Sūrah Mā’idah (32-63) part (1/2)
Qur’ānic Exegesis
Javed Ahmad Ghāmidī
(Translated from Al-Bayān by Dr Shehzad Saleem)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلَقَدْ
It is this [rebelliousness of man] because of which [when We gave the sharī‘ah to Moses] We made it mandatory [in it] for the Israelites that hewho killed a human being without the latter being guilty of killing another or of spreading anarchy in the land should be looked upon as if he killed all mankind, and he who saved one life should be looked upon as if he saved all mankind.[1]
جَاء تْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ (32)
[Then not only this; moreover] this also is a reality that [to conclusively communicate the truth to them] Our messengers came to them with very clear signs; however, in spite of this, there are many among them who transgress bounds.[2](32)
إِنَّمَا جَزَاء الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَن يُقَتَّلُواْ أَوْ
[They should be told that] the punishments of those who wage war against God and His Messengerand strive to spread anarchyin the land[3]are to execute them in an exemplary way[4]or to
يُصَلَّبُواْ أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم مِّنْ خِلافٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْاْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ
crucify them[5]or to amputate their hands and feet from opposite sides[6]or to banish them from the land.[7]Such is their disgrace in
خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (33) إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَقْدِرُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (34)
this world,[8]and in the Hereafter, theirs will be an awful doom except those who repent before you overpower them; so [do not commit excess against them and] you should understand well that God is Oft-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.[9] (33-34)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (35) إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُواْ بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (36) يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (37)
[This is the sharī‘ah of God] Believers! Fear God [about it] and seek His nearness and [for this] continue to struggle for His cause[10]so that you may prosper. As for those who [in spite of conclusive communication of the truth from God are still] disbelievers, if they are offered all the riches of the earth and as much besides to redeem themselves from the torment of the Day of Judgement, it shall not be accepted from them and for them is a woeful punishment. They would like to get out from it but they shall never be able to. For them is an eternal punishment [there]. (35-37)
وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُواْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَاء بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَالاً مِّنَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ (38) فَمَن تَابَ مِن بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ
[This is the sharī‘ah of God; hold fast to it.] And as to the thief, male or female, cut off their hands[11] as a reward of their own deeds, and as an exemplary punishment from God.[12] And
رَّحِيمٌ (39) أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (40)
[remember that] God is Dominant [over all] and very Wise.[13] But whoever repents and mends his ways after committing this crime shall be pardoned by God. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Ever-Merciful.[14]Don’t you know that the kingdom of the heavens and
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ لاَ يَحْزُنكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ آمَنَّا
the earth belongs to God. He will punish whomever He intends and forgive whomever He intends [according to His law and wisdom]. He has power over all things.[15] (38-40)
O Prophet![16]Let not those who are competing with one
بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ هِادُواْ سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَـذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُواْ وَمَن يُرِدِ اللّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا أُوْلَـئِكَ
another in rejecting [the shrīa‘ah of God] put you in grief; those who say with their tongues “We embrace faith,” even though there is no faith in their hearts and those also who have turned into Jews. They keep their ears tuned to lies – the lies of those people who are a separate group from them who have never come to you.[17]Even after the context and occasion of what is said is ascertained, they change it from its real meaning.[18]They say: “If this is the decision of your case, then accept it and if this is not so then stay away from it.”[19][They are in a state of trial] and whoever God wants to inflict with trial [he is definitely inflicted with it] because you cannot do anything for him in opposition to God.[20]It is these whose hearts God did not want to
الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ لَهُمْ غ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (41) سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّالُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ فَإِن جَآؤُوكَ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم أَوْ أَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَإِن تُعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ فَلَن يَضُرُّوكَ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُمْ
purify.[21]For them is humiliation in this world and also a great punishment in the Hereafter. Their ears are tuned to hearing lies and [to bear false witness] consume what is unlawful.[22]Thus, if they come to you [for verdicts], it is up to you to give a verdict or evade them. If you evade them, they will not be able to inflict
بِالْقِسْطِ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ (42) وَكَيْفَ يُحَكِّمُونَكَ وَعِندَهُمُ التَّوْرَاةُ فِيهَا حُكْمُ اللّهِ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَمَا أُوْلَـئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ (43)
any harm on you[23]and if you give your verdict, then it is essential that you be just. God likes those who give a just verdict. How do they come to you for a verdict when they already have the Torah with them which contains God’s own verdict?[24]Then after turning [to you] for verdict they even defy it as well.[25](41-43)
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَابِ اللّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاء فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ
We have revealed this Torah, in which there is guidance and light.[26]Through it the obedient prophets of God,[27]the rabbis and the jurists delivered verdicts for the Jews because they had been made custodians of this book of God and witnesses to it.[28]Then [they were also directed about it that:] “Do not fear people; fear Me and do not sell my verses for a paltry sum,[29]and [bear in mind that] those who do not judge according to the law revealed
فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ (44) وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالأَنفَ بِالأَنفِ وَالأُذُنَ بِالأُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَّهُ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (45)
وَقَفَّيْنَا عَلَى آثَارِهِم بِعَيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ
by God, it is they who are the rejecters.”[30]And in this Book, We enjoined on them: life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and similarly there is qis@ās@for other wounds also.[31]Then he who forgoes, then this shall be an atonement for his own self.[32]And [this also that] those who do not judge according to the law of God, it is they who are the wrongdoers.[33] (44-45)
In the footsteps[34]of these [messengers] We sent forth Jesus
الإِنجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًى وَنُورٌ وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ (46) وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الإِنجِيلِ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فِيهِ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ (47)
son of Mary, who corroborated the Torah already present. And We gave him the Gospel in which there is guidance and light. And it also corroborated the Torah already present before it: a guide and an admonition for the God-fearing with the directive:[35]let those who follow the Gospel judge according to what God has revealed therein. And those who do not judge according to the law revealed by God, it is they who are the defiant. (46-47)
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