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5. Al-Maaida

The Table · Medinan · 120 ayahs

سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ

Reading Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

Ayahs 81–90 of 120

81

وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلنَّبِىِّ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا ٱتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَلَٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ

And if they had believed in Allah and the Prophet and in what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient.

Yet had they believed in God and the Prophet Muhammad (s) and what has been revealed to him they would not have affiliated with them namely with the disbelievers; but many of them are wicked rebellious against faith.

Al-Maaida 5:81Listen in Qur'an →
82

۞ لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ ٱلنَّاسِ عَدَٰوَةًۭ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۖ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُم مَّوَدَّةًۭ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَٰرَىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًۭا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allah; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.

You O Muhammad (s) will truly find the most hostile of people to those who believe to be the Jews and the idolaters of Mecca because of the intensity of their disbelief ignorance and utter preoccupation with following whims; and you will truly find the nearest of them in love to those who believe to be those who say ‘Verily we are Christians’; that nearness of theirs in love to the believers is because some of them are priests scholars and monks devout worshippers and because they are not disdainful of following the truth as the Jews and the Meccans are.

Al-Maaida 5:82Listen in Qur'an →
83

وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰٓ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ

And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses.

This verse was revealed when the Negus’s delegation from Abyssinia came to him s when the Prophet s recited sūrat Yā Sīn they cried and submitted to Islam saying ‘How similar this is to what used to be revealed to Jesus!’ God exalted be He says And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger of the Qur’ān you see their eyes overflow with tears because of what they recognise of the truth. They say ‘Our Lord we believe we accept the truth of your Prophet and your Book so inscribe us among the witnesses those who affirm their acceptance of the truth.

Al-Maaida 5:83Listen in Qur'an →
84

وَمَا لَنَا لَا نُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَنَطْمَعُ أَن يُدْخِلَنَا رَبُّنَا مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

And why should we not believe in Allah and what has come to us of the truth? And we aspire that our Lord will admit us [to Paradise] with the righteous people."

And in response to those Jews who reviled them for their Islam they would say why should we not believe in God and what has come to us of the truth the Qur’ān that is to say there is nothing to prevent us from faith when its prerequisites are present; and hope natma‘u is a supplement to nu’minu ‘we believe’ that our Lord should admit us with the righteous people?’ the believers into Paradise?

Al-Maaida 5:84Listen in Qur'an →
85

فَأَثَٰبَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا قَالُوا۟ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

So Allah rewarded them for what they said with gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. And that is the reward of doers of good.

God exalted be He says So God has rewarded them for what they have said with Gardens underneath which rivers flow wherein they will abide; that is the requital of those who are virtuous by believing.

Al-Maaida 5:85Listen in Qur'an →
86

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

But those who disbelieved and denied Our signs - they are the companions of Hellfire.

But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs — they are the inhabitants of Hell-fire.

Al-Maaida 5:86Listen in Qur'an →
87

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحَرِّمُوا۟ طَيِّبَٰتِ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ

O you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things which Allah has made lawful to you and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.

When a number of Companions resolved to practise fasting and night vigil continuously and to abstain from women perfume consumption of meat and sleeping on beds the following was revealed O you who believe do not forbid the good things that God has made lawful for you and do not transgress do not exceed God’s command; God does not love transgressors.

Al-Maaida 5:87Listen in Qur'an →
88

وَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَٰلًۭا طَيِّبًۭا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ

And eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers.

And eat of the lawful and good food which God has provided you halālan tayyiban ‘lawful and good food’ is the direct object and the preceding genitive construction mimmā ‘of … which’ is a circumstantial qualifier connected to the former; and fear God in Whom you are believers.

Al-Maaida 5:88Listen in Qur'an →
89

لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغْوِ فِىٓ أَيْمَٰنِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلْأَيْمَٰنَ ۖ فَكَفَّٰرَتُهُۥٓ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَٰكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّٰرَةُ أَيْمَٰنِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ وَٱحْفَظُوٓا۟ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be grateful.

God will not take you to task for a slip contained in your oaths which is what the tongue utters spontaneously without intending to swear an oath such as when one says ‘No by God’ or ‘Yes by God’; but He will take you to task for that to which you have pledged read ‘aqadtum ‘aqqadttum or ‘āqadttum oaths where you have sworn an oath intentionally; the expiation thereof of the oath if you break it is the feeding of ten of the needy for each needy person one mudd measure of the midmost food from which you feed your families that is the closest or the principal food you consume neither better nor worse; or the clothing of them with what may be properly called clothes such as a shirt a turban or a loin cloth — it is not sufficient that these items mentioned be given only to one needy person according to al-Shāfi‘ī; or the setting free of a believing slave as applies in the expiation for slaying or repudiation through zihār interpreting the general stipulation in a restricted sense; and whoever does not find the means for any one of the expiations mentioned then the fasting of three days as an expiation for him — as it appears in this verse it is not obligatory to follow the above sequence of alternatives when making an expiation and this is the opinion of al-Shāfi‘ī. That which is mentioned is the expiation of your oaths if you have sworn and have broken them; but keep your oaths do not break them unless it be for a righteous deed or setting right between people as stated in the verse of sūrat al-Baqara Q. 2225. So in the same way that He has explained to you what has been mentioned God makes clear to you His signs so that you might be thankful to Him for this.

Al-Maaida 5:89Listen in Qur'an →
90

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَٰمُ رِجْسٌۭ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.

O you who believe verily wine that intoxicates and overcomes the mind and games of chance gambling and idols and divinatory arrows are an abomination an evil deemed vile of Satan’s work which he adorns; so avoid it this abomination consisting of the things mentioned do not do it; so that you might prosper.

Al-Maaida 5:90Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.