Surah 60. Al-Mumtahana, Ayah 12
| يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ لَا يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ ۙ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ |
| Transliteration | : | yaa 'ayyuhaa an- nabey 'idhaa jaa'a -ka al- mu'minaat yubaayicna -ka calaa 'an laa yushrikna bi- 'allaah shay'(an) wa- laa yasriqna wa- laa yazneena wa- laa yaqtulna awlaad -hunna wa- laa ya'tena bi- buhtaan yaftarena -hu bayna ayde -hinna wa- arjul -hinna wa- laa yacs.ena -ka fe macrof fa- baayic -hunna wa- istaghfir la- -hunna 'allaah 'inna 'allaah ghafor rah.em |
| Pickthall | : | O Prophet! If believing women come unto thee, taking oath of allegiance unto thee that they will ascribe nothing as partner unto Allah, and will neither steal nor commit adultery nor kill their children, nor produce any lie that they have devised between their hands and feet, nor disobey thee in what is right, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. |
| Asad | : | O Prophet! Whenever believing women come unto thee to pledge their allegiance to thee,18 [pledging] that [henceforth] they would not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught but God, and would not steal,19 and would not commit adultery, and would not kill their children,20 and would not indulge in slander, falsely devising it out of nothingness,21 and would not disobey thee in anything [that thou declarest to be] right - then accept their pledge of allegiance, and pray to God to forgive them their [past] sins: for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. |
| Malik | : | O Prophet! When the believing women come to you to take the oath of allegiance , take their pledge: that they will not commit shirk with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery, that they will not kill their children, that they will not give any cause for scandal which they may invent between either their hands or legs (a woman accusing another woman of having an illicit relationship with a man and spreads such stories - or - a woman carrying an illegitimate child and makes her husband believe that it is his), and that they will not disobey you in any just matter, then accept their allegiance and pray to Allah for the forgiveness. Surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah that they will not steal that they will not commit adultery (or fornication) that they will not kill their children that they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. 5427 5428 |
Note - 18This connects with verse {10} above, and particularly
with the words, "examine them...and if you have thus
ascertained that they are believers...", etc. (see note
[11]). Thus, after having "ascertained" their belief as
far as is humanly possible, the Prophet - or, in later
times, the head of the Islamic state or community - is
empowered to accept their pledge of allegiance (bay'ah),
which concludes, as it were, the "examination". It should
be noted that this pledge does not differ essentially
from that of a male convert.
|
Note - 19In this context, according to Razi, the term "stealing"
comprises also all acquisition of gains through cheating
or other unlawful means.
|
Note - 20Sc., "as the pagan Arabs often did, burying their
unwanted female offspring alive" (see also note [147] on
6:151).
|
Note - 21Lit., "between their hands and their feet": i.e., by
their own effort, the "hands" and "feet" symbolizing all
human activity.
|
Note - 5427Now come directions as to the points on which women
entering Islam should pledge themselves. Similar points
apply to men, but here the question is about women, and
especially such as were likely, in those early days of
Islam, to come from Pagan society into Muslim society in
the conditions discussed in notes 5422 and 5423 above. A
pledge on these points would search out their real
motives: (1) to worship none but Allah; (2) not to steal;
(3) not to indulge in sex outside the marriage tie; (4)
not to commit infanticide; (the Pagan Arabs were prone to
female infanticide): (5) not to indulge in slander or
scandal; and (6) generally, to obey loyally the law and
principles of Islam. The last was a comprehensive and
sufficient phrase, but it was good to indicate also the
special points to which attention was to be directed in
those special circumstances. Obedience was of course to
be in all things just and reasonable: Islam requires
strict discipline but not slavishness. A) "That they will
not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood".
Literally, "...nor produce any lie that they have devised
between their hands and feet,". These words mean that
they should not falsely attribute the paternity of their
illegitimate children to their lawful husbands thereby
adding to the monstrosity of their original sin of
infidelity.
|
Note - 5428If pledges are sincerely given for future conduct,
admission to Islam is open. If there is anything in the
past, for which there is evidence of sincere repentance,
forgiveness is to be prayed for. Allah forgives in such
cases: how can man refuse to give such cases a real
chance?
|
Share your thoughts about this with others by posting a comment. Visit our FAQ for some ideas.
Filter Comments 
 |
This connects with verse {10} above, and particularly with the words, "examine them...and if you have thus ascertained that they are believers...", etc. (see note [11]). Thus, after having "ascertained" their belief as far as is humanly possible, the Prophet - or, in later times, the head of the Islamic state or community - is empowered to accept their pledge of allegiance (bay'ah), which concludes, as it were, the "examination". It should be noted that this pledge does not differ essentially from that of a male convert. |
| |
In this context, according to Razi, the term "stealing" comprises also all acquisition of gains through cheating or other unlawful means. |
| |
Sc., "as the pagan Arabs often did, burying their unwanted female offspring alive" (see also note [147] on 6:151). |
| |
Now come directions as to the points on which women entering Islam should pledge themselves. Similar points apply to men, but here the question is about women, and especially such as were likely, in those early days of Islam, to come from Pagan society into Muslim society in the conditions discussed in notes 5422 and 5423 above. A pledge on these points would search out their real motives: (1) to worship none but Allah; (2) not to steal; (3) not to indulge in sex outside the marriage tie; (4) not to commit infanticide; (the Pagan Arabs were prone to female infanticide): (5) not to indulge in slander or scandal; and (6) generally, to obey loyally the law and principles of Islam. The last was a comprehensive and sufficient phrase, but it was good to indicate also the special points to which attention was to be directed in those special circumstances. Obedience was of course to be in all things just and reasonable: Islam requires strict discipline but not slavishness. A) "That they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood". Literally, "...nor produce any lie that they have devised between their hands and feet,". These words mean that they should not falsely attribute the paternity of their illegitimate children to their lawful husbands thereby adding to the monstrosity of their original sin of infidelity. |
| |
If pledges are sincerely given for future conduct, admission to Islam is open. If there is anything in the past, for which there is evidence of sincere repentance, forgiveness is to be prayed for. Allah forgives in such cases: how can man refuse to give such cases a real chance? |
