The Quran

Preface

يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذا جاءَكَ المُؤمِناتُ يُبايِعنَكَ عَلىٰ أَن لا يُشرِكنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيئًا وَلا يَسرِقنَ وَلا يَزنينَ وَلا يَقتُلنَ أَولادَهُنَّ وَلا يَأتينَ بِبُهتانٍ يَفتَرينَهُ بَينَ أَيديهِنَّ وَأَرجُلِهِنَّ وَلا يَعصينَكَ في مَعروفٍ ۙ فَبايِعهُنَّ وَاستَغفِر لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

O Prophet!¹ When believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with God, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging Falsehood,5427-A### and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter,- then do thou receive their fealty, and pray to God² for the forgiveness (of their sins): for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Now come directions as to the points on which women entering Islam should pledge themselves. Similar points apply to men, but here the question is about women, and especially such as were likely, in those early days of Islam, to come from Pagan society into Muslim society in the conditions discussed in notes 5422 and 5423 above. A pledge on these points would search out their real motives; (1) to worship none but God; (2) not to steal; (3) not to indulge in sex outside the marriage tie; (4) not to commit infanticide; (the Pagan Arabs were prone to female infanticide); (5) not to indulge in slander or scandal; and (6) generally, to obey loyally the law and principles of Islam. The last was a comprehensive and sufficient phrase, but it was good to indicate also the special points to which attention was to be directed in those special circumstances. Obedience was, of course, to be in all things just and reasonable: Islam requires strict discipline but not slavishness. (R).
If pledges are sincerely given for future conduct, admission to Islam is open.
If there is anything in the past, for which there is evidence of sincere repentance, forgiveness is to be prayed for. God forgives in such cases: how can man refuse to give such cases a real chance?