Surah Al-Mumtahinah is the sixtieth Surah in the sequence of the Uthmani Mushaf and the ninety-second in the order of revelation. It follows Surah Al-Ma’idah and precedes Surah An-Nisa. There is unanimous agreement that it is a Madinan Surah. It comprises thirteen verses, which are notably lengthy. This Surah is one of three that begin with the phrase: “O you who have believed” alongside Surah Al-Ma’idah and Surah Al-Hujurat.

In the literature of tafsir (exegesis), hadith collections, and Mus-hafs, this Surah is referred to as “Surah Al-Mumtahinah.” Al-Qurtubi noted, “It is often articulated as ‘Al-Mumtahina,’ a pronunciation also confirmed by As-Suhaili.” It is also famously pronounced, as noted by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, as Al-Mumtahanah (the examined woman), referring to Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah Ibn Abi Mu‘ayt, the first woman tested as to her faith, who was the wife of Abd-u-rRahman Ibn Awf.

In Al-Itqan, As-Suyuti stated, “It is also known as ‘Surah Al-Imtihan’ (the Surah of Examination) and ‘Surah Al-Mawaddah’ (the Surah of Affection).” He attributed this information to Ali Al-Sakhawi’s book Jamal Al-Qurra, though he did not include its chain of narration.

Reason for Its Naming

The Surah is so named for a verse that discusses the scrutiny of the faith of women migrating from Makkah to Madinah. This is encapsulated in the verse, stating: “O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them,” continuing up to “And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women.” [Quran 60:10] This verse led to the Surah being described as “Al-Mumtahinah,” which pertains to the act of examination. As-Suhaili explained that the Surah was metaphorically named after this concept of examination, similar to how Surah At-Tawbah is known as the Exposer (Al-Fadihah).

Reason for Its Revelation

The first verse of the Surah is universally recognized as having been revealed in response to the letter sent by Hatib Ibn Abi Balta‘ah to the polytheists of Makkah.

Al-Bukhari reported through the chain of Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah from Amr ibn Dinar, who traced the report back to Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the account of Hatib Ibn Abi Balta‘ah’s letter to the people of Makkah. Amr Ibn Dinar remarked, “The following was revealed concerning him: ‘O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies…’ [Quran 60:1]” Sufyan added, “This is from the account given by the people. I am unsure whether the verse is part of the narration or Amr’s commentary. I memorized it from Amr without omitting a single letter.”

Ibn Atiyyah mentioned, “This Surah was revealed in the sixth year after Hijrah.” Several scholars have stated that the letter from Hatib to the people of Makkah coincided with the Prophet’s preparations for the liberation of Makkah. This timing is supported by the work of most historians as well as by Al-Bukhari, who details this in the Chapter of Military Expeditions (Al-Maghazi) within his Sahih. His chronological arrangement of the expeditions is widely accepted by commentators.

Its Relevance to the Previous Surah

Surah Al-Mumtahinah is linked to the preceding Surah by the similarity of their objectives and the consonance of their purposes. The previous Surah critiqued the disgraceful conduct of the hypocrites and their ingratiating behavior towards the Jews and their disbelieving kin. In contrast, this Surah admonishes the believers against forming alliances with disbelievers, their adversaries, or showing them affection. Therefore, the content of Surah Al-Mumtahinah serves as reinforcement and affirmation of the themes addressed in Surah Al-Hashr, rendering it a continuation of the previous discourse. This connection justifies its inclusion among the Surahs of Tasabih, or those that commence with glorification (Sabbih), despite the variation in their introductory phrases.

Objectives of the Surah

Surah Al-Mumtahinah contains several objectives, which are presented as follows:

- The Surah begins by prohibiting believers from forming alliances with the enemies of Allah and their own enemies from the disbelievers and polytheists. It forbids establishing close bonds of affection and cooperation with them, especially since these groups have rejected the true religion and expelled the believers from their homeland.

- The Surah elucidates that the enemies of the believers lack any inherent goodness, regardless of the kindness shown to them. They maintain bonds of affection only out of weakness and deceit. Should they gain an advantage over the believers, they readily engage in harmful and evil actions, hoping that the believers will abandon their faith and revert to disbelief.

- Several verses within the Surah emphasize that kinship and familial relationships are rendered irrelevant by disbelief. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will distinguish between believers and disbelievers. On that day, a person will distance himself from his brother, his mother, and his father, and only his deeds will avail him if he is a believer.

- The Surah indicates that differences in religion sever familial bonds and nullify connections between family members and relatives. It portrays the kinship ties between believers and polytheists as invalid in the face of religious hostility. The Surah includes a portion of the narrative of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) concerning his interaction with his people and his repudiation of his father. This serves as guidance for every believer and as motivation to emulate the example of their forefather Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

- The Surah permits the kind treatment of disbelievers who have neither fought Muslims on the grounds of religion nor expelled them from their homes. However, it prohibits showing affection towards those who persist in obstinacy, engage in corruption, and support harm coming from polytheists.

- The Surah recounts the examination of believing women who emigrated from Makkah to Madinah to join the Messenger of Allah. It aimed to verify the sincerity of their faith and intentions. Once their sincerity was confirmed, the Surah advocated for their kind treatment, acceptance, and inclusion in marriage. It established guidelines for testing the faith of emigrant believing women, ensuring they are not sent back to a polytheistic land, and arranging compensation for their disbelieving husbands regarding the dowries previously given, with reciprocal compensations occurring between Muslims and polytheists.

- The Surah also addresses the pledge of allegiance made by emigrant believing women to the Messenger, affirming its legitimacy and implementation, and includes supplications for them. Additionally, it prohibits Muslims from marrying polytheistic women.

- The Surah concludes similarly to its opening by forbidding allegiance to polytheists who have incurred Allah’s wrath. It underscores the prohibition of taking them as allies due to Allah’s displeasure that has resulted in their despair and the severance of hope.