Verses 57–63
5. Al-Maaida · The Table
Madinan120 verses
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًۭا وَلَعِبًۭا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَٱلْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
5:57O you who have faith! Do not take those who take your religion in derision and play, from among those who were given the Book before you, and the infidels, as friends, and be wary of Allah, should you be faithful.
وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًۭا وَلَعِبًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌۭ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ
5:58When you call to prayer, they take it in derision and play. That is because they are a people who do not exercise their reason.1
قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ هَلْ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلُ وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ
5:59Say, ‘O People of the Book! Are you vindictive toward us for any reason except that we have faith in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and in what was sent down before, and that most of you are transgressors?’
قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّۢ مِّن ذَٰلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ مَن لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْقِرَدَةَ وَٱلْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ شَرٌّۭ مَّكَانًۭا وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَآءِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
5:60Say, ‘Shall I inform you concerning something worse than that as a requital from Allah? Those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He is wrathful, and turned some of whom into apes and swine, and worshippers of fake deities! Such are in a worse situation and more astray from the right way.’2
وَإِذَا جَآءُوكُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَقَد دَّخَلُوا۟ بِٱلْكُفْرِ وَهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا۟ بِهِۦ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْتُمُونَ
5:61When they come to you, they say, ‘We believe.’ Certainly, they enter with disbelief and leave with it, and Allah knows best as to what they have been concealing.
وَتَرَىٰ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَأَكْلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحْتَ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
5:62You see many of them actively engaged in sin and aggression, and consuming illicit gains. Surely, evil is what they have been doing.
لَوْلَا يَنْهَىٰهُمُ ٱلرَّبَّٰنِيُّونَ وَٱلْأَحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ ٱلْإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحْتَ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ
5:63Why do not the rabbis and the scribes forbid them from sinful speech and consuming illicit gains? Surely, evil is what they have been working.3
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 59
1.It is strange that with mention of Jews and Christians the Holy Quran usually mentions the hypocrites also. The Holy Quran wants to warn the Muslim world of this hidden danger which was not only in the early period of Islam but it occurs in each era and even today. The Holy Quran has also indicated their activities so that Muslims would be careful of their character and would not allow these characters to enter their life.
Verse 63
2.This auspicious verse is an open challenge that only sinful persons are not guilty in the sight of Allah. On the contrary those who remain silent and do not forbid them are also the culprit. Whether they are related to the holy personalities or the nobility. Islam neither likes these holy men not scholars who see evil and remain silent for their personal benefits and do not take any step.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
There was a custom among the Christians and I Jews to blow shells or bugles, and thus when Azaan started in Islam they began to make. fun of it. They did not apply their minds to see that then: is no meaningfulness in musical instruments. Azaan is not merely a sound. It is a complete message of Islam. It’s a pity that even today many Muslims prefer musical instruments to the message of Islam. May Allah show them the light of reason.
- 2
It means that if our belief is some evil and fault worse are the people whose end had been such and they are mentioned in different ayats. Here they all are brought together. That is the Jews.
- 3
We should know that just as the actions of the disbelievers and the hypocrites are called the worst of deeds in the same way the silence of the religious scholars is also called the worst deed.
Benefit
The words "ya'maloon" with regard to the ignorant people and the word "yasna'oon" for the wise indicates their cunning.