Tafsir of Al-Mumtahanah 60:8

• "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them." That is: He, Glorified and Exalted, does not forbid you from showing righteousness toward them, as is necessitated by the fact that "from being righteous toward them" (an tabarruhum) is a substitution of inclusion (badal al-ishtimal) for "those" (al-ladhina).
  • "And acting justly toward them." That is: to extend justice to them; for the verb is implied with the meaning of "extending" or "granting," which is why it is followed by the preposition ila (to).
  • "Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly." That is: the just.

Al-Bukhari and others narrated from Asma bint Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: "My mother came to me seeking [favor] while she was a polytheist during the time of the truce between the Quraish and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I asked the Messenger of Allah, 'Should I maintain ties with her?' Allah, the Exalted, then revealed: 'Allah does not forbid you...' [to the end of the verse]." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Yes, maintain ties with your mother."

In a report by Imam Ahmad and a group [of scholars] from Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, he said: "Qutaylah bint Abd al-Uzza came to her daughter, Asma bint Abi Bakr, with gifts: sanab (fine garments), aqit (dried curd), and ghee, while she was a polytheist. Asma refused to accept her gift or let her enter her house until she sent a message to Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, to ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about this. She asked him, and Allah revealed: 'Allah does not forbid you...' and so he commanded her to accept her gift and let her enter her house."

This Qutaylah, according to al-Tahrir, was the wife of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, whom he divorced during the Age of Ignorance, and she was the biological mother of Asma. Ibn Atiyyah stated that she was her maternal aunt, and that [Asma] called her "mother" metaphorically; however, the former is the more relied-upon opinion.

Al-Hasan and Abu Salih said: The verse was revealed regarding the tribes of Khuza’a, Bani al-Harith ibn Ka’b, Kinana, and Muzaynah, and other Arab tribes who had made a treaty with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that they would not fight him and would not aid anyone against him.

Qarah al-Hadmani and Atiyyah al-Awfi said: It was revealed regarding a group from the Bani Hashim, among them al-Abbas.

From Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, it is narrated that it was revealed regarding the women and children among the disbelievers.

Mujahid said: It was revealed regarding a people in Mecca who believed but did not emigrate, and the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and Helpers (Ansar) felt uncomfortable showing them righteousness because they had abandoned the obligation of emigration.

It is also said: It was revealed regarding believers from the people of Mecca and elsewhere who remained among the disbelievers and abandoned emigration, despite having the ability to do so.

Al-Nahhas and al-Tha’labi said: It was revealed regarding the oppressed believers who were unable to emigrate.

The majority hold that it pertains to disbelievers who are characterized by what is mentioned in the relative clause. Based on this, al-Kiya stated: In this is proof for the permissibility of giving charity to the Dhimmis (protected non-Muslim subjects), but not to the people of war (harbi), and the obligation of providing maintenance to a Dhimmi father, but not a harbi one, due to the necessity of killing the latter.

It occurs to me that I saw in the Fatawa al-Hadithiyyah of Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, an argument based on this [verse] for the permissibility of standing for the Dhimmis, because it is a form of righteousness and kindness toward them, and we have not been forbidden from it. However, I consulted those fatawa while writing this research and did not find it. Nevertheless, I found at the end of the Fatawa al-Kubra, in the chapter on Siyar (expeditions/conduct), a citation from Izz ibn Abd al-Salam that one should not stand for a disbeliever, because we are commanded to humiliate them and manifest their insignificance. If one fears great harm from not doing so, it is permissible—for uttering the word of disbelief is permissible under compulsion, so this is more appropriate. He did not follow this with any commentary.

Furthermore, there is hesitation as to whether standing is considered "righteousness" in an absolute sense. Izz’s restriction of the permissibility of standing for a disbeliever to cases where great harm is feared contradicts the statement of Ibn Wahban from the Hanafis: "For inclination or for wealth, one may serve a disbeliever; and for an inclination toward Islam, if one stands [out of respect], it is forgiven." Some people include every religious interest—such as an inclination toward Islam—[under this rule], but on the condition that the one standing does not intend veneration. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Al-Khafaji reported from al-Durr al-Manthur that this verse is abrogated by the saying of the Exalted: "Kill the polytheists..." [9:5]. The argument derived from it—as you have heard—in the event that it is not abrogated, is only valid based on some of the [various] opinions regarding it.