocrites” takes its name from a
word occurring in the first verse. V. 8 refers to a remark of
Abdullah ibn Ubeyy, the “Hypocrite” leader, expressing the
desire that the old aristocracy of Yathrib, of which he had
been the acknowledged chief, might regain the ascendancy
and turn out the refugees from Mecca, whom he regarded
as intruders. The date of revelation is the fourth year of
the Hijrah.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. When the hypocrites come to you [O Muhammad], they
say: We bear witness that you are indeed Allah’s messenger.
And Allah knows that you are indeed His messenger, and
Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed.
2. They have taken their oaths a pretext that they may turn
[men] from the way of Allah. Verily evil is that which they
are used to do,
3. That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore
their hearts are sealed so that they understand not.
4. And when you see them their bodies please you; and if they
speak you give ear to their speech. [They are] as though they
were blocks of wood propped up. They deem every shout
to be against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them.
May Allah destroy them! How they are perverted!
5. And when it is said to them: Come! The messenger of
Allah will ask forgiveness for you! they avert their faces and
you see them turning away, disdainful.
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6. Whether you ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness
for them is all one for them, Allah will not forgive them.
Lo! Allah guides not the defiantly disobedient folk.
7. They it is who say: Spend not on behalf of those [who
dwell] with Allah’s messenger that they may disperse
[and go away from you]; and to Allah belongs the
treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the hypocrites
comprehend not.
8. They say: Surely, if we return to Al-Madînah the mightier
will soon drive out the weaker; when might belongs to
Allah and to His messenger and the believers; but the
hypocrites know not.
9. O you who believe! Let not your wealth nor your children
distract you from remembrance of Allah. Those who do
so, they are the losers.
10. And spend of that wherewith We have provided you
before death comes to one of you and he says: My Lord!
If only you would reprieve me for a little while, then I
would give charity and be among the righteous.
11. But Allah reprieves no soul when its term comes, and
Allah is Acquainted of what you do.
64- MUTUAL DISILLUSION [AT- TAGLABUN]
Revealed at Mecca, [18 verses]
At-Tâglabun, “Mutual Disillusion,” takes its name from a
word in v. 9.
The date of revelation is possibly the year 1 A.H.,
though it is generally regarded as a late Meccan Sûrah, vv. 14
ff. being taken as referring to the pressure brought to bear
by wives and families to prevent Muslims leaving Mecca at
the time of the Hijrah.
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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies
Allah; to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him belongs
praise, and He is Able to do all things.
2. He it is Who created you, but one of you is a disbeliever
and one of you is a believer, and Allah is Seer of what you
do.
3. He created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He
shaped you and made good your shapes, and to Him is the
final destination.
4. He knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth,
and He knows what you conceal and what you declare. And
Allah is Aware of what is in the breasts [of men].
5. Have not the story reached you of those who disbelieved
of old and so did taste the ill-effects of their conduct, and
theirs will be a painful doom.
6. That was because their messengers [from Allah] kept coming
to them with clear proofs [of Allah’s Sovereignty], but they
said: Shall mere mortals guide us? So they disbelieved and
turned away, and Allah was independent [of them]. Allah
is Free from need, Praiseworthy.
7. Those who disbelieve assert that they will never be
resurrected. Say [to them, O Muhammad]: Yea, verily,
by my Lord! you will be resurrected and then you will be
informed of what you did; and that is easy for Allah.
8. So believe in Allah and His messenger and the light [this
Qur’ân] which We have sent down. And Allah is Aware of
what you do.
9. The day when He shall gather you to the Day of Assembling,
that will be a day of mutual disillusion. And whoso
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believes in Allah and does right, He will remit from him
his misdeeds and will bring him into Gardens underneath
which rivers flow, therein to abide for ever. That is the
supreme triumph.
10. But those who disbelieve and deny Our verses, such are
the owners of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally a
wrecked is the destination!
11. No calamity befalls save by Allah’s leave. And whoever
believes in Allah, He guides his heart. And Allah is
Knower of all things.
12. Obey Allah and obey His messenger; but if you turn away,
then the duty of Our messenger is only to convey [the
message] plainly.
13. Allah! There is no deity save Him. And upon Allah, let
believers rely.
14. O you who believe! Lo! among your wives and your
children there are enemies for you, therefore beware of
them. And if you pardon and overlook and forgive, then
lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
15. Your wealth and your children are only a temptation,
whereas Allah! with Him is an immense reward.
16. So fear Allah as best you can, and listen, and obey, and
spend; that is better for your souls. And whoso is saved
from the stinginess of his soul, such are the successful.
17. If you lend to Allah a goodly loan,[1] He will double it for
you and will forgive you, for Allah is Most Appreciative
and Forbearing,
18. Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Mighty,
the Wise.
[1] i.e. a loan without interest or any thought of gain or loss.
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65- DIVORCE [AT-TALAQ]
Revealed at Al-Madînah, [12 verses]
At-Talâq, “Divorce,” is so called from vv. 17, which
contain an amendment to the laws of divorce which are set
forth in Sûrah 2. This is generally referred traditionally to a
mistake made by Ibn ‘Umar in divorcing his wife, which is
said to have happened in the 6th year of the Hijrah. But others
relate that the Prophet on that occasion only quoted this verse
which had already been revealed. The date of revelation is the
sixth year of the Hijrah or a little earlier.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. O Prophet! When you [men] divorce women, divorce them
for their [legal] period and reckon the period, and fear
Allah, your Lord. Expel them not from their houses nor
let them go forth unless they commit open immorality.
Such are the limits [imposed by] Allah; and whoso
transgresses Allah’s limits, he verily wrongs his soul. You
know not: it may be that Allah will afterward bring some
new thing to pass.
2. Then, when they have reached their term, take them back in
kindness or part from them in kindness, and call to witness
two just men among you, and keep your testimony upright
for Allah. Whoso believes in Allah and the Last Day is
exhorted to act thus. And whosoever fears Allah, Allah will
appoint a way out for him,
3. And will provide for him from [a quarter] whence he has
no expectation. And whosoever relies upon Allah, He will
suffice him. Lo! Allah brings His command to pass. Allah
has set a measure for all things.
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4. And for such of your women as despair of menstruation, if
you doubt, their period [of waiting] shall be three months
along with those who have it not. And for those with child,
their period shall be till they bring forth their burden. And
whosoever fears Allah, He makes his course easy for him.
5. That is the commandment of Allah which He sent down
to you. And whoso fears Allah, He will remit from him his
misdeeds and magnify reward for him.
6. Lodge them where you dwell, according to your wealth,
and harass them not so as to straiten life for them. And
if they are with child, then spend for them till they bring
forth their burden. Then, if they give breastfeed for you,
give them their due payment and consult together in
kindness; but if you make difficulties for one another,
then let some other woman give breastfeed for him [the
father of the child].
7. Let him who has abundance spend of his abundance, and
he whose provision is measured, let him spend of that
which Allah has given him. Allah asks nothing of any
soul save that which He has given it. Allah will grant, after
hardship, ease.
8. And how many a community revolted against the ordinance
of its Lord and His messenger, and we called it to a stern
account and punished it with terrible punishment,
9. So that it tasted the ill-effects of its conduct, and the
consequence of its conduct was loss.
10. Allah has prepared for them stern punishment; so fear
Allah, O men of understanding who have believed! Now
Allah has sent down to you a reminder [the Qur’ân],
11. A messenger reciting to you the verses of Allah made
plain, that He may bring forth those who believe and do
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good deeds from darkness to light. And whoever believes
in Allah and does good deeds, He will bring him into
Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide
for ever. Allah has perfected a provision for him.
12. Allah it is Who has created seven heavens, and of the
earth the like thereof. The commandment comes down
among them slowly, that you may know that Allah is Able
to do all things, and that Allah surrounds all things in
knowledge.
66- BANNING [AT-TAHRIM]
Revealed at Mecca, [12 verses]
At-Tahrîm, “The Banning” takes its name from a word in
v. 1. There are three traditions as to the occasion of vv. 1-4:
[1] The Prophet was very fond of honey. One of his wives
received a present of honey from a relative and by its means
inveigled the Prophet into staying with her longer than was
customary. The others felt aggrieved, and Ayeshah devised
a little plot. Knowing the Prophet’s horror of unpleasant
smells, she arranged with two other wives that they should
hold their noses when he came to them after eating the
honey, and accuse him of having eaten the produce of a
very rank-smelling tree. When they accused him of having
eaten Maghâfîr the Prophet said that he had eaten only honey.
They said: “The bees had fed on Maghâfîr.” The Prophet was
dismayed and vowed to eat no more honey.
[2] Hafsah found the Prophet in her room with Mârya
the Coptic girl, presented to him by the ruler of Egypt,
who became the mother of his only male child, Ibrahim
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on a day which custom had assigned to Ayeshah. Moved by
Hafsah’s distress, the Prophet vowed that he would have no
more to do with Mârya, and asked her not to tell Ayeshah.
But Hafsah’s distress had been largely feigned. No sooner
had the Prophet gone than she told Ayeshah with glee how
easily she had got rid of Mârya.
[3] Before Al-Islâm women had had no standing in
Arabia. The Qur’ân gave them legal rights and an assured
position, which some of them were inclined to exaggerate.
The Prophet was extremely kind to his wives. One day
Omar had to rebuke his wife for replying to him in a tone
which he considered disrespectful. She assured him it was
the tone in which his own daughter Hafsah, Ayeshah and
others of the Prophet’s wives answered the Prophet. Omar
went at once and remonstrated with Hafsah and with
another of the Prophet’s wives to whom he was related.
He was told to mind his own business, which increased his
horror and dismay. Soon afterwards the Prophet separated
from his wives for a time, and it was thought that he was
going to divorce them. Then Omar ventured to tell the
story of his own vain effort to reform them, at which the
Prophet laughed heartily.
Traditions [1] and [3] are the better authenticated
and are alone adduced by the great traditionists. But the
commentators generally prefer [2] as more explanatory of
the text. All allude to a tendency on the part of some of the
wives of the Prophet to presume on their new status and
the Prophet’s well-known kindness a tendency so marked
that, if allowed to continue, it would have been of bad
example to the whole community. The Qur’ân first rebukes
the Prophet for yielding to their desires to the extent of
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undertaking to forgo a thing which Allah had made lawful
for him in the case of [2], fulfilment of his vow involved
a wrong to Mârya and then reproves the women for their
double-dealing and intrigue.
The above traditions have been made by some non-
Muslim writers the text for strictures which appear irrelevant
because their ideology is altogether un-Islâmic. The Prophet
has never been regarded by Muslims as other than a human
messenger of God; sanctity has never been identified with
celibacy. For Christendom the strictest religious ideal has
been celibacy, monogamy is already a concession to human
nature. For Muslims, monogamy is the ideal, polygamy the
concession to human nature. Polygamy is of the nature of
some men in all countries, and of all men in some countries.
Having set a great example of monogamic marriage, the
Prophet was to set a great example of polygamic marriage,
by following which men of that temperament could live
righteous lives. He encountered all the difficulties inherent
in the situation, and when he made mistakes the Qur’ân
helped him to retrieve them. Al-Islâm did not institute
polygamy. It restricted an existing institution by limiting the
number of a man’s legal wives, by giving to every woman a
legal personality and legal rights which had to be respected,
and making every man legally responsible for his conduct
towards every woman.
Whether monogamy or polygamy should prevail in
a particular country or period is a matter of social and
economic convenience.
The Prophet himself was permitted to have more wives
than were allowed to others because, as head of the State,
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he was responsible for the support of women who had no
other protector. With the one exception of Ayeshah, all his
wives had been widows.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. O Prophet! Why do you ban that which Allah has made
lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful.
2. Allah has made lawful for you [Muslims] absolution from
your oaths [of such a kind], and Allah is your Protector.
He is the Knower, the Wise.
3. When the Prophet confided a statement to one of his wives
and when she afterward told it and Allah apprised him
thereof, he made known [to her] part thereof and passed
over part. And when he told it her she said: Who has told
you? He said: The Knower, the Acquainted has told me.
4. If you two [wives] turn to Allah repentant, [you have cause
to do so] for your hearts desired [the ban]; and if you aid
one another against him [Muhammad] then lo! Allah, even
He, is his Protector, and Gabriel and the righteous among
the believers; and furthermore the angels are his helpers.
5. Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], will give him
in your stead wives better than you, Muslims [submissive
to Allah], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant,
worshipping, inclined to fasting or emigrants, previously
married and virgins.
6. O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your
families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over
which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in
that which He commands them, but do that which they are
commanded.
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7. [Then it will be said]: O you who disbelieve! Make no
excuses for yourselves this day. You are only being paid
for what you used to do.
8. O you who believe! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance!
It may be that your Lord will remit from you your
misdeeds and bring you into Gardens underneath which
rivers flow, on the day when Allah will not abase the
Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light
will run before them and on their right hands: they will
say: Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us!
Lo! You are Able to do all things.
9. O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the
hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their
home, and wrecked is the destination.
10. Allah cites an example for those who disbelieve: the
wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who were under two
of our righteous slaves yet betrayed them so that they
[the husbands] availed them nothing against Allah and
it was said [to them]: Enter the Fire along with those
who enter.
11. And Allah cites an example for those who believe:
the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! Build
for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me
from Pharaoh and his work, and save me from
wrong-doing folk;
12. And [the example of] Mary, daughter of Imran, who
guarded her chastity, therefor We blew into [her
garment] through Our angel [Gabriel]. And she put
faith in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and
was of the devoutly obedient.
