Surah 5. Al-Ma'ida

0 my people! Enter the holy land which God has promised you; but do not turn back [on your faith], for then you will be lost!"

  - Mohammad Asad

"O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah has assigned for you. Do not turn back, because if you do, you will become losers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has destined for you 'to enter'. And do not turn back or else you will become losers.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"O my people! enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you and turn not back ignominiously for then will ye be overthrown to your own ruin." ⁷²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We now come to the events detailed in the 13th and 1th chapters of the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Read these as a Commentary, and examine a good map of the Sinai Peninsula, showing its connections with Egypt on the west, North-West Arabia on the east, and Palestine on the north-east. We may suppose that Israel crossed from Egypt into the Peninsula somewhere near the northern extremity of the Gulf of Suez. Moses organised and numbered the people, and instituted the Priesthood. They went south about 200 miles to Mount Sinai where the Torah was received. Then, perhaps a hundred and fifty miles north, was the desert of Paran, close to the southern borders of Canaan. From the camp there twelve men were sent to spy out the land, and they penetrated as far as Hebron, say about 150 miles north of their camp, about 20 miles south of the future Jerusalem. They saw a rich country, and brought from it pomegranates and figs and a bunch of grapes so heavy that it had to be carried by two men on a staff. They came back and reported that the land was rich, but the men there were too strong for them. The people of Israel had no courage and no faith, and Moses remonstrated with them.

They answered: "O Moses! Behold, ferocious people dwell in that land,³³ and we will surely not enter it unless they depart therefrom; but if they depart therefrom, then, behold, we will enter it."

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "are in it". See Numbers xiii, 32-33, and also the whole of ch. xiv, which speaks of the terror that overwhelmed the Israelites on hearing the report of the twelve scouts mentioned in verse {12} of this surah, and of the punishment of their cowardice and lack of faith.

They said: "O Musa! A nation of giants live in there, we will not set our foot in it until they leave. As soon as they leave we will be ready to enter."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They replied, 'O Moses! There is an enormously powerful people there, so we will never 'be able to' enter it until they leave. If they do, then we will enter!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They said: O Moses! Lo! a giant people (dwell) therein, and lo! we go not in till they go forth from thence. When they go forth, then we will enter (not till then).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They said: "O Moses! in this land are a people of exceeding strength: never shall we enter it until they leave it: if (once) they leave then shall we enter." ⁷²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The people were not willing to follow the lead of Moses, and were not willing to fight for their "inheritance." In effect they said: "Turn out the enemy first, and then we shall enter into possession." In Allah's Law we must work and strive for what we wish to enjoy.

[Whereupon] two men from among those who feared [God, and] whom God had blessed, said: "Enter upon them through the gate³⁴ - for as soon as you enter it, behold, you shall be victorious! And in God you must place your trust if you are [truly] believers!"

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by frontal attack. According to the Bible (Numbers xiv, 6-9, 24, 30, 38), the two God-fearing men were Joshua and Caleb, who had been among the twelve spies sent out to explore Canaan, and who now tried to persuade the terror-stricken children of Israel to place their trust in God. As so often in the Qur'an, this story of the Israelites serves to illustrate the difference between real, selfless faith and worldly self-love.

Thereupon two Allah-fearing men upon whom Allah had bestowed His Grace said: "Attack directly at the city gate, once you enter it, you will surely be victorious. Put your trust in Allah if you are really believers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Two God-fearing men- who had been blessed by Allah- said, 'Surprise them through the gate. If you do, you will certainly prevail. Put your trust in Allah if you are 'truly' believers.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then outspake two of those who feared (their Lord, men) unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(But) among (their) Allah-fearing men were two on whom Allah had bestowed His Grace: they said: "Assault them at the (proper) gate: when once ye are in, victory will be yours. But on Allah put your trust if ye have faith." ⁷²⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Among those who returned after spying out the land were two men who had faith and courage. They were Joshua and Caleb. Joshua afterwards succeeded Moses in the leadership after 40 years. These two men pleaded for an immediate entry through the proper Gate, which I understand to mean, "after taking all due precautions and making all due preparations". Cf. ii.189 and n. 203. But of course, they said, they must put their trust in Allah for victory.

[But] they said: "O Moses! Behold, never shall we enter that [land] so long as those others are in it. Go forth, then, thou and thy Sustainer, and fight, both of you! We, behold, shall remain here!"

  - Mohammad Asad

They replied, "O Musa! We will never enter it so long as they remain therein. Therefore, both you and your Rabb should go and fight, we will stay here."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Yet' they said, 'O Moses! 'Still' we will never enter as long as they remain there. So go- both you and your Lord- and fight; we are staying right here!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They said: O Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They said: O "Moses! while they remain there never shall we be able to enter to the end of time. Go thou and thy Lord and fight ye two while we sit here (and watch)." ⁷²⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The advice of Joshua and Caleb, and the proposals of Moses under divine instructions were unpalatable to the crowd, whose prejudices were further inflamed by the other ten men who had gone with Joshua and Caleb. They made an "evil report," and were frightened by the great stature of the Canaanites. The crowd was in open rebellion, was prepared to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb, and return to Egypt. Their reply to Moses was full of irony, insolence, blasphemy, and cowardice. In effect they said: "You talk of your God and all that: go with your God and fight there if you like: we shall sit here and watch."

Prayed [Moses]: "O my Sustainer! Of none am I master but of myself and my brother [Aaron]: draw Thou, then, a dividing-line between us and these iniquitous folk!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Hearing this Musa prayed, "O my Rabb! I have no control over anyone except myself and my brother. Please, set us apart from these disobedient people."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Moses pleaded, 'My Lord! I have no control over anyone except myself and my brother. So set us apart from the rebellious people.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrongdoing folk.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my bother so separate us from this rebellious people!" ⁷²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation. "(Num. xiv. 5). According to the words in the Old Testament story, Allah said: "I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them." (Num. xiv. 12). Moses prayed and interceded. But as we are told here, (a spiritual touch not found in the Jewish story). Moses was careful to separate himself and his brother from the rebellion.

Answered He: "Then, verily, this [land] shall be forbidden to them for forty years, while they wander on earth, bewildered, to and fro; and sorrow thou not over these iniquitous folk."

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah responded, "Very well, they are forbidden this land for forty years, during this time they will wander homeless on the earth, so do not grieve for these disobedient people."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah replied, 'Then this land is forbidden to them for forty years, during which they will wander through the land. So do not grieve for the rebellious people.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Their Lord) said: For this the land will surely be forbidden them for forty years that they will. wander in the earth, bewildered. So grieve not over the wrongdoing folk.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah said: "Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years; in distraction will they wander through the land: but sorrow thou not over these rebellious people." ⁷²⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The punishment of the rebellion of these stiff-necked people, rebellion that was repeated "these ten times" (Num. xiv. 22) and more, was that they were left to wander distractedly hither and thither through the wilderness for forty years. That generation was not to see the Holy Land. All those that were twenty years old and upwards were to die in the wilderness: "your carcasses shall fail in this wilderness." (Num. xiv. 29). Only those who were then children would reach the Promised land. And so it happened. From the desert of Paran they wandered south, north, and east for forty years. From the head of what is now the Gulf of 'Aqaba, they travelled north, keeping to the east side of the depression of which the Dead Sea and the river Jordan are portions. Forty years afterwards they crossed the Jordan opposite what is now Jericho, but by that time Moses, Aaron, and the whole of the elder generation had died.

AND CONVEY unto them, setting forth the truth, the story of the two sons of Adam³⁵ - how each offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them whereas it was not accepted from the other. [And Cain] said: "I will surely slay thee!" [Abel] replied: "Behold, God accepts only from those who are conscious of Him.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the story of Cain and Abel, mentioned in Genesis iv, 1-16. The pronoun in "tell them" refers to the followers of the Bible, and obviously connects with verse {15} of this surah, "Now there has come unto you Our Apostle, to make clear unto you much of what you have been concealing [from yourselves] of the Bible", the meaning of which has been explained in note [28] above. The moral of this particular Biblical story - a moral which the followers of the Bible have been "concealing from themselves" - is summarized in verse {32}.

Recite to them in all truth the story of Adam's two sons: How each offered a sacrifice, and how the offering of one was accepted while that of the other was not. The latter said: "I will kill you." The former replied: "Allah only accepts the sacrifice from the righteous.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Relate to them in truth 'O Prophet' the story of Adam's two sons- how each offered a sacrifice: Abel's offering was accepted while Cain's was not. So Cain threatened, 'I will kill you!' His brother replied, 'Allah only accepts 'the offering' of the sincerely devout.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But recite unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, how they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and it was not accepted from the other. (The one) said: I will surely kill thee. (The other) answered: Allah accepteth only from those who ward off (evil).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they each presented a sacrifice (to Allah): it was accepted from one but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely" said the former "Allah doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous. ^{730 731}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally; "recite to them in truth the story", etc. The point is that the story in Gen. iv. 1-15 is a bare narrative, not including the lessons now to be enforced. The Prophet is told now to supply the truth of the matter, the details that will enforce the lessons.

The two sons of Adam were Habil (in the English Bible, Abel) and Qabil (in English, Cain). Cain was the elder, and Abel the younger,-the righteous and innocent one. Presuming on the right of the elder, Cain was puffed up with arrogance and jealousy, which led him to commit the crime of murder. Among the Christians, Cain was the type of the Jew as against Abel the Christian. The Jew tried to kill Jesus and exterminate the Christian. In the same way, as against Muhammad, the younger brother of the Semitic family, Cain was the type of the Old Testament and New Testament people, who tried to resist and kill Muhammad and put down his people.

Even if thou lay thy hand on me to slay me, I shall not lay my hand on thee to slay thee: behold, I fear God, the Sustainer of all the worlds.

  - Mohammad Asad

Even if you stretch your hand to kill me, I shall not stretch my hand to slay you, for I fear Allah, the Rabb of the worlds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you, because I fear Allah- the Lord of all worlds.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Even if thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I shall not stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee, lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"If thou dost stretch thy hand against me to slay me it is not for me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear Allah the Cherisher of the worlds.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

I am willing, indeed, for thee to bear [the burden of] all the sins ever done by me as well as of the sin done by thee:³⁶ [but] then thou wouldst be destined for the fire, since that is the requital of evildoers!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "my sin as well as thy sin". It is evident from several well-authenticated ahadith that if a person dies a violent death not caused, directly or indirectly, by his own sinful actions, his previous sins will be forgiven (the reason being, evidently, that he had no time to repent, as he might have done had he been allowed to live). In cases of unprovoked murder, the murderer is burdened - in addition to the sin of murder - with the sins which his innocent victim might have committed in the past and of which he (the victim) is now absolved: this convincing interpretation of the above verse has been advanced by Mujahid (as quoted by Tabari).

I intend to let you bear the burden of my sins as well as yours and thus become an inmate of the Fire which is the reward for wrongdoers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

I want to let you bear your sin against me along with your other sins, then you will be one of those destined to the Fire. And that is the reward of the wrongdoers.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! I would rather thou shouldst bear the punishment of the sin against me and thine own sin and become one of the owners of the Fire. That is the reward of evil doers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"For me I intend to let thee draw on thyself my sin as well as thine for thou wilt be among the companions of the fire and that is the reward of those who do wrong." ^{732 733}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

My sin as well as thine. "My sin" has been interpreted as "the sin against me, in that thou slayest me": in that case thy "sin" may mean either "thy crime in committing a murder." or "thy sin against thyself, for the crime causes real loss to thyself in the Hereafter." See the last clause of the next verse.

Abel's speech is full of meaning. He is innocent and God-fearing. To the threat of death held out by the other, he returns a calm reply, aimed at reforming the other. "Surely," he pleads, "if your sacrifice was not accepted, there was something wrong in you, for Allah is just and accepts the sacrifice of the righteous. If this does not deter you, I am not going to retaliate, though there is as much power in me against you as you have against me. I fear my Maker, for I know He cherishes all His Creation. Let me warn you that you are doing wrong. I do not intend even to resist, but do you know what the consequences will be to you? You will be in torment."

But the other's passion³⁷ drove him to slaying his brother; and he slew him: and thus he became one of the lost.

  - Mohammad Asad

Among the many meanings attributable to the noun nafs (primarily, "soul", or "mind", or "self"), there is also that of "desire" or "passionate determination" (Qamus, see also Zamakhshari's Asas); in this context, the best rendering seems to be "passion".

The latter's soul prompted him to kill his brother; he killed him and thus became one of the losers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Yet Cain convinced himself to kill his brother, so he killed him- becoming a loser.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But (the other's) mind imposed on him the killing of his brother, so he slew him and became one of the losers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him and became (himself) one of the lost ones. ⁷³⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The innocent unselfish pleading of the younger brother had no effect, for the soul of the other was full of pride, selfishness and jealousy. He committed the murder, but in doing so, ruined his own self.

Thereupon God sent forth a raven which scratched the earth, to show him how he might conceal the nakedness of his brother's body. [And Cain] cried out: "Oh, woe is me! Am I then too weak to do what this raven did,³⁸ and to conceal the nakedness of my brother's body?" - and was thereupon smitten with remorse.³⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "to be like this raven".

Lit., "became of those who feel remorse". The thought of burying his dead brother's body, suggested to Cain by the raven's scratching the earth, brought home to him the enormity of his crime.

(He carried around the dead body of his brother and did not know what to do with it.) Then Allah sent a raven, which dug the ground to show him how to bury the dead body of his brother. "Alas!" He cried, "I failed even to be like this raven to find some way to dispose of the dead body of my brother!" So he became full of regrets.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then Allah sent a crow digging 'a grave' in the ground 'for a dead crow', in order to show him how to bury the corpse of his brother. He cried, 'Alas! Have I 'even' failed to be like this crow and bury the corpse of my brother?' So he became regretful.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 In Islam, regret for doing something wrong is essential for repentance. But in the case of Cain, his regret was not for killing his brother, but for failing to bury his corpse to hide the evidence of his crime. Therefore, his regret was not intended as a step towards repentance.

Then Allah sent a raven scratching up the ground, to show him how to hide his brother's naked corpse. He said: Woe unto me! Am I not able to be as this raven and so hide my brother's naked corpse? And he became repentant.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then Allah sent a raven who scratched the ground to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he: "Was I not even able to be as this raven and to hide the shame of my brother?" Then he became full of regrets. ^{735 736}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Sau-at may mean "corpse", with a suggestion of nakedness and shame in two senses: (1) the sense of being exposed without burial, and (2) the sense of being insulted by being violently deprived by the unwarranted murder, of the soul which inhabited it,- the soul, too, of a brother.

The thought at last came home to the murderer. It was dreadful indeed to slay any one-the more so as he was a brother, and an innocent righteous brother! But worse still, the murderer had not even the decency to bury the corpse, and of this simple duty he was reminded by a raven-a black bird usually held in contempt! His regret was on that account. That was no true repentance.

Because of this did We ordain unto the children of Israel that if anyone slays a human being - unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth - it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind.⁴⁰ And, indeed, there came unto them⁴¹ Our apostles with all evidence of the truth: yet, behold, notwithstanding all this, many of them go on committing all manner of excesses on earth.⁴²

  - Mohammad Asad

This moral truth is among those to which the first sentence of verse {15} of this surah alludes, and its succinct formulation fully explains the reason why the story of Cain and Abel is mentioned in this context. The expression "We have ordained unto the children of Israel" does not, of course, detract from the universal validity of this moral: it refers merely to its earliest enunciation.

I.e., to the followers of the Bible, both the Jews and the Christians.

The present participle la-musrifun indicates their "continuously committing excesses" (i.e., crimes), and is best rendered as "they go on committing" them. In view of the preceding passages, these "excesses" obviously refer to crimes of violence and, in particular, to the ruthless killing of human beings.

On account of that incident, We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a person, except as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land, it will be written in his book of deeds as if he had killed all the human beings on the surface of the Earth and whoever will save a life shall be regarded as if he gave life to all the human beings on the surface of the Earth. Yet, even though Our Rasools came to them one after the other with clear revelations, it was not long before, many of them committed excesses in the land.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is why We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life- unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land- it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.¹ 'Although' Our messengers already came to them with clear proofs, many of them still transgressed afterwards through the land.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Although this is addressed to the Children of Israel, it is applicable to everyone at all times.

For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if be had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty) , but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land 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. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear Signs yet even after that many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. ⁷³⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The story of Cain is referred to in a few graphic details in order to tell the story of Israel. Israel rebelled against Allah, slew and insulted righteous men who did them no harm but on the contrary came in all humility. When Allah withdrew His favour from Israel because of its sins and bestowed it on brother nation, the jealousy of Israel plunged it deeper into sin. To kill or seek to kill an individual because he represents an ideal is to kill all who upold the ideal. On the other hand, to save an individual life in the same circumstances is to save a whole community. What could be stronger condemnation of individual assassination and revenge?

It is but a just recompense for those who make war on God and His apostle,⁴³ and endeavour to spread corruption on earth, that they are being slain in great numbers, or crucified in great numbers, or have, in result of their perverseness, their hands and feet cut off in great numbers,⁴⁴ or are being [entirely] banished from [the face of] the earth: such is their ignominy in this world.⁴⁵ But in the life to come [yet more] awesome suffering awaits them -

  - Mohammad Asad

The term "apostle" is evidently generic in this context. By "making war on God and His apostle" is meant a hostile opposition to, and wilful disregard of, the ethical precepts ordained by God and explained by all His apostles, combined with the conscious endeavour to destroy or undermine other people's belief in God as well.

In classical Arabic idiom, the "cutting off of one's hands and feet" is often synonymous with "destroying one's power", and it is possibly in this sense that the expression has been used here. Alternatively, it might denote "being mutilated", both physically and metaphorically - similar to the (metonymical) use of the expression "being crucified" in the sense of "being tortured". The phrase min khilaf - usually rendered as "from opposite sides" - is derived from the verb khalafahu, "he disagreed with him", or "opposed him", or "acted contrarily to him": consequently, the primary meaning of min khilaf is "in result of contrariness" or "of perverseness".

Most of the classical commentators regard this passage as a legal injunction, and interpret it, therefore, as follows: "The recompense of those who make war on God and His apostle and spread corruption on earth shall but be that they shall be slain, or crucified, or that their hands and feet be cut off on opposite sides, or that they shall be banished from the earth: such shall be their ignominy in this world." This interpretation is, however, in no way warranted by the text, and this for the following reasons: (a) The four passive verbs occurring in this sentence - "slain", "crucified", "cut off" and "banished" - are in the present tense and do not, by themselves, indicate the future or, alternatively, the imperative mood. (b) The form yuqattalu does not signify simply "they are being slain" or (as the commentators would have it) "they shall be slain", but denotes - in accordance with a fundamental rule of Arabic grammar - "they are being slain in great numbers"; and the same holds true of the verbal forms yusallabu ("they are being crucified in great numbers") and yuqatta'a ("cut off in great numbers"). Now if we are to believe that these are "ordained punishments", it would imply that great numbers - but not necessarily all - of "those who make war on God and His apostle" should be punished in this way: obviously an inadmissible assumption of arbitrariness on the part of the Divine Law-Giver. Moreover, if the party "waging war on God and His apostle" should happen to consist of one person only, or of a few, how could a command referring to "great numbers" be applied to them or to him? (c) Furthermore, what would be the meaning of the phrase, "they shall be banished from the earth", if the above verse is to be taken as a legal injunction? This point has, indeed, perplexed the commentators considerably. Some of them assume that the transgressors should be "banished from the land [of Islam]": but there is no instance in the Qur'an of such a restricted use of the term "earth" (ard). Others, again, are of the opinion that the guilty ones should be imprisoned in a subterranean dungeon, which would constitute their "banishment from [the face of] the earth"! (d) Finally - and this is the weightiest objection to an interpretation of the above verse as a "legal injunction" - the Qur'an places exactly the same expressions referring to mass-crucifixion and mass-mutilation (but this time with a definite intent relating to the future) in the mouth of Pharaoh, as a threat to believers (see 7:124, 20:71 and 26:49). Since Pharaoh is invariably described in the Qur'an as the epitome of evil and godlessness, it is inconceivable that the same Qur'an would promulgate a divine law in precisely the terms which it attributes elsewhere to a figure characterized as an "enemy of God". In short, the attempt of the commentators to interpret the above verse as a "legal injunction" must be categorically rejected, however great the names of the persons responsible for it. On the other hand, a really convincing interpretation suggests itself to us at once as soon as we read the verse - as it ought to be read - in the present tense: for, read in this way, the verse reveals itself immediately as a statement of fact - a declaration of the inescapability of the retribution which "those who make war on God" bring upon themselves. Their hostility to ethical imperatives causes them to lose sight of all moral values; and their consequent mutual discord and "perverseness" gives rise to unending strife among themselves for the sake of worldly gain and power: they kill one another in great numbers, and torture and mutilate one another in great numbers, with the result that whole communities are wiped out or, as the Qur'an puts it, "banished from [the face of] the earth". It is this interpretation alone that takes full account of all the expressions occurring in this verse - the reference to "great numbers" in connection with deeds of extreme violence, the "banishment from the earth", and, lastly, the fact that these horrors are expressed in the terms used by Pharaoh, the "enemy of God".

The punishment for those who wage war against Allah and His Rasool and strive to create mischief in the land is death or crucifixion or the cutting off their hands and feet from opposite sides or exile from the land based on the gravity of their offense. This will be their humiliation in this world and in the Hereafter they will have grievous punishment,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and spread mischief in the land is death, crucifixion, cutting off their hands and feet on opposite sides, or exile from the land. This 'penalty' is a disgrace for them in this world, and they will suffer a tremendous punishment in the Hereafter.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This ruling (called ḥirâbah) applies to crimes committed by armed individuals or groups against civilians—Muslim or non-Muslim. Different punishments apply depending on the severity of the crime: In the case of murder or rape, offenders are to be executed. In the case of armed robbery, offenders’ right hands and left feet are to be cut off. In the case of terrorizing innocent people, offenders are to be jailed in exile. Penalties for lesser offences are left for the judge to decide.

The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Apostle and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution or crucifixion of the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter. ^{738 739}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For the double crime of treason against the State, combined with treason against Allah, as shown by overt crimes, four alternative punishments are mentioned, any one of which is to be applied according to the crime committed, viz., execution (cutting off of the head), crucifixion, maiming, or exile. These were features of the Criminal Law then and for centuries afterwards, except that tortures such as "hanging, drawing, and quartering" in English Law, and piercing of eyes and leaving the unfortunate victim exposed to a tropical sun, which was practised in Arabia, and all such tortures were abolished. In any case sincere repentance before it was too late was recognised as a ground for mercy.

Understood to mean the right hand and the left foot.

save for such [of them] as repent ere you [O believers] become more powerful than they:⁴⁶ for you must know that God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e. before belief in God and in the ethical principles decreed by Him becomes prevalent: for, in that event, repentance on the part of "those who make war on God and His apostle" would be no more than an act of conforming to the dominant trend and, therefore, of no moral value whatever. It is to be noted that the exemption from suffering relates to the hereafter.

except those who repent before you apprehend them, in such a case, you should know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who repent before you seize them, then know that Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Save those who repent before ye overpower them. For know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Except for those who repent before they fall into your power: in that case know that Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O YOU who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and seek to come closer unto Him, and strive hard in His cause, so that you might attain to a happy state.

  - Mohammad Asad

O believers! Fear Allah and seek the means to be closer to Him and make Jihad (struggle) in His Way so that you may be successful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O believers! Be mindful of Allah and seek what brings you closer to Him and struggle in His Way, so you may be successful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

O ye who believe! Be mindful of your duty to Allah, and seek the way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in order that ye may succeed.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O ye who believe! do your duty to Allah seek the means of approach unto Him and strive with might and main in His cause: that ye may prosper. ^{740 741}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Taqwa here too might be translated "fear of Allah", but the very next clause shows that "fear of Allah" does not mean "fear" in the ordinary sense, which would make you avoid the object of fear. On the contrary the "fear of Allah" is the intense desire to avoid everything that is against His Will and Law. It is in fact duty to Allah, for we are told to seek ardently the means by which we may approach Him, and that can only be done by striving with might and main for His cause.

"Prosper" in the real sense, for that is all that matters, as the life of this world is brief and fleeting, and of small account as against Eternity.