Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mumtahanah Verse 11

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And if some of your (Non-Muslim) wives have slipped from you, (and their present Non-Muslim husbands do not pay to you the dower as aforesaid,) and you have your turn (of paying dower to the previous Non-Muslim husbands of your present wives), then (instead of paying dower to them,) give those whose wives have slipped the like amount of what they had paid (to them). And fear Allah, the One in whom you believe.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And if any of your wives desert you to the disbelievers, and later you take spoils from them, then pay those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of whatever ˹dowry˺ they had paid. And be mindful of Allah, in Whom you believe.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If any of your wives desert you and join the disbelievers [without returning your dowries], and later you take spoils from them, then give to those whose wives have deserted them the equivalent of what they had spent. And fear Allah, in Whom you believe.

A. J. Arberry

And if any of your wives slips away from you to the unbelievers, and then you retaliate, give those whose wives have gone away the like of what they have expended. And fear God, in whom you believe.

Abdul Haleem

If any of you have wives who leave you for the disbelievers, and if your community subsequently acquires [gains] from them, then pay those whose wives have deserted them the equivalent of whatever bride-gift they paid. Be mindful of God, in whom you believe.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And if any of your wives hath been left with the infidels, and then ye have retaliated, then give Unto those whose wives have gone away the like of that which they have expended, and fear Allah in whom ye are believers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And if any of your wives deserts you to the Unbelievers, and ye have an accession (by the coming over of a woman from the other side), then pay to those whose wives have deserted the equivalent of what they had spent (on their dower). And fear Allah, in Whom ye believe.

Abul Ala Maududi

And if you fail to receive from the unbelievers a part of the bridal-due of your disbelieving wives, and then your turn comes, pay to those who have been left on the other side an amount the like of the bridal-due that they have paid. And have fear of Allah in Whom you believe.

Ahmed Ali

If any of your women go away to the unbelievers, and you succeed in your turn (and have a chance of getting spoils), then give to those whose wives have so gone away as much as they had spent on them; but take heed and fear God in whom you believe.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And if some women go away from the Muslims to the disbelievers – then when you punish the disbelievers, give from the war booty to the Muslims who lost their wives the amount they had spent; and fear Allah in Whom you believe.

Ali Quli Qarai

If anything [of the dowries] pertaining to your wives is not reclaimed from the faithless and then you have your turn, then give to those whose wives have left the like of what they have spent, and be wary of Allah in whom you have faith.

Ali Ünal

If anything of the bridal-dues of your (former) disbelieving wives (who remain among or have joined the unbelievers) has passed to the unbelievers, and afterwards you have your turn (of victory) over them, then pay to those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of what they expended (as bridal-due). And keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety, in Whom you are believers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

If any part of (the dowries of) your wives has passed over to the disbelievers from you and then your turn comes (to pay to the disbelievers when a woman from the disbelievers´ side comes over to you), give to those whose wives have come over an amount equal to that which they have spent. Keep your duty to Allâh in Whom you believe.

English Literal

And if a thing passed you from your spouses to the disbelievers, (so if you lost some of your possessions to disbelieving wives that left you) so you punished , so bring those whom their spouses went/took away (reimburse spouses of disbelievers) similar/equal (to) what they spent, and fear and obey God, whom you are with (in) Him believing.

Faridul Haque

And if some women go away from the Muslims to the disbelievers - then when you punish the disbelievers, give from the war booty to the Muslims who lost their wives the amount they had spent; and fear Allah in Whom you believe.

Hamid S. Aziz

And if any of your wives deserts you unto the disbelievers and afterwards you have your turn (the coming over of a woman from the other side), give to those whose wives have deserted them the equal of what they have spent (on their dower), and be careful of your duty to Allah in Whom you believe.

Hilali & Khan

And if any of your wives have gone from you to the disbelievers, and you have an accession (by the coming over of a woman from the other side), then pay to those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of what they had spent (on their Mahr). And fear Allah in Whom you believe.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O you who believe, when believing women come to you fleeing, examine them. Allah knows best their faith. Then if you know them to be believers send them not back to the disbelievers. Neither are these (women) lawful for them, nor are those (men) lawful for them. And give them what they have spent; and there is no blame on you in marrying them, when you give them their dowries. And hold not to the ties of marriage of disbelieving women, and ask for what you have spent, and let them ask for what they have spent. That is Allah’s judgment; He judges between you. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And if anything (out of the dowries) of your wives has passed away from you to the unbelievers, then your turn comes, give to those whose wives have gone away the like of what they have spent, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah in Whom you believe.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And if any of your wives have gone from you unto the disbelievers and afterward ye have your turn (of triumph), then give unto those whose wives have gone the like of that which they have spent, and keep your duty to Allah in Whom ye are believers.

Muhammad Sarwar

If your wives go away from you to disbelievers who will not give you back the dowry which you spent on them, let the Muslims pay back such dowry from the property of the disbelievers which may come into their hands. Have fear of God in whom you believe.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If any of your wives desert you to be with the unbelievers and you retaliate, give those whose wives who have deserted the equivalent of what they have spent. And fear Allah in whom you believe.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if any of your wives have gone from you to the disbelievers then you succeed over them (gain victory); then pay those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of what they had spent. And have Taqwa of Allah, the One in Whom you are believers.

Wahiduddin Khan

If any of your wives desert you to go over to the disbelievers, and you subsequently have your turn, [by the coming over of a woman from the other side] give to those who have been deserted by their wives the equivalent of the dowers they gave them. Fear God in whom you believe.

Talal Itani

If any of your wives desert you to the unbelievers, and you decide to penalize them, give those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of what they had spent. And fear God, in whom you are believers.

Tafsir jalalayn

And if you lose any of your wives, that is to say, [if you lose] one or more of them -- or [it means if you lose] anything of their dowries -- by [their] going, to the disbelievers, as apostates, and so you retaliate, you embark upon a raid and capture spoils [from them], then give those whose wives have gone, from the spoils, the like of what they have expended, for their having lost it to the disbelievers. And fear God in Whom you believe. And indeed the believers did what they had been commanded to do in the way of paying [back] the disbelievers [the dowries of their former wives] and the believers [the dowries of the women who had apostatised]. Afterwards, however, this stipulation was annulled.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَإِن فَاتَكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمْ

فَأتُوا الَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَاجُهُم مِّثْلَ مَا أَنفَقُوا

And if any of your wives have gone from you to the disbelievers -- then you succeeded (gained victory) over them; then pay those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of what they had spent.

Mujahid and Qatadah explained this Ayah, by saying,

"This is about the disbelievers who did not have a treaty of peace. If a woman flees to the disbelievers and they do not give back what that her husband spent on her, then if a women comes to them (the Muslims) they are not to return to her husband anything until they pay the Muslim whose wife went to them the equivalent of what he spent."

Ibn Jarir recorded that Az-Zuhri said,

"The believers abided by Allah's decree and paid what they owed the idolators to compensate for the dowry the idolators gave to the women (who emigrated). However, the idolators refused to accept Allah's judgement for what they owed the Muslims. Allah said to the faithful believers,

وَإِن فَاتَكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمْ

فَأتُوا الَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَاجُهُم مِّثْلَ مَا أَنفَقُوا

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي أَنتُم بِهِ مُوْمِنُونَ



And if any of your wives have gone from you to the disbelievers -- then you succeeded (gained victory) over them; then pay those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of what they had spent. And have Taqwa of Allah, the One in Whom your are believers.

Therefore, if a Muslim woman reverts to the idolators, the believers should give back the dowry her Muslim husband paid her, from whatever money is left with them from the dowry of women who migrated to the Muslims. They were supposed to return this wealth to the idolator husbands of these emigrant women. If they still have anything they owed the idolators, then they should return it to them.