Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 37–41

5. Al-Maaida · The Table

Madinan120 verses

يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَٰرِجِينَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ مُّقِيمٌۭ

5:37They would long to leave the Fire, but they shall never leave it, and there is a lasting punishment for them.1

وَٱلسَّارِقُ وَٱلسَّارِقَةُ فَٱقْطَعُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَٰلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ

5:38As for the thief, man or woman, cut off their hands as a requital for what they have earned. [That is] an exemplary punishment from Allah, and Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.

فَمَن تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

5:39But whoever repents after his wrongdoing, and reforms, then Allah shall accept his repentance. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ

5:40Do you not know that to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth? He punishes whomever He wishes, and forgives whomever He wishes, and Allah has power over all things.

۞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ لَا يَحْزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْ ۛ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ ۛ سَمَّٰعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّٰعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ ۖ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِۦ ۖ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَٱحْذَرُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُۥ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ

5:41O Apostle! Do not grieve for those who are active in [promoting] unfaith, such as those who say, ‘We believe’ with their mouths, but whose hearts have no faith, and the Jews who eavesdrop with the aim of [telling] lies [against you] and eavesdrop for other people who do not come to you. They pervert words from their meanings, [and] say, ‘If you are given this, take it, but if you are not given this, beware!’ Yet whomever Allah wishes to mislead, you cannot avail him anything against Allah. They are the ones whose hearts Allah did not desire to purify. For them is disgrace in this world, and there is a great punishment for them in the Hereafter.2

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 38

1.Islam has prescribed the punishment for stealing only if the crime is proved to be theft by all means and no legal justification is present. In this connection the following rules are mentioned:

(i) If goods are in a safe place

(ii) Their value should be at least 1/4 Dinar

(iii) Thief must be a major

(iv) He should be sane

(v) If a father has not stolen the goods of his own son

(vi) It should not be a time of famine as in this period every hungry person has been given the right to food. Though Islam prescribes very severe punishment it has also laid down very strict method of proving the crime so that no innocent person is punished, and crimes must also not get a chance to flourish in the society.

Verse 41

2.Two Jews of Khyber did fornication and according to the tradition of Taurat they were condemned to be stoned to death. Other people made a plan to let the Prophet (s.a.) give the judgment so that punishment should be light. They sent a delegation to Prophet (s.a.) with instructions that if he gives the same decision you must not agree. But the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) gave the same judgment. They said it was against the law of Taurat. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) called a scholar of Taurat for testimony and he testified that it was true. The Jews were disgraced. We should know that such people are present in every age who want to include their likes and dislikes in the judgment of Allah and His Prophet and they reject the decisions they dislike. These Jewish mentality people are hypocrites and they do not deserve to be called Muslims.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    ‘yad’ is the right hand according to the consensus of Muslims. However, there is difference of opinion whether only fingers are to be cut or the palm also. The Imams of Able Bayt (a.s.) have prohibited the cutting of the palm because it is one of the part that is used in prostration, and that the parts of sajdah are for the Almighty. They cannot be mutilated.

  2. 2

    Some commentators think that ‘fitna’ means infidelity. That Allah makes whomsoever He wishes to be a Kafir. Others consider ‘fitna’ to mean punishment, because Allah cannot desire infidelity but He can certainly punish. However apparently this is regarding misdeeds of the Jews, which were not forcibly prevented by Allah.

  3. Benefit

    In 38th verse the punishment is said to exemplary. Just as a beast is harnessed. Repentance can be accepted only before the crime is proved so that the matter can be subjective. That is why it is called Aslah (reformation). Also, the Quran has addressed O Prophet! here as well as in Ghadeer. Hence we must ponder upon both the verses with equal attention.