Al-Ma'idah: Difference between revisions

Al Māʼidah (Template:Lang-ar, "The Table" or "The Table Spread with Food",^[1] likely a word of Ethiopic origin) is the fifth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 120 verses (āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation (Asbāb al-nuzūl), it is a "Medinan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina, instead of Mecca.

The chapter's topics include animals which are forbidden, Jesus' and Moses' missions. Verse (āyah) 90 prohibits "The intoxicant" (alcohol), whereas Q2:219 and Q4:43 tolerate it.^[2]

This verse has a Parenthetical Sentence: This day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and fear Me. This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion..^[Quran 5:3] This verse was revealed at Arafat as reported in an authentic hadith.^[3]

Verse 8 strongly encourages Muslims to volunteer their testimonies and be just regardless of their personal feelings.^[4][5] "O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do."^[6]

Verse (Q5:32)^{[Quran 5:32]} has been quoted to denounce killing, by using an abbreviated form such as, If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.

The use of the abbreviated rephrasing (excluding the caveat, not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land)^[7][8] has been criticised as misleading by Andrew Bostom inter alia.^[9][10][11]

Verse 51 (Q5:51)^[1] has been said to underlie forbidding non-Muslims as becoming leaders in Islamic countries.

The verse in Sahih International reads: O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians (naṣārā) as allies. Whereas Gerrans translates: O you who heed warning: take not the Rabbinic Jews and the Nazarenes as allies.

The verse continues They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.^{[12][Quran 5:51]}

Al-Ma'ida Verse 51 has resulted in repercussions in modern politics. For example, criticism and violent protests ensued against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the Chinese-Christian governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, after his declaration that Indonesians should not be deceived by those people who are using Surat Al-Ma'ida verse 51 to not elect non-Muslims as their leaders. This resulted in large protests against him demanding his arrest on charges of blaspheming the Quran.^[13][14]

In Sahih International:

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.^[12]

Verse 54 is also interesting in relation to who the "beloved" are; some hadith view it as being Abu Musa al-Ashari.^{[15][Quran 5:54]}

On the Shia interpretation of this verse, God used the singular form "waliyyukum" implying the "wilayah" (Guardianship of the believers) is a single project. In other words, the "wilayah" of the messenger and that of the Ali springs from the root of God's wilayah. The word "wali" in the context of this verse cannot mean "friend" because there is not a single verse in the Quran where God says that any one of his messengers is a friend or helper of their followers. Further if the verse implied "wilayah" in the sense of friend or helper, then the singular form "waliyyukum" would not have been used but the plural form "awliya'ukum" would be appropriate because the "friendship" of God is unique.^{[citation needed]}

Tahir ul Qadri writes regarding this verse:^[16] A hadith attributed to Ammar bin Yasir reports:^{[citation needed]}

Shi'as tend to view this as Sahih (authentic).

These verses conclude "whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs."^[1] This 'apes and pigs' expression has been used, to denigrate Jews and Christians, by Islamic leaders,^[17][18][19] an Islamic ruler,^[20] Islamic terrorist^[21] and many Muslims.^[22][23][24]

Verse 67 is relevant to the Farewell Pilgrimage and Ghadir Khumm.^{[Quran 5:67]}

The Quran: An Encyclopedia says, The Quran’s objection to Christian practice is Christianity’s shirk, its worship of Jesus, Mary and the saints ‘in derogation of Allah’. There is no justification in believing in the Trinity, for Jesus never would have condoned such a concept.^[25] In Sahih International: "(72) They have certainly disbelieved who say, " Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers. (73) They have certainly disbelieved who say, Allah is the third of three. And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment."^{[12][Quran 5:72–73]}

Verse 90 says:

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." This is a clear ruling in The Quran for Muslims to avoid alcohol and gambling.^[26]

• Islamic view of the Trinity
• Shirk (Islam)

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Holy Qur'an (Maulana Muhammad Ali)/5. The Food

• Surah Maidah Transliteration