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yā-ʾayyuhā n-nabiyyu ʾidhā jāʾaka l-muʾminātu yubāyiʿnaka ʿalā ʾan lā yushrikna bi-llāhi shayʾan wa-lā yasriqna wa-lā yaznīna wa-lā yaqtulna ʾawlādahunna wa-lā yaʾtīna bi-buhtānin yaftarīnahū bayna ʾaydīhinna wa-ʾarjulihinna wa-lā yaʿṣīnaka fī maʿrūfin fa-bāyiʿhunna wa-staghfir lahunna llāha ʾinna llāha ghafūrun raḥīmun
O Prophet! If faithful women come to you, to take the oath of allegiance to you, [pledging] that they shall not ascribe any partners to Allah, that they shall not steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor utter any slander that they may have intentionally fabricated, nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their allegiance, and plead for them to Allah for forgiveness. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Mumtahana - Verse 12
The preceding blessed Verses treated of the Decrees concerning emigrant women and the blessed Verse in question expounds the women's pledge with the Noble Prophet (S). Qur’anic exegetes maintain that the blessed Verse was revealed on the day of the conquest of Mecca, when the Noble Prophet (S) was on the Mount of Safa taking men's pledge. Then, the Meccan women who had converted to the Islamic faith came unto the Noble Prophet (S) to give pledge and the blessed Verse was revealed on that occasion expounding the manner of giving pledge.
Addressing the Noble Prophet (S), the blessed Verse is saying:
O Prophet (S)! When the believing women come unto you and give pledge on the conditions that they associate no object of worship besides God Almighty, refrain from theft, illegal sexual intercourse, slaying their children, uttering slander, and disobey you, accept their pledge and ask for their forgiveness since God Almighty is Oft-Forgiving and Most-Compassionate.
Thus the Noble Prophet (S) took their pledge of allegiance regarding whose manner some sources indicate that the Noble Prophet (S) had some vessel filled with water brought to him. He put his hand into water and women put their hands into the other side of the vessel. According to some sources, he accepted their pledge while a thick piece of fabric or clothes covered his hand. It is also reported that the Noble Prophet (S) held a piece of fabric and the other side was held by women and thereby he accepted their pledge of allegiance. The author of the exegetic work titled Manhaj al-Sadiqin reports that the Noble Prophet (S) asked Ummaya, Khadija's sister, to accept the women's pledge of allegiance.
It is worthy of note that six conditions are stipulated in the preceding blessed Verse all of which are to be accepted by them. The blessed Verse also reflects that the leader of the Islamic society, irrespective of the sexes of the believers, is available to all and women are regarded as independent, willful, and selective individuals possessing independent real and legal entities such that women talked to the Noble Prophet (S) without any intermediaries and provided him with their feedback.