Sūrah Mā’idah (1-31) part (1/2)
Qur’ānic Exegesis
Javed Aḥmad Ghāmidī
(Translated from al-Bayān by Dr Shehzad Saleem)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَوْفُواْ بِالْعُقُودِ أُحِلَّتْ لَكُم بَهِيمَةُ الأَنْعَامِ إِلاَّ مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ غَيْرَ مُحِلِّي الصَّيْدِ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ إِنَّ اللّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ (1)
Believers, fulfill [all] your promises [made with your Lord].[1]It is lawful for you[2]to eat the flesh of all beasts which are cattle[3]except those which are being informed of. In the state of iḥrām do not allow [to yourselves] hunting of animals.[4][This is the decree of God]. God decrees what He intends.[5](1)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تُحِلُّواْ شَعَآئِرَ اللّهِ وَلاَ الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَلاَ الْهَدْيَ وَلاَ الْقَلآئِدَ وَلا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَانًا وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُواْ وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُواْ وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (2)
Believers! Do not violate the sha‘ā’ir[6]of God, or the sacred months, or the animals of ḥadī[7]or [specifically those among them] who are marked with collars of vow or those people who have set out for the House to seek God’s grace and pleasure. Once you take off your iḥrām you are free to hunt. Some people had stopped you from coming to the Sacred House. [Now that they have accepted faith] your animosity against them should not incite you so much that you cross the limits of the Almighty. [No, abide by these limits come what may[8]] and help one another in what is virtuous and pious and not in what is sinful and oppressive. And have fear of God because God is stern in retribution.[9] (2)
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ
Prohibited[10]to you is the meat of dead animals,[11]blood,[12] the flesh of swine,[13]and that on which Allah’s Name has not been invoked while slaughtering, and [also subsumed under this directive of prohibition] is an animal which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns and that also which has been eaten by a wild animal[14]unless you are able to slaughter it [before its death].[15]
وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ
And [similarly also forbidden to you are animals] slaughtered at the stone altars and [forbidden also] is the division [of meat] by arrows of gambling.[16] [You should that] all these are acts of
تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ
disobedienceto God. These disbelievers have now lost hope in your religion.[17]So [with regard to these prohibitions] have no
لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (3)
fear of them; fear Me. This day[18]I have completed your religion for you[19]and completed My favour to you and have chosen Islam as your religion.[20][Hence follow my directives]. Then he who is constrained by hunger is compelled to eat any of these things not intending to commit sin, then God forgiving and merciful.[21](3)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللّهُ فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُواْ اسْمَ اللّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ (4)
They ask you what is lawful for them.[22]Say: “All good things are lawful to you[23]as well as [the prey of] the hunting animals[24]you have taught, training them from the knowledge Allah has taught you.[25]So eat of what they catch for you[26]and [before you
الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ
let lose the animal to catch the prey], pronounce upon it the name of Allah.[27]And have fear of Allah. swift is He in taking account.” (4)
All clean things have this day been made lawful to you.[28][Consequently,] the food to whom the Book was given is lawful to you and yours to them.[29][Similarly, once the bounds and limits of
لَّهُمْ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (5)
polytheism and monotheism have become evident]lawful to you are the chaste women of the Muslims and also the chaste women from among the People of the Book before you[30]when you give them their dowers with the condition that you desire chastity not lewdness nor becoming secret paramours.[Always keep your faith pure] and [do remember that] they who reject faith[31]shall gain
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مَّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ
nothing from their labours. And in the world to come they will be among the losers. (5)
Believers! [This very purity is also needed to come in the presence of God. So] when you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and wash your feet to the ankle also.[32]And if you are [ceremonially] unclean, bathe yourselves.[33]But if [at times] you are sick or on a journey, or when, you have relieved yourselves[34]or have had intercourse with women, no water is available to you, find some
تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهَّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (6)
clean surface and wipe your faces and your hands from it.[35]God does not wish to burden you; He seeks only to purify you. [Thus He makes it mandatory on you to do wuḍū and take the ceremonial bath] and [wants to] perfect His favour to you. [So in compelling circumstances allows you do dry ablution] so that you show gratitude. (6)