“I heard Ali bin Abi Talib saying: “the Messenger of Allah dispatched us – myself, Az-Zubair, and Al-Miqad bin Al- Aswad. He said: “Proceed until you reach Rawdah Khakh, where there is a lady carrying a letter. Take the letter from her and bring it to me.” So we proceeded on our way with our horses galloping until we reached the Rawdah. There we found the lady and said to her: “Give me the letter.” She said: “I have no letter.” We said: “Either you take out the letter, or we shall take off your clothes.’” He said: ‘So she took it out of her braid.’ He said: ‘We brought it to the Messenger of Allah, and it was from Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah, addressed to some of people among the idolaters of Makkah, infrmed them of some matter regarding the Prophet. So he said: “What is this O Hatib?” He said: “Do not be hasty with me O Messenger of Allah! I was a person who is an ally to the Quraish, not being related to them. The Muhajirun who are with you have relatives who can protect their families and their wealth in Makkah. So since I have no lineage among them, I wanted to do them a favor, so they might protect my relatives. I did not do this out of disbelief, nor to renegade from my religion, nor did I do it to chose disbelief [after Islam].” The Prophet said: “He said the truth.” Umar bin Al-Khattab said: “Allow me to chop off the head of this hypocrite!” The Prophet said: “Indeed he participated in (the battle of) Badr. You do not know, perhaps Allah looked at those who attended Badr and said: ‘O people of Badr! Do as you like, for I have forgiven you.’” He said: ‘It was about him, that this Surah was revealed: O you who believe! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as protecting friends showing affection towards them.’”  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَا وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَالْمِقْدَادَ بْنَ الأَسْوَدِ فَقَالَ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ بِهَا ظَعِينَةً مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ فَخُذُوهُ مِنْهَا فَائْتُونِي بِهِ فَخَرَجْنَا تَتَعَادَى بِنَا خَيْلُنَا حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا الرَّوْضَةَ فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِالظَّعِينَةِ فَقُلْنَا أَخْرِجِي الْكِتَابَ فَقَالَتْ مَا مَعِي مِنْ كِتَابٍ فَقُلْنَا لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَتُلْقِيَنَّ الثِّيَابَ قَالَ فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ مِنْ عِقَاصِهَا قَالَ فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَإِذَا هُوَ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى نَاسٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِمَكَّةَ يُخْبِرُهُمْ بِبَعْضِ أَمْرِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا يَا حَاطِبُ قَالَ لاَ تَعْجَلْ عَلَىَّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مُلْصَقًا فِي قُرَيْشٍ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهَا وَكَانَ مَنْ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ لَهُمْ قَرَابَاتٌ يَحْمُونَ بِهَا أَهْلِيهِمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ بِمَكَّةَ فَأَحْبَبْتُ إِذْ فَاتَنِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ نَسَبٍ فِيهِمْ أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ يَدًا يَحْمُونَ بِهَا قَرَابَتِي وَمَا فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ كُفْرًا وَلاَ ارْتِدَادًا عَنْ دِينِي وَلاَ رِضًا بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ صَدَقَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ دَعْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَ هَذَا الْمُنَافِقِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّهُ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا فَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ قَالَ وَفِيهِ أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ السُّورَةُ (يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ) السُّورَةَ قَالَ عَمْرُو وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي رَافِعٍ وَكَانَ كَاتِبًا لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ  

“The Messenger of Allah would not have examined (the women) except for the Ayah in which Allah said: When believing come to you pledging to you.” Ma’mar said: “Ibn Tawus informed me from his father who said: ‘The hand of the Messenger of Allah did not touch the hand of a women he had not acquired.’”  

مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمْتَحِنُ إِلاَّ بِالآيَةِ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ (إذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ ) الآيَةَ قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ فَأَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ مَا مَسَّتْ يَدُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدَ امْرَأَةٍ إِلاَّ امْرَأَةً يَمْلِكُهَا  

“Umm Salamah Al-Ansariyyah narrated to us, she said: ‘A woman said: “What is this Ma’ruf for which we are not to disobey in?” He (pbuh) said: “[That you not wail.]” I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Verily Banu so-and-so comforted me in the case of my uncle, and I must reciprocate for them.’ But he refused to allow me. So I asked him again numerous times, then he permitted me to reciprocate for them. So after reciprocating for the, I did not wail for anyone else until this time. And there does not remain a woman except that she has wailed besides me.’”  

قَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ النِّسْوَةِ مَا هَذَا الْمَعْرُوفُ الَّذِي لاَ يَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَعْصِيَكَ فِيهِ قَالَ لاَ تَنُحْنَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ بَنِي فُلاَنٍ قَدْ أَسْعَدُونِي عَلَى عَمِّي وَلاَ بُدَّ لِي مِنْ قَضَائِهِنَّ فَأَبَى عَلَىَّ فَعَاتَبْتُهُ مِرَارًا فَأَذِنَ لِي فِي قَضَائِهِنَّ فَلَمْ أَنُحْ بَعْدُ عَلَى قَضَائِهِنَّ وَلاَ غَيْرِهِ حَتَّى السَّاعَةِ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ النِّسْوَةِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ نَاحَتْ غَيْرِي  

from Ibn Abbas, regarding the saying of Allah, the Most High: When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. He said: “When a woman come to the Prophet to accept Islam, she would have to take and an oath by Allah: ‘I have not left out of anger with my husband, I have not left except out of love for Allah and His Messenger.’”]  

فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى ( إذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ مُهَاجِرَاتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ) قَالَ كَانَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ إِذَا جَاءَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لِتُسْلِمَ حَلَّفَهَا بِاللَّهِ مَا خَرَجْتُ مِنْ بُغْضِ زَوْجِي مَا خَرَجْتُ إِلاَّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ