Surah 5. Al-Ma'ida

O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not ask about matters which, if they were to be made manifest to you [in terms of law], might cause you hardship;¹²⁰ for, if you should ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they might [indeed] be made manifest to you [as laws].¹²¹ God has absolved [you from any obligation] in this respect: for God is much-forgiving forbearing.¹²²

  - Mohammad Asad

This verse connects directly with verse {99}: "No more is the Apostle bound to do than deliver the message." Read in conjunction with the sentence, "Today have I perfected your religious law for you" (occurring in verse {3} of this surah), the above statement implies that the believers should not try to deduce "additional" laws from the injunctions clearly laid down as such by the Qur'an or by the Prophet, since this "might cause you hardship" - that is, might (as has indeed happened in the course of the centuries) impose additional burdens on the believers above and beyond anything that has been stipulated in terms of law in the Qur'an or in the authentic commandments of the Prophet. On the basis of this verse, some of the greatest Muslim scholars have concluded that Islamic Law, in its entirety, consists of no more than the clear-cut injunctions forthcoming from the self-evident (zahir) wording of the Qur'an and the Prophet's commandments, and that, consequently, it is not permissible to extend the scope of such self-evident ordinances by means of subjective methods of deduction. (A most enlightening discussion of this problem is to be found in the Introduction to Ibn Hazm's Muhalla, vol. I, 56 ff.) This, of course, does not prevent the Muslim community from evolving, whenever necessary, any amount of additional, temporal legislation in accordance with the spirit of the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet: but it must be clearly understood that such additional legislation cannot be regarded as forming part of Islamic Law (the shari'ah) as such.

I.e., with possibly unfortunate consequences. An illustration of this problem has been provided in the following authentic Tradition, quoted by Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah. In one of his sermons, the Prophet said: "O my people! God has ordained the pilgrimage (al-hajj) for you; therefore perform it." Thereupon somebody asked, "Every year, O Apostle of God?" The Prophet remained silent; and the man repeated his question twice. Then the Prophet said: "Had I answered 'yes', it would have become incumbent on you [to perform the pilgrimage every year]: and, indeed, it would have been beyond your ability to do so. Do not ask me about matters which I leave unspoken: for, behold, there were people before you who went to their doom because they had put too many questions to their prophets and thereupon disagreed [about their teachings]. Therefore, if I command you anything, do of it as much as you are able to do; and if I forbid you anything, abstain from it." Discussing this Tradition, Ibn Hazm observes: "It circumscribes all the principles of religious law (ahkam ad-din) from the first to the last - namely: what the Prophet has left unspoken - neither ordering nor forbidding it - is allowed (mubah), that is, neither forbidden nor obligatory; whatever he ordered is obligatory (fard), and whatever he forbade is unlawful (haram); and whatever he ordered us to do is binding on us to the extent of our ability alone" (Muhalla I, 64). It should be borne in mind that the term "the Prophet" comprises, in this context, the Qur'an as well, since it was through the Prophet that the Qur'anic message was communicated to mankind.

I.e., by leaving certain matters unspoken, God has left them to man's discretion, thus enabling him to act in accordance with his conscience and the best interests of the community.

O believers! Do not ask questions about things that if revealed to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask a question about something when the Qur'an is being revealed, it will be made known to you. Allah has forgiven you what you did to date, Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Ask not of things which, if they were made known unto you, would trouble you; but if ye ask of them when the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made known unto you. Allah pardoneth this, for Allah is Forgiving, Clement.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

People before your time have indeed asked such questions - and in result thereof have come to deny the truth.¹²³

  - Mohammad Asad

Following Ibn Hazm's principles of jurisprudence, Rashid Rida' thus explains the above verse: "Many of our jurists (fuqaha') have, by their subjective deductions, unduly widened the range of man's religious obligations (takalif), thus giving rise to the very difficulties and complications which the clear wording [of the Qur'an] had put an end to; and this has led to the abandonment, by many individual Muslims as well as by their governments, of Islamic Law in its entirety" (Manar VII, 138).

Some people before you did ask such questions and later lost their faith because of those very things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A folk before you asked (for such disclosures) and then disbelieved there in.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

IT IS NOT of God's ordaining that certain kinds of cattle should be marked out by superstition and set aside from the use of man;¹²⁴ yet those who are bent on denying the truth attribute their own lying inventions to God. And most of them never use their reason:

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "God has not ordained anything [in the nature] of a bahirah, nor a sa'ibah, nor a wasilah, nor a ham." These expressions denote certain categories of domestic animals which the pre-Islamic Arabs used to dedicate to their various deities by setting them free to pasture and prohibiting their use or slaughter. They were selected mainly on the basis of the number, sex and sequence of their offspring; but the lexicographers and commentators are by no means unanimous in their attempts at definition. For this reason - as well as because of their inherent complexity - the above four terms cannot be translated into any other language; consequently, I am rendering them in the text as "certain kinds of cattle marked out by superstition and set aside from the use of man": this being, in the consensus of all authorities, the common denominator of the four categories. It is obvious that their mention at this place (as well as, by implication, in {6:138-139} and {143-144}) serves as an illustration of the arbitrary invention of certain supposedly "religious" obligations and prohibitions alluded to in the preceding two verses and explained in the corresponding notes.

Allah did not institute superstitions like those of a slit-ear she-camel or a she-camel let loose for free pasture or idol sacrifices for twin-births in animals or stallion-camels freed from work; this lie is invented by the unbelievers against Allah, and most of them lack understanding.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah hath not appointed anything in the nature of a Bahirah or a Saibah or a Wasilah or a Hami, but those who disbelieve invent a lie against Allah. Most of them have no sense.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for when they are told, "Come unto that which God has bestowed from on high, and unto the Apostle" - they answer, "Enough for us is that which we found our forefathers believing in and doing." Why, even though their forefathers knew nothing, and were devoid of all guidance?

  - Mohammad Asad

When it is said to them: "Come to what Allah has revealed and come to the Rasool." They reply: "Sufficient for us are the ways on which we found our forefathers." What! Even though their forefathers knew nothing and were not rightly guided?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when it is said unto them: Come unto that which Allah hath revealed and unto the messenger, they say: Enough for us is that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers had no knowledge whatsoever, and no guidance?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O you who have attained to faith! It is [but] for your own selves that you are responsible: those who go astray can do you no harm if you [yourselves] are on the right path. Unto God you all must return: and then He will make you [truly] understand all that you were doing [in life].

  - Mohammad Asad

O believers! You are accountable for none but for yourselves; anyone who has gone astray cannot harm you if you are on the Right Way. To Allah you shall all return and He will let you know the truth of all that you did.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Ye have charge of your own souls. He who erreth cannot injure you if ye are rightly guided. Unto Allah ye will all return; and then He will inform you of what ye used to do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O YOU who have attained to faith! Let there be witnesses to what you do when death approaches you and you are about to make bequests:¹²⁵ two persons of probity from among your own people, or - if the pangs of death come upon you while you are travelling far from home¹²⁶ - two other persons from [among people] other than your own. Take hold of the two after having prayed; and if you have any doubt in your mind, let each of them swear by God, "We shall not sell this [our word] for any price, even though it were [for the sake of] a near kinsman; and neither shall we conceal aught of what we have witnessed before God¹²⁷ - or else, may we indeed be counted among the sinful."

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "[let there be] testimony between you" - i.e., between you and your heirs - "when death approaches any of you, at the time of [making a] bequest".

Lit., "travelling on earth". According to most of the commentators (cf. Razi), the expression minkum (lit., "from among you") signifies here "from among your own people", i.e., from among the Muslim community.

Lit., "we shall not conceal God's testimony".

O believers! When death approaches any one of you, let two just men from among yourselves act as witnesses at the time of making your last will; or from the non-Muslims if you are travelling through the land and the calamity of death overtakes you. If you doubt their honesty, detain them after prayer and let them both swear by Allah: "We will not sell our testimony for any price, even to a relative, and we will not hide the testimony which we will be giving for the sake of Allah; for we shall be sinners if we do so."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Let there be witnesses between you when death draweth nigh unto one of you, at the time of bequest two witnesses, just men from among you, or two others from another tribe, in case ye are campaigning in the land and the calamity of death befall you. Ye shall empanel them both after the prayer, and, if ye doubt, they shall be made to swear by Allah (saying): We will not take a bribe, even though it were (on behalf of) a near kinsman nor will we hide the testimony of Allah, for then indeed we should be of the sinful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But if afterwards it should come to light that the two [witnesses] have become guilty of [this very] sin, then two others - from among those whom the two former have deprived of their right¹²⁸ - shall take their place and shall swear by God, "Our testimony is indeed truer than the testimony of these two, and we have not transgressed the bounds of what is right - or else, may we indeed be counted among the evildoers!"

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., from among the rightful heirs of the deceased.

Then, if it becomes known that those two were guilty of the sin of perjury, then let two others better qualified witnesses from among those who were deprived of their right come forward and testify upon oath, "By Allah, our testimony is truer than theirs. We have not transgressed in our testimony; for we should be wrongdoers if we did so."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But then, if it is afterwards ascertained that both of them merit (the suspicion of) sin, let two others take their place of those nearly concerned, and let them swear by Allah, (saying): Verily our testimony is truer than their testimony and we have not transgressed (the bounds of duty), for then indeed we should be of the evil-doers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus it will be more likely that people will offer testimony in accordance with the truth - or else they will [have cause to] fear that their oaths will be refuted by the oaths of others.¹²⁹ Be, then, conscious of God, and hearken [unto Him]: for God does not bestow His guidance upon iniquitous folk.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "lest [contradictory] oaths be proffered after their oaths".

By this procedure, it is more likely that they will bear true witness or at least fear that their oaths could be contradicted by subsequent oaths. Have fear of Allah and listen; Allah does not guide to those who are disobedient transgressors.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thus it is more likely that they will hear true witness or fear that after their oath the oath (of others) will be taken. So be mindful of your duty (to Allah) and hearken. Allah guideth not the froward folk.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

ON THE DAY when God shall assemble all the apostles and shall ask, "What response did you receive?" - they will answer, "We have no knowledge; verily, it is Thou alone who fully knowest all the things that are beyond the reach of a created being's perception."¹³⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. verse {99} above: "No more is the Apostle bound to do than deliver the message" - for, neither can he force people to follow the right path, nor can he know what is in their hearts. (See also {4:41-42}.)

On the Day of Resurrection when Allah gathers the Rasools and asks: "What response were you given from your addressees?" They will say: "We have no knowledge, only You have all the knowledge of the unseen."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

In the day when Allah gathereth together the messengers, and saith: What was your response (from mankind)? they say: We have no knowledge. Lo! Thou, only Thou art the Knower of Things Hidden.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Lo!¹³¹ God will say: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember the blessings which I bestowed upon thee and thy mother - how I strengthened thee with holy inspiration,¹³² so that thou couldst speak unto men in thy cradle, and as a grown man; and how I imparted unto thee revelation and wisdom, including the Torah and the Gospel;¹³³ and how by My leave thou didst create out of clay, as it were, the shape of [thy followers'] destiny, and then didst breathe into it, so that it might become, by My leave, [their] destiny;¹³⁴ and how thou didst heal the blind and the leper by My leave, and how thou didst raise the dead by My leave;¹³⁵ and how I prevented the children of Israel from harming thee when thou camest unto them with all evidence of the truth, and [when] those of them who were bent on denying the truth were saying 'This is clearly nothing but deception!'"

  - Mohammad Asad

Regarding my occasional rendering of idh (at the beginning of a sentence) as "lo", see surah {2}, note [21]. In the above context, this interjection connects with the preceding passage, which states, by implication, that the apostles are not responsible for the reactions of those to whom they communicate the divine message: a connection that is brought out fully in verses {116-117} below.

See surah {2}, note [71].

Lit., "and the Torah and the Gospel". The conjunction "and" at the beginning of this clause is meant to stress the fact that both the Torah and the Gospel were included in the revelation (al-kitab) vouchsafed to Jesus. Although the Torah was an earlier revelation, it is described as "imparted to Jesus" because his own prophetic mission was based on the Law of Moses, which was only confirmed, and not abrogated, by the Gospel (cf. Matthew v, 17-19). As regards the expression "in thy cradle", see surah {3}, note [33] (first sentence).

See 3:49 , as well as the corresponding note [37].

See surah {3}, note [38].

Then Allah will ask: "O Isa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary)! Recall my favor upon you and to your mother, how I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so you could speak to the people in cradle and in old age, how I taught you the Book, Wisdom, the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel). How you were able to make the figure of a bird out of a clay, by My permission, how you breathed into it and changed it into a real bird, by My permission. How you could heal the born-blind and the lepers by My permission. How you could bring the dead body back to life by My permission. How I protected you from the violence of the Children of Israel when you came to them with clear signs and the unbelievers among them said: "This is nothing but a clear sorcery."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favor unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the holy Spirit, so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught thee the Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and how thou didst shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird by My permission, and didst blow upon it and it was a bird by My permission, and thou didst heal him who was born blind and the leper by My permission; and how thou didst raise the dead, by My permission and how I restrained the Children of Israel from (harming) thee when thou camest unto them with clear proofs, and those of them who disbelieved exclaimed: This is naught else than mere magic;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND [remember the time] when I inspired the white-garbed ones:¹³⁶ "Believe in Me and in My Apostle!" They answered: "We believe; and bear Thou witness that we have surrendered ourselves [unto Thee]."

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the disciples of Jesus (see surah {3}, note [42]).

Remember when I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and My Rasool and they said: 'We believe and bear witness that we have become Muslims."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when I inspired the disciples, (saying): Believe in Me and in My messenger, they said: We believe. Bear witness that we have surrendered (unto Thee).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And,] lo, the white-garbed ones said: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Could thy Sustainer send down unto us a repast from heaven?"¹³⁷ [Jesus] answered: "Be conscious of God, if you are [truly] believers!"

  - Mohammad Asad

The relevant words, in the generally accepted reading of the Qur'an, are hal yastati' rabbuka, meaning "can thy Sustainer", or "could thy Sustainer", or "is thy Sustainer able". Inasmuch as, on the face of it, this reading would imply a fundamental doubt in God's power to do anything that He wills (an imputation which does not agree with the characterization, in the Qur'an, of Jesus' disciples as firm believers), most of the commentators see in the query of the disciples something similar to one person's asking another, "Could you go with me?" - that is to say, not implying a doubt as to the other's ability to go but, rather, an uncertainty as to his willingness to do it (cf. in this respect, Tabari, Baghawi, Razi, Raghib; also Manar VII, 250ff.). We have, however, positive evidence of the fact that several of the most outstanding Companions of the Prophet - 'Ali, Ibn 'Abbas, 'A'ishah and Mu'adh ibn Jabal - read the words in question in the spelling hal tastati' rabbaka, which might be rendered as "Couldst thou prevail upon thy Sustainer?" (Tabari, Zamakhshari, Baghawi, Razi, Ibn Kathir): a reading which implies the disciples' uncertainty as to Jesus' ability (in the spiritual sense of this word) to make the above request of God. Thus, 'A'ishah, refusing to accept the more common reading hal yastati' rabbuka ("can" or "could thy Sustainer"), is reported to have said: "The disciples of Jesus knew better than to ask whether God is able to do anything: they merely asked [of Jesus], 'Art thou able to request thy Sustainer?'" (Razi). Moreover, according to an authentic Tradition quoted in the Mustadrak, Mu'adh ibn Jabal stated unequivocally that the Prophet himself had imparted to him the reading hal tastati' rabbaka ("Couldst thou prevail upon thy Sustainer?"). To my mind, the weight of evidence points to this second alternative: but in view of the more general reading, I have rendered the phrase as above. As regards the disciples' request - and Jesus' subsequent prayer - for a heavenly "repast" (ma'idah, the word which gave the title to this surah), it might possibly be an echo of the request for daily bread contained in the Lord's Prayer (cf. Matthew vi, 11), since, in religious terminology, every benefit that accrues to man is "sent down from heaven" - that is, by God - even if it comes into being through man's own efforts. But, on the other hand, the manner in which the disciples are said to have asked for the "repast" - and particularly their explanation given in the next verse - rather seems to point to a request for a miracle which would assure them of God's "acceptance" of their faith. (See also next note.)

How when the disciples asked: "O Isa son of Maryam! Can your Rabb send down to us from heaven a table spread with food?" And you said: "Have fear of Allah if you are true believers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When the disciples said: O Jesus, son of Mary! Is thy Lord able to send down for us a table spread with food from heaven? He said: Observe your duty to Allah, if ye are true believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Said they: "We desire to partake thereof, so that our hearts might be set fully at rest, and that we might know that thou hast spoken the truth to us, and that we might be of those who bear witness thereto!"

  - Mohammad Asad

They said: "We only wish to eat thereof to satisfy our hearts and to know that you have indeed told us the truth, and that we bear witness to it."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(They said:) We wish to eat thereof, that we may satisfy our hearts and know that thou hast spoken truth to us, and that thereof we may be witnesses.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Said Jesus, the son of Mary: "O God, our Sustainer! Send down upon us a repast from heaven: it shall be an ever-recurring feast for us - for the first and the last of us - and a sign from Thee. And provide us our sustenance, for Thou art the best of providers!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Isa the son of Maryam said: "O Allah, our Rabb! Send us from heaven a table spread with food that it may mark a feast, one of a kind for those before us and for those after us, as a sign from You; and provide us our sustenance, You are the best Sustainer."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Allah, Lord of us! Send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast for Us, for the first of us and for the last of us, and a sign from Thee. Give us sustenance, for Thou art the Best of Sustainers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

God answered: "Verily, I [always] do send it down unto you:¹³⁸ and so, if any of you should henceforth deny [this] truth, on him, behold, will I inflict suffering the like of which I have never [yet] inflicted upon anyone in the world!"

  - Mohammad Asad

The grammatical form munazzil in the phrase inni munazziluha (lit., "I am sending it down") implies a continued recurrence of bestowal - a continuity which I have expressed by interpolating the word "always" between brackets. This stress on God's ever-recurrent provision of sustenance, both physical and spiritual, explains the extreme severity of His condemnation of all who - in their arrogant presumption that man is self-sufficient and independent - deny this obvious truth; and, in addition, it implies a condemnation of any demand for a miracle as a "proof" of God's existence.

Allah responded: "I shall send it down to you, but if any of you disbelieve after that, I shall punish him with a torment which I have never inflicted on anyone in the worlds."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah said: Lo! I send it down for you. And whoso disbelieveth of you afterward, him surely will I punish with a punishment wherewith I have not punished any of (My) creatures.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall