وَإِن فَاتَكُمْ شَىْءٌ مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمْ فَـَٔاتُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَٰجُهُم مِّثْلَ مَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ 11
Translations
And if you have lost any of your wives to the disbelievers and you subsequently obtain [something], then give those whose wives have gone the equivalent of what they had spent. And fear Allāh, in whom you are believers.
Transliteration
Wa-in fatakum shay'un min azwajikum ilal-kuffari fa-'aqabtum fa'atu alladhina dhahbat azwajuhum mithla ma anfaqu wa-ttaqu Allaha alladhee antum bihi mu'minun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the case where Muslim women flee from disbelieving husbands to join the Muslim community; when such women come to the Muslims, they should give compensation to the men whose wives left them, equivalent to the mahr (dower) those men had spent on their wives. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as a ruling of justice and fairness, ensuring that believing men are not financially disadvantaged when their wives embrace Islam and depart. The verse concludes with an exhortation to fear Allah, emphasizing that this ruling must be implemented with taqwa (God-consciousness).
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (6 AH), where it was stipulated that if a Muslim woman came from the Quraysh to the Muslims, she would not be returned, but if a Muslim man came from the Muslims to the Quraysh, he would be returned. This created an imbalance, and the ayah established a principle of compensation to address this inequity and ensure justice.
Related Hadiths
The incident of Subay'ah al-Aslamiyyah, who left her disbelieving husband and came to the Prophet, is referenced in the books of Siyrah. Additionally, hadith traditions in Sunan Abu Dawud and Sunan Ibn Majah discuss the compensation of mahr in similar marital disputes between believers and non-believers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Islamic justice protects the rights of all parties—even when upholding fundamental principles like religious freedom for women, the Shariah ensures fairness by requiring compensation. For modern readers, it exemplifies how Islam balances mercy and justice, and how financial and social obligations must be honored with God-consciousness as the ultimate measure.