The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

60. WOMEN TESTED
A Medinan sura, revealed between the Treaty of Hudaybiyya and the conquest
of Mecca, which takes its title from verse 10: instructions are given on how to
deal with women who leave Mecca and join the Muslims, and the procedure for
wives who leave Medina for Mecca (verses 10–11). The Muslims are instructed
on the appropriate allocation of their loyalties (verses 1–3, 7–9, 13) and
Abraham is cited for them as an example to learn from (verses 4–6).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 You who believe, do not take My enemies and yours as your allies,
showing them friendship when they have rejected the truth you have
received, and have driven you and the Messenger out simply because
you believe in God, your Lord a ––not if you truly emigrated in
order to strive for My cause and seek My good pleasure. You secretly
show them friendship––I know all you conceal and all you reveal––
but any of you who do this are straying from the right path. 2 If they
gain the upper hand over you, they will revert to being your enemies
and stretch out their hands and tongues to harm you; it is their
dearest wish that you may renounce your faith.
3 Neither your kinsfolk nor your children will be any use to you on
the Day of Resurrection: He will separate you out. God sees everything
you do. 4 You have a good example in Abraham and his companions,
when they said to their people, ‘We disown you and what
you worship besides God! We renounce you! Until you believe in
God alone, the enmity and hatred that has arisen between us will
endure!’––except when Abraham said to his father, ‘I will pray for
forgiveness for you though I cannot protect you from God’––[they
prayed] 5 ‘Lord, we have put our trust in You; we turn to You; You
are our final destination. Lord, do not expose us to mistreatment [at
the hands of] the disbelievers. Forgive us, Lord, for You are the
a A Muslim in Medina, Hatib bin Abi Baltaa, who had family and property in
Mecca, sent a secret letter to the Meccan leaders telling them that the Prophet was
preparing to march on their town, and warning them to take precautions. The letter was
intercepted, and when the Prophet asked him to explain his action, he said that he only
wanted the Meccans to protect his family and property.