Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (857)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(10–11) “O you who believe, when believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah knows best the truth of their faith. If you ascertain that they are believers, do not send them back to the disbelievers. These women are not lawful for them, nor are those men lawful for these women. Give the disbelievers whatever they spent. There is no blame upon you if you marry these women, provided you give them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage bonds with disbelieving women. Ask for repayment of whatever you have spent, and let the disbelievers ask for repayment of whatever they have spent. That is Allah’s judgment; He judges between you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. * If any of your wives leave you for the disbelievers and you subsequently take spoils, then give those whose wives have left the equivalent of what they spent. And fear Allah, in whom you believe.”

When the Treaty of Hudaybiyya was concluded, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made peace with the polytheists on the condition that any man from among them who came to the Muslims as a Muslim would be returned to the polytheists. This was general, [unrestricted] wording whose scope included both women and men. As for the men, Allah did not forbid His Messenger from returning them to the polytheists, in fulfilment of the condition and to preserve the treaty, which served one of the greatest interests. As for the women, because returning them entailed many harmful consequences, Allah commanded the believers—when believing women came to them as emigrants and they doubted the sincerity of their faith—to examine and test them by means of solemn oaths and other measures that would reveal their sincerity. A woman’s profession of faith might be insincere and motivated instead by a desire for a husband, a particular land, or some other worldly objective.

If they were of this description, it became necessary to return them in fulfilment of the condition, since no harm would result. But if the believers examined them and found them sincere, or knew them to be so without an examination, they were not to return them to the disbelievers: “These women are not lawful for them, nor are those men lawful for these women.” Returning them would therefore entail a grave harm, which the Lawgiver took into consideration. He also took fulfilment of the condition into consideration by requiring the believers to reimburse their disbelieving husbands for whatever they had spent upon them in dowries and related expenses, as compensation for losing them.

There was then no blame upon the Muslims for marrying these women, even if they had husbands in the abode of polytheism, provided that they gave them their due dowries and maintenance. Just as a Muslim woman is not lawful for a disbeliever, a disbelieving woman is likewise not lawful for a Muslim to retain in marriage so long as she persists in disbelief, except for women from the People of the Scripture. Allah Most High therefore said, “Do not hold on to marriage bonds with disbelieving women.” Since retaining her marriage bond is forbidden (1), entering into marriage with her in the first place is even more clearly forbidden.

“Ask for repayment of whatever you have spent,” O believers, when your wives return to the disbelievers as apostates. Since the disbelievers receive from the Muslims reimbursement for what they spent upon those of their women who embraced Islam, the Muslims are likewise entitled to receive corresponding reimbursement for those of their women (2) who went over to the disbelievers. This proves that a husband’s loss of his marital rights has an assessable monetary value. Thus, if someone causes a man’s marriage to a woman to be annulled through breastfeeding or any other means, that person is liable to compensate him for the dowry.

His words, “That is Allah’s judgment,” mean: that ruling which Allah has mentioned and explained to you is what He uses to judge between you (3). “And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise”: Allah Most High knows which rulings serve your best interests and prescribes for you what wisdom requires (4).

As for His words, “If any of your wives leave you for the disbelievers,” by going over to them as apostates, “and you subsequently take spoils, then give those whose wives have left the equivalent of what they spent,” it has already been explained that the disbelievers receive compensation for any of their wives who leave them for the Muslims. Accordingly, if a Muslim man’s wife goes over to the disbelievers and is lost to him, the Muslims must give him from the spoils compensation equivalent to what he spent (5).

“And fear Allah, in whom you believe.” Your faith in Allah requires you to adhere constantly to piety.

(1) Thus in B; in A: “her marriage bond.” (2) In B: “their wives.” (3) In B: “and He has made it clear to you—Allah’s ruling, which He has made clear and explained to you.” (4) In B: “and He prescribes it in accordance with His wisdom and mercy.” (5) In B: “The Muslims must therefore give him from the spoils compensation for what he spent.”

﴿١٠-١١﴾ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ مُهَاجِرَاتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِهِنَّ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ فَلا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ لا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ وَآتُوهُمْ مَا أَنْفَقُوا وَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ وَلا تُمْسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ وَاسْأَلُوا مَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْأَلُوا مَا أَنْفَقُوا ذَلِكُمْ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ * وَإِنْ فَاتَكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمْ فَآتُوا الَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَاجُهُمْ مِثْلَ مَا أَنْفَقُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي أَنْتُمْ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ . لما كان صلح الحديبية، صالح النبي ﷺ المشركين، على أن من جاء منهم إلى المسلمين مسلما، أنه يرد إلى المشركين، وكان هذا لفظا عاما، [مطلقا] يدخل في عمومه النساء والرجال، فأما الرجال فإن الله لم ينه رسوله عن ردهم، إلى المشركين وفاء بالشرط وتتميما للصلح الذي هو من أكبر المصالح، وأما النساء فلما كان ردهن فيه مفاسد كثيرة، أمر الله المؤمنين إذا جاءهم المؤمنات مهاجرات، وشكوا في صدق إيمانهن، أن يمتحنوهن ويختبروهن، بما يظهر به صدقهن، من أيمان مغلظة وغيرها، فإنه يحتمل أن يكون إيمانها غير صادق بل رغبة في زوج أو بلد أو غير ذلك من المقاصد الدنيوية. فإن كن بهذا الوصف، تعين ردهن وفاء بالشرط، من غير حصول مفسدة، وإن امتحنوهن، فوجدن صادقات، أو علموا ذلك منهن من غير امتحان، فلا يرجعوهن إلى الكفار، ﴿لا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ﴾ فهذه مفسدة كبيرة في ردهن راعاها الشارع، وراعى أيضا الوفاء بالشرط، بأن يعطوا الكفار أزواجهن ما أنفقوا عليهن من المهر وتوابعه عوضا عنهن، ولا جناح حينئذ على المسلمين أن ينكحوهن ولو كان لهن أزواج في دار الشرك، ولكن بشرط أن يؤتوهن أجورهن من المهر والنفقة، وكما أن المسلمة لا تحل للكافر، فكذلك الكافرة لا تحل للمسلم أن يمسكها ما دامت على كفرها، غير أهل الكتاب، ولهذا قال تعالى: ﴿وَلا تُمْسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ﴾ وإذا نهى عن الإمساك بعصمتها (١) فالنهي عن ابتداء تزويجها أولى، ﴿وَاسْأَلُوا مَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ﴾ أيها المؤمنون، حين ترجع زوجاتكم مرتدات إلى الكفار، فإذا كان الكفار يأخذون من المسلمين نفقة من أسلمت من نسائهم، استحق المسلمون أن يأخذوا مقابلة ما ذهب من نسائهم (٢) إلى الكفار، وفي هذا دليل على أن خروج البضع من الزوج متقوم، فإذا أفسد مفسد نكاح امرأة رجل، برضاع أو غيره، كان عليه ضمان المهر، وقوله: ﴿ذَلِكُمْ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ﴾ أي: ذلكم الحكم الذي ذكره الله وبينه لكم يحكم به بينكم (٣) ﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ﴾ فيعلم تعالى، ما يصلح لكم من الأحكام، ويشرع لكم ما تقتضيه الحكمة (٤) . وقوله: ﴿وَإِنْ فَاتَكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ﴾ بأن ذهبن مرتدات ﴿فَعَاقَبْتُمْ فَآتُوا الَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَاجُهُمْ مِثْلَ مَا أَنْفَقُوا﴾ كما تقدم أن الكفار إذا كانوا يأخذون بدل ما يفوت من أزواجهم إلى المسلمين، فمن ذهبت زوجته من المسلمين إلى الكفار وفاتت عليه، لزم أن يعطيه المسلمون من الغنيمة بدل ما أنفق (٥) . ﴿وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي أَنْتُمْ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ فإيمانكم بالله، يقتضي منكم أن تكونوا ملازمين للتقوى على الدوام.

(١) كذا في ب، وفي أ: بعصمها. (٢) في ب: زوجاتهم. (٣) في ب: وبينه لكم حكم الله بينه لكم ووضحه. (٤) في ب: فيشرعه بحسب حكمته ورحمته. (٥) في ب: فعلى المسلمين أن يعطوه من الغنيمة بدل ما أنفق.