Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 3–5

5. Al-Maaida · The Table

Madinan120 verses

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟ بِٱلْأَزْلَٰمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۗ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًۭا ۚ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍۢ لِّإِثْمٍۢ ۙ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

5:3You are prohibited carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and what has been offered to other than Allah, and the animal strangled or beaten to death, and that which dies by falling or is gored to death, and that which is mangled by a beast of prey—barring that which you may purify —and what is sacrificed on stone altars [to idols], and that you should divide by raffling with arrows. All that is transgression. Today the faithless have despaired of your religion. So do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion. But should anyone be compelled by hunger, without inclining to sin, then Allah is indeed all-forgiving, all-merciful.15

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَآ أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّآ أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ

5:4They ask you as to what is lawful to them. Say, ‘All the good things are lawful to you.’ As for what you have taught hunting dogs [to catch], teaching them out of what Allah has taught you, eat of what they catch for you and mention Allah’s Name over it, and be wary of Allah. Indeed Allah is swift at reckoning.

ٱلْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ ۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ حِلٌّۭ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّۭ لَّهُمْ ۖ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ

5:5Today all the good things have been made lawful to you—the food of those who were given the Book is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them—and the chaste ones from among faithful women, and chaste women of those who were given the Book before you, when you have given them their dowries, in wedlock, not in license, nor taking paramours. Should anyone renounce his faith, his work shall fail and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.2

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 3

1.Commentators hold different views regarding ‘today’. Some say it means now and this very moment, that when all the lawful and unlawful have been clarified the religion is accomplished and the bounties of Allah completed. But most commentators, historians and scholars of traditions say that this verse was revealed in the year 10 AH, when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was returning after the pilgrimage at Ghadeer Khum and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) appointed Ali (a.s.) as his successor and completed elucidation of Islam along with it and clarified to His followers that after my death Ali (a.s.) has full authority and control over Islam and in this way He is your Maula (master) as I am your Maula. Commentators of Quran have argued about the meaning of word ‘Maula’ but have not denied the incident. Among the narrators there are 120 companions, 840 companions of companions and 360 memorizers of traditions and this incident is mentioned in Musnad Ahmad Hanbal, Khasais Nasai, Mustadrak Hakim, Manaqib Khwarizmi and Istia’b etc. whose details are available in Al-Ghadeer (12 volumes.).

Verse 5

2.Some people have inferred the word ‘Zabihah’ to mean animal slaughtered for food by People of the Book and argued that the word ‘food’ is used for aquatic animals, water and flesh and in different other meanings in the Holy Quran. Therefore the animal slaughtered by the People of the Book should also be permissible if it is slaughtered according to Islamic rules and their analogy should not be on other polytheists as they are not obvious polytheists. But the real matter is that the word ‘food’ can be used basically for all eatables and it has been used thus. But it is not used for consumable things like water and some other things. Therefore to take the help this verse to prove the legality of animals slaughtered by People of the Book is strange. The cleanness of People of the Book is one thing and the legality of animals slaughtered by them is another.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Islam has prohibited ten types of animals.

    (1) Carcass - An animal which is not slaughtered according to the Islamic way.

    (2) Blood - Which is not in the form of flesh.

    (3) Pig - Its flesh and fat etc.

    (4) Animal on which the name of some other entity other than Allah is recited at the time of slaughtering. (

  2. 5

    Animal which is suffocated to death.

    (6) Animal which is beaten to death.

    (7) Animal which is killed by throwing it from a height.

    (8) Animal which is killed by involving it in a duel of horns.

    (9) Animal which is killed by a wild beast the remain thereof.

    (10) Animal which is sacrificed at the altar of the idols of Jahiliyya - Ansab - stones other than Asnam. Asnam have particular shape and form while Asnab are ordinarily shaped. Different categories are mentioned depending upon different circumstances. Otherwise apart from these dogs, carnivorous animals, insects and other mutant animals are also prohibited.

  3. 2

    This indicates that the earnings of women through fornication cannot be used to serve food to guests. In order for it to become permissible it must be given as a dower (Mahr) and the proper Nikah formula (Aqd) has to be recited. In the present age gifts are given in return of sexual favors, which is a great evil. It has no connection with Nikah (Islamic marriage).