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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

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*The Graceful Commentary on the Identification Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,

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by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nassif, may Allah preserve him.

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Surah al-Mumtahanah.

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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,

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and peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,

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and upon all his family and companions.

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We continue with our graceful commentary on the identification cards,

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and we have arrived at Surah al-Mumtahanah, regarding which I have three reflections.

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The first reflection concerns the opening of this magnificent surah,

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for its beginning resembles both Surah al-Ma'idah and Surah al-Hujurat,

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as all of them begin with: "O you who have believed."

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I wish to focus more closely on al-Hujurat and al-Mumtahanah,

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considering that both are relatively short when compared to al-Ma'idah,

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so their central themes are much more closely aligned,

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and this is particularly evident in Surah al-Mumtahanah.

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Both surahs begin with the call to faith,

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yet Surah al-Hujurat seems to regulate internal relationships

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among the believers, even in instances of fighting between them:

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"And if two factions among the believers should fight..."

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And prior to that, it addresses the believers' relationship with their Lord,

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then with their Prophet, and then among themselves;

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thus, it rectifies internal affairs, so to speak.

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As for Surah al-Mumtahanah, it addresses external affairs and the stance toward the disbelievers.

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In both surahs, the opening address was: "O you who have believed."

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It is indeed faith that motivates a person both internally and externally;

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it drives one in their relationship with their Lord, with their Prophet, with their fellow brethren, with their enemies,

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and with those who differ from them in creed.

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In all of this, what motivates the Muslim is faith,

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and this is a reality that should never escape our minds;

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rather, we derive our decisions from the faith that Allah has placed in our hearts

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and which He has called us to substantiate through righteous deeds.

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The second reflection concerns the mention of women in the surah,

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as this mention of women underscores the principle of contextual correlation (munasabah) between verses.

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For some students of knowledge find it problematic and ask: "Why do you assert that there is correlation between the verses?

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Why can they not simply address disparate topics?"

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Observe now Surah an-Nisa'—

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Surah an-Nisa', I mean Surah al-Mumtahanah.

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It mentions women, yet if you examine the rulings pertaining to women in this surah—

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namely the emigrating women and their pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah—

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you will find these rulings to be entirely fitting with the overall theme of this surah.

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And if you find rulings concerning women in another surah, you will find them harmonizing with that particular surah, and so on.

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Thus, whenever a single theme recurs across different surahs,

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you will find that in each surah it aligns seamlessly with the surah's central objective,

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which confirms that each surah possesses an overarching context and correlation among its verses.

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This is readily apparent, but this instance serves to reinforce this reality:

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namely, the reality that there is profound coherence among the verses.

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As for the third and final reflection, it concerns a crucial matter:

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when you see controversy and dispute intensifying among people regarding an issue,

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you must turn to the Qur'an.

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When you see people differing over a matter, some pulling east and others pulling west,

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do not think for a moment that the Qur'an has overlooked this issue:

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"And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things."

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So when you see people disputing over the issue of interacting with disbelievers

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and the proper stance toward them, you need only read Surah al-Mumtahanah,

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and you will see moderation, clarity, and the matter presented as it truly is.

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And if anything proves difficult for you to grasp, read the words of the exegetes of the early centuries,

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and the statements of the Companions and the Tabi'un, and consult the Tafsir of at-Tabari;

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for it neither exceeds proper bounds nor falls short, but rather adheres strictly to the pure Sunnah.

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I ask Allah to grant us all success in doing that which He loves and is pleased with.

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And may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.

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And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.