And if you fail to receive from the unbelievers a part of the bridal-due of your disbelieving wives, and then your turn comes, pay to those who have been left on the other side an amount the like of the bridal-due that they have paid.1 And have fear of Allah in Whom you believe.
Footnotes
[1]
This thing had two alternatives and the verse applies to
both. First, with the disbelievers with whom the Muslims
had treaty relations, they wanted to settle the matter, thus:
We shall return the dowers of the women who have
emigrated to us, and you will return the dowers of the
pagan wives of our men who have been left on your side.
But the disbelievers did not agree to this. However,
according to Imam Zuhri, the Muslims, in obedience to the
divine command became ready to return the dowers of the
women who were left behind with the pagans in Makkah,
but the pagans refused to return the dowers of the women
who had emigrated to the Muslims in Al-Madinah.
Thereupon Allah enjoined that the dowers of the emigrant
women, which were to be returned to the pagans, should be
collected together in Al-Madinah instead of sending these to
pagans; then from these collections disbursements should
be made to those to whom the dowers were due from the
pagans according to what was due to them.