Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mumtahanah Verse 12

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, when the believing women come to you, seeking bai’ah (a pledge of allegiance) with you that they will not ascribe any partner to Allah, and will not commit theft, and will not commit fornication,and will not kill their children, and will not come up with a false claim (about the parentage of a child) that they falsely attribute (to the sperm of their husbands being dropped) between their hands and their feet (i.e. their private parts), and will not disobey you in what is recognized (in Sharī‘ah), then take them in your bai’ah, and pray Allah for their forgiveness. Surely Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O Prophet! When the believing women come to you, pledging to you that they will neither associate anything with Allah ˹in worship˺, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill their children, nor falsely attribute ˹illegitimate˺ children to their husbands,[[ lit., nor come up with a falsehood they have forged between their own hands and legs.]] nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their pledge, and ask Allah to forgive them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O Prophet, when the believing women come to you, pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit fornication, that they will not kill their children, that they will not falsely attribute [illegitimate] children to their husbands between their arms and their legs, that they will not disobey you in what is right, then accept their pledge and ask Allah to forgive them. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

A. J. Arberry

O Prophet, when believing women come to thee, swearing fealty to thee upon the terms that they will not associate with God anything, and will not steal, neither commit adultery, nor slay their children, nor bring a calumny they forge between their hands and their feet, nor disobey thee in aught honourable, ask God's forgiveness for them; God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.

Abdul Haleem

Prophet, when believing women come and pledge to you that they will not ascribe any partner to God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor lie about who has fathered their children, nor disobey you in any righteous thing, then you should accept their pledge of allegiance and pray to God to forgive them: God is most forgiving and merciful.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Prophet! when believing women come Unto thee swearing fealty Unto thee, that they shall not associate aught with Allah, nor they shall steal, nor they shall commit fornication, nor they shall slay their children, nor they shall produce any falsehood that they have fabricated between their hands and feet, nor they shall disobey thee in anything reputable, then accept thou their fealty, and pray to Allah for their forgiveness. Verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Abdullah 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.

Abul Ala Maududi

O Prophet, when believing women come to you and pledge to you that they will not associate aught with Allah in His Divinity, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illicit sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not bring forth a calumny between their hands and feet, and that they will not disobey you in anything known to be good, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate.

Ahmed Ali

O Prophet, when believing women come to you and swear on oath that they will not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill their children, nor accuse others for what they have fabricated themselves, nor disobey you in any rightful thing, then you should accept their allegiance, and ask forgiveness of God for them. Certainly God is forgiving and kind.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him)! If Muslim women come humbly to you to take oath of allegiance that they will neither ascribe any partner to Allah, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring the lie that they carry between their hands and feet, nor disobey you in any rightful matter – then accept their allegiance and seek forgiveness from Allah for them; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Ali Quli Qarai

O Prophet! If faithful women come to you, to take the oath of allegiance to you, [pledging] that they shall not ascribe any partners to Allah, that they shall not steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor utter any slander that they may have intentionally fabricated, nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their allegiance, and plead for them to Allah for forgiveness. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful

Ali Ünal

O Prophet! When the believing women (who have professed Islam) come to you to swear allegiance to you – that they will never associate partners with God in any way, and will not steal, and will not commit any illegal sexual intercourse, and will not kill their children, and will not indulge in slander (such as attributing any of their children to other than their own father) that they have willfully devised, and that they will not disobey you in anything that is proper – then accept their allegiance and ask God for their forgiveness. Surely God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Prophet! when women come to you after having believed and they take the oath of allegiance that they will not associate anything with Allâh, and that they will not steal and will not commit fornication and adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring forth a scandalous charge which they themselves have deliberately forged, nor disobey your just and rightful orders, then accept their allegiance and seek Allâh´s protection for them. Indeed, Allâh is Great Protector, Ever Merciful.

English Literal

You, you the prophet, if the believers (F) came to you, they (F) pledge/swear to you loyalty on that (E) they (F) not share/make partners with God a thing, and nor they (F) steal/rob, and nor they (F) commit adultery/fornication , and nor they (F) kill their (F) children, and nor they (F) do/commit with falsehood/slander (that) they (F) fabricate it between their (F) hands and their (F) feet, and nor they (F) disobey you in known/generosity , so pledge/swear to them (F) loyalty, and ask for forgiveness (P) for them (F) (from) God, that truly God (is) forgiving, merciful.

Faridul Haque

O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him)! If Muslim women come humbly to you to take oath of allegiance that they will neither ascribe any partner to Allah, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring the lie that they carry between their hands and feet, nor disobey you in any rightful matter - then accept their allegiance and seek forgiveness from Allah for them; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Hamid S. Aziz

O Prophet! When believing women come to you giving you a pledge that they will not associate aught with Allah, and will not steal, and will not commit fornication, and will not kill their children, and will not bring a calumny which they have forged of themselves, and will not disobey you in what is good, accept their pledge, and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Hilali & Khan

O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bai'a (pledge), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands), and that they will not disobey you in any Ma'ruf (Islamic Monotheism and all that which Islam ordains) then accept their Bai'a (pledge), and ask Allah to forgive them, Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if any part (of the dowries) of your wives has passed away from you to the disbelievers, then your turn comes, give to those whose wives have gone away the like of what they have spent, and keep your duty to Allah in Whom you believe.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O Prophet! when believing women come to you giving you a pledge that they will not associate aught with Allah, and will not steal, and will not commit fornication, and will not kill their children, and will not bring a calumny which they have forged of themselves, and will not disobey you in what is good, accept their pledge, and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O Prophet! If believing women come unto thee, taking oath of allegiance unto thee that they will ascribe no thing 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.

Muhammad Sarwar

Prophet, when believing women come to you pledging not to consider anything equal to God, not to steal, or to commit fornication, not to kill their children, or to bring false charges against anyone (such as ascribing others children to their husbands), and not to disobey you in lawful matters, accept their pledge, and ask forgiveness for them from God. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.

Qaribullah & Darwish

O Prophet, when believing women come to you and swear loyalty to you upon the condition that they will not associate anything with Allah, and will notsteal, nor commit adultery, nor slay their children, nor fabricate slander between their hands and their feet, nor disobey you in any honorable thing, supplicate to Allah for forgiveness for them, Allah is the Forgiving and the Most Merciful.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O Prophet! When the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, and that they will not steal, and that they will not commit Zina, and that they will not kill their children, and that they will not utter slander, fabricating from between their hands and their feet, and that they will not disobey you in Ma`ruf (good), Allah said to the faithful believers,

Wahiduddin Khan

O Prophet! When believing women come to you and pledge themselves not to associate in worship any other thing with God, not to steal or commit adultery or kill their children or indulge in slander, intentionally inventing falsehoods, and not to disobey you in that which is right, then accept their pledge of allegiance and pray to God to forgive them their sins, for God is forgiving and merciful.

Talal Itani

O prophet! If believing women come to you, pledging allegiance to you, on condition that they will not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor commit perjury as to parenthood, nor disobey you in anything righteous, accept their allegiance and ask God’s forgiveness for them. God is Forgiving and Merciful.

Tafsir jalalayn

O Prophet, if believing women come to you, pledging allegiance to you that they will not ascribe anything as partner to God, and that they will not steal, nor commit adultery, nor slay their children, as used to be done during the time of pagandom (jhiliyya), when they would bury new-born girls alive, fearing ignominy and impoverishment, nor bring any lie that they have invented [originating] between their hands and their legs, that is, [by bringing] a foundling which they then [falsely] ascribe to the husband -- it [the lie] is described in terms of a real child, because when a woman gives birth to a child, it falls between her hands and legs; nor disobey you in, doing, what is decent, which is that which concords with obedience to God, such as refraining from wailing, ripping apart [their] clothes [in grief], pulling out [their] hair, tearing open the front of [their] garments or scratching [their] faces, then accept their allegiance -- the Prophet (s) did this [but] in words, and he did not shake hands with any of them -- and ask God to forgive them; surely God is Forgiving, Merciful.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Matters the Women pledged to

Al-Bukhari recorded that A'ishah the wife of the Prophet said,

"Allah's Messenger used to examine women who migrated to his side according to this Ayah,

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءكَ الْمُوْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ

O Prophet! When believing women come to you pledging to you...

until,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ



Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Urwah said,

"A'ishah said, `When any believing woman agreed to these conditions, Allah's Messenger would say to her,

قَدْ بَايَعْتُك

I have accepted your pledge.

but, by Allah, he never touched the hand of any women at all while taking the pledge from them. He only took their pledge of allegiance by saying,

قَدْ بَايَعْتُكِ عَلى ذَلِك

I have accepted your pledge."

This is the wording of Al-Bukhari.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Umaymah bint Ruqayqah said,

"I came to Allah's Messenger with some women to give him our pledge and he took the pledge from us that is mentioned in the Qur'an, that we associate none with Allah, etc; as in the Ayah. Then he said,

فِيمَا اسْتَطَعْتُنَّ وَأَطَقْتُن

As much as you can bear to implement.

We said, `Surely, Allah and His Messenger are more merciful with us than we are with ourselves.'

We then said, `O Allah's Messenger, should you not shake hands with us'

He said,

إِنِّي لَا أُصَافِحُ النِّسَاءَ إِنَّمَا قَوْلِي لاِمْرَأَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ كَقَوْلِي لِمِايَةِ امْرَأَة

I do not shake hands with women, for my statement to one woman is as sufficient as my statement to a hundred women."

This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration; At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah collected it.

Al-Bukhari also recorded that Umm Atiyah said,

"The Messenger of Allah took our pledge and recited to us the Ayah,

أَن لاَّ يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْيًا
that they will not associate anything with Allah,

and forbade us to wail for the dead. Thereupon, a lady withdrew her hand saying, `But such and such lady shared with me in lamenting (over one of my relatives), so I must reward hers.'

The Prophet did not object to that, so she went there and returned to the Prophet and he accepted her pledge of allegiance."

Muslim also collected this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ubadah bin As-Samit said,

"While we were with the Prophet , he said,

تُبَايِعُونِي عَلى أَنْ لَا تُشْرِكُوا بِاللهِ شَيْيًا وَلَا تَسْرِقُوا وَلَا تَزْنُوا وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ

Pledge to me in that you will not associate any with Allah, nor steal, nor commit Zina, nor kill your children.

Then he recited the Ayah that begins;
إِذَا جَاءكَ الْمُوْمِنَاتُ
(when the believing women come to you...) and took the pledge of allegiance from the women.

He then added,

فَمَنْ وَفَى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللهِ وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْيًا فَعُوقِبَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْيًا فَسَتَرَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ فَهُوَ إِلَى اللهِ إِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَه

Those among you who fulfill this pledge, will receive their reward from Allah.

Those who deviate from any of it and receive the legal punishment (in this life), the punishment will be expiation for that sin.

Whoever deviates from any of it and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive if He wills.

The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith.

Allah's statement,

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءكَ الْمُوْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ

O Prophet! When the believing women come to you pledging to you,

means, `if any woman comes to you to give you the pledge and she accepts these conditions, then accept the pledge from her,'

عَلَى أَن لاَّ يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْيًا

وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ

that they will not associate anything with Allah, that they will not steal,

meaning, the property of other people.

In the case where a husband is not fulfilling his duty of spending on his wife, then she is allowed to use a part of his wealth, what is reasonable, to spend on herself. This is the case regardless of whether the husband knows about his wife's actions or not, because of the Hadith in which Hind bint `Utbah said,

"O Allah's Messenger! Abu Sufyan is a miser! He does not give me sufficient money for the living expense of our family and myself. Am I allowed to secretly take from his money without his knowledge."

Allah's Messenger said to her,

خُذِي مِنْ مَالِهِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مَا يَكْفِيكِ وَيَكْفِي بَنِيك

You may take from what is reasonable and appropriate for you and your children) This Hadith was recorded in the two Sahihs.

Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَزْنِينَ

they will not commit Zina,

is similar to His other statement,

وَلَا تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَأءَ سَبِيلً

And come not near to Az-Zina. Verily, it is a Fahishah (immoral act) and an evil way. (17;32)

A Hadith collected from Samurah mentions that for the adulterers and fornicators there is a painful torment in the fire of Hell.

Imam Ahmad recorded that A'ishah said,

"Fatimah bint `Utbah came to give her pledge to Allah's Messenger, who took the pledge from her,

أَن لاَّ يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْيًا

وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ

that they will not associate anything with Allah, they will not steal, that they will not commit Zina (fornication and adultery),

Fatimah bashfully placed her hand on her head in shyness. The Prophet liked what she did.

A'ishah said, `O woman! Accept the pledge, because by Allah, we all gave the pledge to the same.'

She said, `Yes then,'

and she gave her pledge to the same things mentioned in the Ayah."'

Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ

that they will not kill their children,

includes killing children after they are born.

The people of Jahiliyyah used to kill their children because they feared poverty. The Ayah includes killing the fetus, just as some ignorant women do for various evil reasons.

Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ

and that they will not utter slander, fabricating from between their hands and their feet,

Ibn Abbas said,

"It means that they not to attribute to their husbands other than their legitimate children."

Muqatil said similarly.

Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ

and that they will not disobey you in Ma`ruf (good),

means, `that they will obey you when you order them to do good and forbid them from evil.'

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement,
وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ
(and that they will not disobey you in any Ma`ruf (good),

"This was one of the conditions which Allah imposed on the women."

Maymun bin Mihran said,

"Allah did not order obedience to His Prophet for other than Ma`ruf, and Ma`ruf is itself obedience."

Ibn Zayd said,

"Allah commanded that His Messenger, the best of His creation, be obeyed in that which is Ma`ruf."

Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Atiyah Al-Ansariyah said,

"Among the conditions included in our pledge to Allah's Messenger to good was not to wail. A woman said, `So-and-so family brought comfort to me (by wailing over my dead relative), so I will first pay them back.' So she went and paid them back in the same (wailed for their dead), and then came and gave her pledge. Only she and Umm Sulaym bint Milhan, the mother of Anas bin Malik, did so."

Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith from the way of Hafsah bint Sirin from Umm `Atiyah Nusaybah Al-Ansariyah, may Allah be pleased with her.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Asid bin Abi Asid Al-Barrad said that one of the women who gave the pledge to Allah's Messenger said,

"Among the conditions included in the pledge that the Messenger took from us, is that we do not disobey any act of Ma`ruf (good) that he ordains. We should neither scratch our faces, pull our hair (in grief), tear our clothes nor wail."

Then Allah exalted permitted,

فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ



then do thou receive their fealty, and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins);for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.