Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 104–108

5. Al-Maaida · The Table

Madinan120 verses

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

5:104When they are told, ‘Come to what Allah has sent down and [come] to the Apostle,’ they say, ‘Sufficient for us is what we have found our fathers following.’ What, even if their fathers did not know anything and were not guided?!

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا ٱهْتَدَيْتُمْ ۚ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًۭا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

5:105O you who have faith! Take care of your own souls. He who strays cannot hurt you if you are guided. To Allah will be the return of you all, whereat He will inform you concerning what you used to do.1

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ شَهَٰدَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ حِينَ ٱلْوَصِيَّةِ ٱثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ أَوْ ءَاخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ إِنْ أَنتُمْ ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصَٰبَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ تَحْبِسُونَهُمَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِٱللَّهِ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ لَا نَشْتَرِى بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۙ وَلَا نَكْتُمُ شَهَٰدَةَ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّمِنَ ٱلْءَاثِمِينَ

5:106O you who have faith! The witness between you, when death approaches any of you, while making a bequest, shall be two fair men from among yourselves—or two from among others, if you are journeying in the land and the affliction of death visits you. You shall detain the two of them after the prayer, and, if you have any doubt, they shall vow by Allah, ‘We will not sell it for any gain, even if it were a relative, nor will we conceal the testimony of Allah, for then we would indeed be among the sinners.’

فَإِنْ عُثِرَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنَّهُمَا ٱسْتَحَقَّآ إِثْمًۭا فَـَٔاخَرَانِ يَقُومَانِ مَقَامَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَوْلَيَٰنِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِٱللَّهِ لَشَهَٰدَتُنَآ أَحَقُّ مِن شَهَٰدَتِهِمَا وَمَا ٱعْتَدَيْنَآ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

5:107But if it is found that both of them were guilty of a sin, then two others shall stand up in their place from among those nearest in kinship to the claimants and swear by Allah: ‘Our testimony is surely truer than their testimony, and we have not transgressed, for then we would indeed be among the wrongdoers.’2

ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهَآ أَوْ يَخَافُوٓا۟ أَن تُرَدَّ أَيْمَٰنٌۢ بَعْدَ أَيْمَٰنِهِمْ ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ

5:108That makes it likelier that they give the testimony in its genuine form, or fear that other oaths will be taken after their oaths. Be wary of Allah and listen, and Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 104

1.The greatest cause of the destruction of humanity is following the ancestors and this disease is widespread in every era and the Holy Quran has openly censured it and remarked towards this point that when your fathers and forefathers were not intelligent and righteous then what is the use of following them? It was the condition of Jews and Christians but today we found such foolish and unintelligent persons in the world of Islam also who are following the same customs of their forefathers. Though they know that they had no religious knowledge and its secret is that they are brought up in the customary circumstances and they were taught from the beginning to follow the old customs. If the intelligent persons act thus then what is the surprise in the claim of ordinary people of following their ancestral religion?

Verse 107

2.One Muslim and two Christians undertook a joumey. On the way, death drew near the Muslim. He wrote a will and kept it safe under his luggage and asked his companions to handover his things to his heirs. The companions gave his belongings to his heirs but took away some costly things from it. The heirs saw the list and asked for those articles but they refused. After a few days they saw the same person with the goods, they asked him for that. He said: I have purchased them. Then Allah revealed the blessed verse regarding this: If you have doubt on the two witnesses, the heirs should swear that their testimony is truer and more correct and announce that they have not exceeded the limit otherwise they should be of the unjust.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    According to some commentators this sentence is against Amr bil Maroof and they have written thirty three pages justifying it. Fakhruddin Razi has given eight justifications, While the matter is absolutely clear that one should arrange for ones security. Its one part is that he must act on divine commands and he must also enjoin others to do the same. Now after this if someone goes astray there is no blame on those who had practiced Amr bil Ma’roof.

  2. 2

    Detailed writings are found in the interpretation of this sentence. Some commentators have even said that there is no sentence more difficult then this in the Holy Quran. However, some exegesists have stated the ‘Alaihim’ is applicable to the heirs. Because they are responsible for the rights of deceased and two people out of them must take the oath that all the rights of the deceased are now borne by these two. Still others think that ‘Istaheq’ denotes extremission in sin and truth, that is those people upon whose rights the two people have transgressed. That is the heirs.