Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 14–17

5. Al-Maaida · The Table

Madinan120 verses

وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَٰرَىٰٓ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَهُمْ فَنَسُوا۟ حَظًّۭا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ ٱلْعَدَاوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۚ وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ

5:14Also from those who say, ‘We are Christians,’ We took their pledge; but they forgot a part of what they were reminded. So We stirred up enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection, and soon Allah will inform them concerning what they had been doing.1

يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًۭا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍۢ ۚ قَدْ جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ نُورٌۭ وَكِتَٰبٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ

5:15O People of the Book! Certainly Our Apostle has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you used to hide of the Book, and excusing many [an offense of yours]. Certainly, there has come to you a light from Allah, and a manifest Book.2

يَهْدِى بِهِ ٱللَّهُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ رِضْوَٰنَهُۥ سُبُلَ ٱلسَّلَٰمِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ

5:16With it Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path.

لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ ٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ

5:17They are certainly faithless who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary.’ Say, ‘Who can avail anything against Allah should He wish to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone upon the earth?’ To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them. He creates whatever He wishes, and Allah has power over all things.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 15

1.Jews and Christians hold different views according to their belief but do not differ in their personal manners, revolts against Islam and mischief making. Both have made distortions in the Holy book of Allah and disregarded the Covenant of Allah. Both have concealed prophecies regarding the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and have evaded belief in Prophet (s.a.) and oppressed the Muslims. Till the reality was exposed and Allah sent His Prophet (s.a.) to complete His proof against them, who mentioned some secrets of Taurat and Injeel and also proclaimed his knowledge and pointed out the Khayanat (betrayal of trust) of the People of the book and then pointed out three benefits of following the Prophet (s.a.): (i) Man being comes to the right path. (ii) He comes out from darkness of ignorance and infidelity towards the light of Islam and monotheism. (iii) He comes on the Straight Path. Certainly Islam is a message of universal peace in which safety of the world is not only through war and conflict. On the other hand, there is safety from every moral, economic, social, religious and political disturbance and besides all kinds of godliness and light; it guides to the right path.

Verse 17

2.When Christians set up a belief of Isa’s (a.s.) divinity the Quran announced their weakness in one word that Isa (a.s.) can die and there is no one to save him and in this way shows their foolishness that these foolish people are convinced of the death of Isa (a.s.). Hence death and divinity cannot come together.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    The Christians consider themselves more faithful and gentle than the Jews. The Almighty Allah has also explained their character. That oath has been taken from them also and the teaching of Injeel has been conveyed to them. But they also behaved like the Jews. Thus their punishment in the world will become apparent in the form of controversies among different sects. The clear proof of this is the massacring of Christians is much more by their coreligionists rather then non-Christians.

  2. 2

    Some people take the word ‘Noor’ to mean Islam, while others think it is the person of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). All of them are correct. However, if we see the implication of this without confirming ourselves to the words of this ayat, the ‘Noor’ is also applicable. in addition to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the Holy Quran to Able Bayt (a.s.) who were appointed by the Almighty Allah for the guidance of humanity.

  3. Benefit

    We should know that Adawat is open enmity and Bughza is hidden malice. Ila yaumil Qiyamah indicated that this group will remain present in minority even during the reappearance of Imam (a.s.) though Islam will be in power.