In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful


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Study the Qur'aan in Qur'aanic light to understand Islam in its pristine simplicity, clarity, beauty and purity

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Qur'aanic Studies - Volume XI




by
Mohammad Shafi


PREFACE

Below the Arabic text of every Verse of the Qur'aan, is its transliteration, followed by translation and Chapter Notes, if any, essentially based on the Qur'aan itself. Please remember that the Arabic text is divine and, therefore, sacrosanct, but the transliteration, translation and the Notes are human and, therefore, subject to correction. Please also remember that the human-made Notes cannot, and do not, explain the divine Verses. They seek to explain the human translation only and/or to relate the Verse to present circumstances or to divine explanations given in other Verses of the Qur'aan.

I have adopted the transliteration method employed by the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) of the University of Southern California. And, in this regard, I may usefully quote from their site:

"MSA-USC would like to thank muslimnet.net for making their transliteration of the Qur'an publicly available.

'We would like to emphasize that this [transliteration] text is not a substitute for the original Arabic Qur'an. It is only an attempt to help those who are trying to learn to read the Arabic text, since it is as close to the written text as possible.

It is important to practice pronouncing the letters as directed in the transliteration table, especially the underlined letters, before starting to read. It will be helpful if an Arabic speaker can help you.

This work is free for use to everyone as long as no changes that might distort it are done to it. We request from those who benefit from it to pray for us. We pray to Almighty Allah to help you learn to read the Holy Qur'an, and to do every good thing.'"

I present this humble work in the earnest hope that it will prompt my Readers to try and understand the divine Message in its original Arabic text. They should remember that no translation however meticulously done can ever equal the original Arabic text in its divine grandeur and pristine clarity.

One may wonder why this yet another addition to the existing plethora of Translations and Commentaries! The answer to this question lies in the beauty of the fact that the divine Message of the Qur'aan remains valid for all times and ages since its revelation until the Last Day. The Message therefore needs to be studied from time to time in the changing perspectives of the changing times. It would be absolutely wrong to confine this universal Message for mankind to the circumstances and situations of a particular period in the past. Unfortunately, however, most of the commentators so far have based their understanding of the Qur'aan in the strict perspective of the circumstances and situations prevailing at the time of its revelation way back in 7th century A.D. The Muslim mindset generally has thus got stagnated and therefore unable to cope with the changing situations of the changing times. This humble attempt of mine is to help Muslims generally to come out, Allah willing, of that crippling stagnation.

This Volume of my Qur'aanic Studies is on An-Nisa Verses 148 to 176 and Al-Maidah Verses 1 to 27.

Mohammad Shafi
Mumbai, INDIA,
2md December, 2007


CONTENTS


Chapter 4. An-Nisa


Verses 148 to 160


Verses 161 to 170


Verses 171 to 176


Chapter 5. Al-Maidah


Verses 1 to 10


Verses 11 to 20


Verses 21 to 27




title

(An-Nisa)
Chapter 4: The Women

4.148
148. La yuhibbu Allahu aljahra bialssoo-i mina alqawli illa man thulima wakana Allahu sameeAAan AAaleeman

148. Allah loves not the public utterance of anything evil, except by someone who is wronged. And Allah does hear, know.73

73. It is human tendency to gossip about anything bad that might have happened to or done by another person. In this Verse, mankind is advised to eschew this tendency unless the publicity of an evil deed is done by a person directly affected by the evil. Pardoning of the evil by the affected party even, is recommended in the next Verse, 4.149.

4.149
149. In tubdoo khayran aw tukhfoohu aw taAAfoo AAan soo-in fa-inna Allaha kana AAafuwwan qadeeran

149. If you disclose a good deed or conceal it, or you do pardon an evil, then, surely, Allah is Forbearing, Powerful.

4.150
150. Inna allatheena yakfuroona biAllahi warusulihi wayureedoona an yufarriqoo bayna Allahi warusulihi wayaqooloona nu/minu bibaAAdin wanakfuru bibaAAdin wayureedoona an yattakhithoo bayna thalika sabeelan

150. Indeed, those who suppress the Truth about Allah and about His Messengers and would differentiate between Allah and His Messengers and say they believe in some and deny others, and would adopt a way in between.74

74. This Verse, as one may obviously see, only qualifies/describes the subject 'they' of the first clause in the next Verse 4.151.

4.151
151. Ola-ika humu alkafiroona haqqan waaAAtadna lilkafireena AAathaban muheenan

151. They, in fact, are the ones who suppress the Truth, and We have prepared a disgraceful punishment for the suppressors of Truth.

4.152
152. Waallatheena amanoo biAllahi warusulihi walam yufarriqoo bayna ahadin minhum ola-ika sawfa yu/teehim ojoorahum wakana Allahu ghafooran raheeman

152. And He shall give those their rewards, who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them75. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

75. Please refer to footnote 2.204 of these Studies in this context.

4.153
153. Yas-aluka ahlu alkitabi an tunazzila AAalayhim kitaban mina alssama-i faqad saaloo moosa akbara min thalika faqaloo arina Allaha jahratan faakhathat-humu alssaAAiqatu bithulmihim thumma ittakhathoo alAAijla min baAAdi ma jaat-humu albayyinatu faAAafawna AAan thalika waatayna moosa sultanan mubeenan

153. The people of the Book ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. They had demanded, of Moses, a greater thing than that! They had said, "Show Allah to us openly." So then the lightning struck them because of their transgression.76 They then took to the calf, after clear signs had come to them.77 We pardoned them even that! And We gave Moses a clear proof of authority.

76. Refer Verse 2.55 and the footnote thereunder, of these Studies.

77. This episode, of the Jews taking to the worship of the calf, is described in details in Verses 7.148 to 7.154. Refer also Verse 2.92 and footnotes thereunder, of these Studies, in this context.

4.154
154. WarafaAAna fawqahumu alttoora bimeethaqihim waqulna lahumu odkhuloo albaba sujjadan waqulna lahum la taAAdoo fee alssabti waakhathna minhum meethaqan ghaleethan

154. And We raised over them the mountain to enforce their covenant, and We asked them to prostrate while entering the gate, and We forbade to them transgression in the matter of the Sabbath, and We took from them a covenant with harsh terms.

4.155
155. Fabima naqdihim meethaqahum wakufrihim bi-ayati Allahi waqatlihimu al-anbiyaa bighayri haqqin waqawlihim quloobuna ghulfun bal tabaAAa Allahu AAalayha bikufrihim fala yu/minoona illa qaleelan

155. 78Because of their breaking of their covenant, their suppression of Allah's Verses/signs, their killing of Prophets unjustly and their saying that their minds are closed. Nay! Allah has put a seal on them, on account of their suppression of the Truth. So they believe but little.

78. Herein are given the reasons for the terms of the covenant with the Children of Israel being harsh. And the reasons for the Jews' continued sufferings till recently (World War II), are given in Verses 156 and 157 below.

4.156
156. Wabikufrihim waqawlihim AAala maryama buhtanan AAatheeman

156. And because of their suppression of the Truth and their having uttered against Mary a grave calumny.79

79. Refer Verses 19.27 and 19.28.

4.157
157. Waqawlihim inna qatalna almaseeha AAeesa ibna maryama rasoola Allahi wama qataloohu wama salaboohu walakin shubbiha lahum wa-inna allatheena ikhtalafoo feehi lafee shakkin minhu ma lahum bihi min AAilmin illa ittibaAAa alththanni wama qataloohu yaqeenan

157. And their saying that they indeed killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, Messenger of Allah. And they killed him not; nor did they crucify him. But it so appeared to them. And those indeed who differ therein, do so only in doubt. They have no knowledge about it, but follow only conjecture. And they killed him not for sure.80

80. Not only do the Jews have this false notion of Jesus having been killed on the Cross, but the Christians, the so-called followers of Jesus, have that notion too! The Christians have added the further falsehood that Jesus was son of God and that the son died on the Cross for atonement of the sins of the Christians, whereby every Christian now is assured of a place in Paradise, whatever sins he/she may have committed in this world!!

4.158
158. Bal rafaAAahu Allahu ilayhi wakana Allahu AAazeezan hakeeman

158. Nay! Allah took him up to Himself.81 And Allah is Almighty, Wise.

81. Some Muslims take the divine statement here to mean that Jesus was bodily taken up to Heavens. But Verse 3.55 makes it clear that Jesus was made to die and his soul was taken up like any other human being's. Refer footnote 3.68 of these Studies under that Verse.

4.159
159. Wa-in min ahli alkitabi illa layu/minanna bihi qabla mawtihi wayawma alqiyamati yakoonu AAalayhim shaheedan

159. And if there be any, of the people of the Book, who wouldn't believe in this before his/her death, he (Jesus) shall be a witness against all such persons, on the Day of Resurrection.

4.160
160. Fabithulmin mina allatheena hadoo harramna AAalayhim tayyibatin ohillat lahum wabisaddihim AAan sabeeli Allahi katheeran

160. And because of the transgression of the Jews and their hindering of many from Allah's Path, We prohibited to them certain good things which had been made lawful for them.82

82. Refer footnote 3.108 of these Studies under Verse 3.93, in this context.

4.161
161. Waakhthihimu alrriba waqad nuhoo AAanhu waaklihim amwala alnnasi bialbatili waaAAtadna lilkafireena minhum AAathaban aleeman

161. 83And because of their indulgence in Ar-Riba84, though indeed they were forbidden from it, and their usurping people's property falsely. And We have prepared, for the suppressors of Truth from among them, a painful punishment.

83. This Verse, in continuation of the preceding one, gives another reason for the penal prohibition, for Jews, of certain things, otherwise permitted.

84. For a comprehensive understanding of this Qur'aanic term, please refer Verses 2.275 to 2.279 and the footnotes thereunder of these Studies. At the time of revelation of this Verse 4.161, the complete prohibition against Ar-Riba was not yet imposed. It (Verse 4.161) was the second divine step towards preparing the Muslims for the final prohibition imposed under Verse 2.275. The first step was Verse 3.130. It (Verse 4.161) further explains the definition of Ar-Riba, given in Verse 30.39, by asserting that it constitutes false usurpation of people's property.

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4.162
162. Lakini alrrasikhoona fee alAAilmi minhum waalmu/minoona yu/minoona bima onzila ilayka wama onzila min qablika waalmuqeemeena alssalata waalmu/toona alzzakata waalmu/minoona biAllahi waalyawmi al-akhiri ola-ika sanu/teehim ajran AAatheeman

162. But the knowledgeable among them85, and the believers, believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you. And to those who establish prayers, give charity and believe in Allah and the last day, We will give a great reward.

85. The pronoun 'them' here stands for the Jews, referred to in Verses 160 and 161 above.

4.163
163. Inna awhayna ilayka kama awhayna ila noohin waalnnabiyyeena min baAAdihi waawhayna ila ibraheema wa-ismaAAeela wa-ishaqa wayaAAqooba waal-asbati waAAeesa waayyooba wayoonusa waharoona wasulaymana waatayna dawooda zabooran

163. We indeed have divinely inspired you86 as We did divinely inspire Noah. And We did divinely inspire the Prophets who came after him: Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron and Solomon. And We gave the Psalms to David.

86. The pronoun in Arabic here is in the singular, the obvious addressee being Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

4.164
164. Warusulan qad qasasnahum AAalayka min qablu warusulan lam naqsushum AAalayka wakallama Allahu moosa takleeman

164. And Messengers We did mention to you before and Messengers we have not mentioned to you. And Allah did actually speak to Moses.

4.165
165. Rusulan mubashshireena wamunthireena li-alla yakoona lilnnasi AAala Allahi hujjatun baAAda alrrusuli wakana Allahu AAazeezan hakeeman

165. Messengers to give good news and to warn. So that there remains no argument87 for mankind to have against Allah, after them. And Allah is Almighty, Wise.

87. The argument that Allah had not sent any Messenger to guide them.

4.166
166. Lakini Allahu yashhadu bima anzala ilayka anzalahu biAAilmihi waalmala-ikatu yashhadoona wakafa biAllahi shaheedan

166. But Allah bears witness, by what He has sent down to you, that He has sent it down, with His knowledge. And the angels bear witness. And Allah is sufficient as a witness.

4.167
167. Inna allatheena kafaroo wasaddoo AAan sabeeli Allahi qad dalloo dalalan baAAeedan

167. Those indeed have strayed far away, who suppress the Truth and cause hindrance in Allah's Path.

4.168
168. Inna allatheena kafaroo wathalamoo lam yakuni Allahu liyaghfira lahum wala liyahdiyahum tareeqan

168. Allah won't indeed forgive those who suppress the Truth and do wrong, nor guide them to a way.

4.169
169. Illa tareeqa jahannama khalideena feeha abadan wakana thalika AAala Allahi yaseeran

169. 88Other than the way to Hell, for them to dwell therein forever. And that is easy for Allah.

88. This is continuation of the phrase 'nor guide them to a way' occurring at the end of the preceding Verse.

4.170
170. Ya ayyuha alnnasu qad jaakumu alrrasoolu bialhaqqi min rabbikum faaminoo khayran lakum wa-in takfuroo fa-inna lillahi ma fee alssamawati waal-ardi wakana Allahu AAaleeman hakeeman

170. O Mankind! Certainly, the Messenger has come to you with the Truth from your Lord. So believe! It is good for you. And if you suppress the Truth, then, indeed, all that is in the heavens and the earth is Allah's! And Allah is Knowledgeable, Wise.

4.171
171. Ya ahla alkitabi la taghloo fee deenikum wala taqooloo AAala Allahi illa alhaqqa innama almaseehu AAeesa ibnu maryama rasoolu Allahi wakalimatuhu alqaha ila maryama waroohun minhu faaminoo biAllahi warusulihi wala taqooloo thalathatun intahoo khayran lakum innama Allahu ilahun wahidun subhanahu an yakoona lahu waladun lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee al-ardi wakafa biAllahi wakeelan

171. O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion, and speak not but the truth about Allah. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, is only a Messenger of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Mary, and a soul from Him. Believe then in Allah and His Messengers, and say not, "Trinity"! Desist. It is better for you. Allah is the only Entity worthy of worship. HE is too Exalted to have a son! All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth is His. And Allah is sufficient as Manager of all things.

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4.172
172. Lan yastankifa almaseehu an yakoona AAabdan lillahi wala almala-ikatu almuqarraboona waman yastankif AAan AAibadatihi wayastakbir fasayahshuruhum ilayhi jameeAAan

172. The Messiah did feel no aversion to being a worshipper of Allah, nor do the angels who are near to Him. And He will gather together to Himself all those who have felt aversion to His worship and have been proud.

4.173
173. Faamma allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati fayuwaffeehim ojoorahum wayazeeduhum min fadlihi waamma allatheena istankafoo waistakbaroo fayuAAaththibuhum AAathaban aleeman wala yajidoona lahum min dooni Allahi waliyyan wala naseeran

173. Then as for those who believe and do good, He will pay them their rewards in full and give them more, as Favour from Him. And as for those who feel aversion and are proud, He will give them a painful punishment. And they shall find for themselves, besides Allah, none to take refuge with, nor to help.

4.174
174. Ya ayyuha alnnasu qad jaakum burhanun min rabbikum waanzalna ilaykum nooran mubeenan

174. O Mankind! There has certainly come to you evidence from your Lord and We have sent to you a clear light.89

89. Please take note that this is an address to the entire mankind. There is evidence galore in every human body, and in all things surrounding, that an Unseen Power is in absolute control. If that human being denies the existence of that Power, he/she does so only by suppressing the overwhelming evidence before him/her. The entire evidence, moreover, is documented and presented to mankind in the form of the Qur'aan. The Qur'aan does not only present the evidence, but also provides the Guiding Light so that mankind does not stumble astray under the influence of satanic temptations.

4.175
175. Faamma allatheena amanoo biAllahi waiAAtasamoo bihi fasayudkhiluhum fee rahmatin minhu wafadlin wayahdeehim ilayhi siratan mustaqeeman

175. Then as for those who believed in Allah and held fast to Him, He will admit them to Mercy and Favour from Him and guide them, on the Straight Path, to Himself.

4.176
176. Yastaftoonaka quli Allahu yufteekum fee alkalalati ini imruon halaka laysa lahu waladun walahu okhtun falaha nisfu ma taraka wahuwa yarithuha in lam yakun laha waladun fa-in kanata ithnatayni falahuma alththuluthani mimma taraka wa-in kanoo ikhwatan rijalan wanisaan falilththakari mithlu haththi alonthayayni yubayyinu Allahu lakum an tadilloo waAllahu bikulli shay-in AAaleemun

176. They ask you for a legal decree. Say, "Allah gives you a decree concerning the person who has neither parents nor offspring. If it is a man that dies with no child, and he has a sister, she shall have half of what he leaves behind. - And he shall inherit her, if she has no child. - And if there are two sisters, they shall have two-thirds of what he leaves behind. And if there are siblings, both male and female, then the share of the male shall be equal to the shares of two females. Allah makes things clear to you, lest you err. And Allah knows all things."90

90. This Verse constitutes a sort of Supplement to the Qur'aanic Law of Inheritance enunciated in Verses 4.11 and 4.12.





title5

Chapter 5: The Table Spread With Food


Bismillah  

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful


5.1
1. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo awfoo bialAAuqoodi ohillat lakum baheematu al-anAAami illa ma yutla AAalaykum ghayra muhillee alssaydi waantum hurumun inna Allaha yahkumu ma yureedu

1. O you who believe! Fulfill obligations. Permitted to you are the quadruped animals except what is mentioned to you1, provided the prohibition against hunting is not violated while you are in the state of Ihram2. Indeed, Allah orders what He desires.

1. The prohibited things are mentioned below in Verse 5.3.

2. I.e. while performing rites of pilgrimage, during which hunting is prohibited.

5.2
2. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tuhilloo shaAAa-ira Allahi wala alshshahra alharama wala alhadya wala alqala-ida wala ammeena albayta alharama yabtaghoona fadlan min rabbihim waridwanan wa-itha halaltum faistadoo wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin an saddookum AAani almasjidi alharami an taAAtadoo wataAAawanoo AAala albirri waalttaqwa wala taAAawanoo AAala al-ithmi waalAAudwani waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha shadeedu alAAiqabi

2. O you who believe! Treat not irreverently the rites sanctified by Allah; nor the sacred month, nor the offerings, nor the garlands, and nor those going/coming to the Sacred House seeking the Favour and Pleasure of their Lord. And when you are free from the obligations of the pilgrimage, then hunt. And let not hatred of a people, on account of their stopping you from going to the Sacred Place of Worship,3 lead you to transgression. And co-operate with one another in goodness/righteousness and piety, and do not co-operate with one another in sin and transgression, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in giving punishment.

3. The reference here is to an event that occurred before the fall of Makkah to the Muslim forces. The Prophet (peace be upon him), with some of his companions had come out from Medina for visiting the Kaabah, but the Makkans had then prevented the Prophet's party. But the divine statement here has a general import. It is applicable to all situations, wherein human tendency is for persons to commit transgression in dealings with those who had done some wrong to the former, earlier.

5.3
3. Hurrimat AAalaykumu almaytatu waalddamu walahmu alkhinzeeri wama ohilla lighayri Allahi bihi waalmunkhaniqatu waalmawqoothatu waalmutaraddiyatu waalnnateehatu wama akala alssabuAAu illa ma thakkaytum wama thubiha AAala alnnusubi waan tastaqsimoo bial-azlami thalikum fisqun alyawma ya-isa allatheena kafaroo min deenikum fala takhshawhum waikhshawni alyawma akmaltu lakum deenakum waatmamtu AAalaykum niAAmatee waradeetu lakumu al-islama deenan famani idturra fee makhmasatin ghayra mutajanifin li-ithmin fa-inna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun

3. Forbidden to you are the carrion, and the blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is consecrated to any one other than Allah,4 and the strangled and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by being smitten with the horn and eaten by beasts unless you slaughter it properly berore its death, and that which is sacrificed over idols and that you try to know your future by means of arrows5. That is a transgression. - This day, those, who have suppressed the Truth, have despaired of your religion; so fear them not, and fear Me. This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My Favour upon you and approved for you Islam as religion. -6 But if one is compelled by hunger, and has no intention to sin, then Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful.

4. The words so far in this Verse are similar to those in Verse 2.173. Please therefore go through the footnotes thereunder of these Studies.

5. This is an allusion to the practice among Arabs, at the time of revelation of the Qur'aan, to use blunted arrows as a means for knowing or divining their future. It was akin to the modern-day popular newspaper column: 'what the stars foretell'. Here, the stars are made use of for foretelling what the future holds for newspaper readers. There, the people had devised some method of using blunted arrows for the same purpose. The divine Verse here prohibits all such attempts at knowing one's future. The future is known only to Allah, and He has kept it hidden from His creatures. All attempts by the creatures to defeat Allah's purpose would of course be futile. Allah has called all such attempts as transgressions.

6. This part of the Verse, in parenthesis, is very important. It unmistakably denotes the completion of the divine Message of the Qur'aan. It denotes that no further divine instructions for mankind have come thereafter in the form of Qur'aanic revelations. But a question arises as to why this important piece of divine revelation is placed so inconspicuously, as it were, in the midst of another divine instruction, obviously revealed earlier. The only explanation for this, that occurs to my mind, is that it is one of the divine ways to show that the Qur'aan has remained unpolluted. Man is unable to effect any changes therein surreptitiously. If Man were able to do that, he would have taken this important revelation out from its present inconspicuous position and placed it elsewhere. Allah knows best.

5.4
4. Yas-aloonaka matha ohilla lahum qul ohilla lakumu alttayyibatu wama AAallamtum mina aljawarihi mukallibeena tuAAallimoonahunna mimma AAallamakumu Allahu fakuloo mimma amsakna AAalaykum waothkuroo isma Allahi AAalayhi waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha sareeAAu alhisabi

4. They ask you as to what is permitted to them. Say, "Permitted to you are the good wholesome things. And eat of what the animals trained by you as hounds - you teach them of what Allah has taught you - hunt for you and over which you mention Allah's name. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is quick in account-keeping.

5.5
5. Alyawma ohilla lakumu alttayyibatu wataAAamu allatheena ootoo alkitaba hillun lakum wataAAamukum hillun lahum waalmuhsanatu mina almu/minati waalmuhsanatu mina allatheena ootoo alkitaba min qablikum itha ataytumoohunna ojoorahunna muhsineena ghayra musafiheena wala muttakhithee akhdanin waman yakfur bial-eemani faqad habita AAamaluhu wahuwa fee al-akhirati mina alkhasireena

5. This day all the good wholesome things are permitted to you. And the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And lawful for you are the chaste from among the believing women and the chaste from among those who had been given the Book before you, when you have given them their dues as chaste women in marriage ties - not indulging in extramarital sex or taking them as live-in girlfriends. And he who has suppressed Faith, has surely wasted his deeds; and, in the Hereafter, he shall be one of those doomed!

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5.6
6. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo itha qumtum ila alssalati faighsiloo wujoohakum waaydiyakum ila almarafiqi waimsahoo biruoosikum waarjulakum ila alkaAAbayni wa-in kuntum junuban faittahharoo wa-in kuntum marda aw AAala safarin aw jaa ahadun minkum mina algha-iti aw lamastumu alnnisaa falam tajidoo maan fatayammamoo saAAeedan tayyiban faimsahoo biwujoohikum waaydeekum minhu ma yureedu Allahu liyajAAala AAalaykum min harajin walakin yureedu liyutahhirakum waliyutimma niAAmatahu AAalaykum laAAallakum tashkuroona

6. O you who believe! When you get up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet up to the ankles.7 And if you are unclean, then cleanse yourselves. And if you are ill or on a journey, or any of you has come from the privy, or you have had sexual contacts with women, and you find no water, then simulate washing with clean earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to keep you clean and to complete His Favour upon you, so that you may be grateful.

7. This is the divine order for ablution (wudu) before a salah. As may be seen from the divine wording, the order is for ablution before every salah. But Muslims here in the Indian subcontinent are in the habit of considering a wudu made for one salah as valid for another coming hours later, during which interval they may attend to worldly work or engage in gossip with friends. This is one of many instances wherein today's Muslims go blatantly against specific divine instructions. No wonder then that they are devoid of Allah's Favour upon them. Please see the next Verse also in this context. The Muslims of today are breaking their covenant with Allah, when they disobey the instructions.

5.7
7. Waothkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum wameethaqahu allathee wathaqakum bihi ith qultum samiAAna waataAAna waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha AAaleemun bithati alssudoori

7. And remember Allah's Favour upon you and His Covenant with which He bound you, when you said, "We hear and we obey." And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah knows the secrets of the minds.

5.8
8. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo koonoo qawwameena lillahi shuhadaa bialqisti wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin AAala alla taAAdiloo iAAdiloo huwa aqrabu lilttaqwa waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha khabeerun bima taAAmaloona

8. O you who believe! Be firm as just witnesses for Allah. And let not enmity and hatred for people induce you to commit the crime of being unjust. Be just! It is conducive to piety. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is aware of what you do.

5.9
9. WaAAada Allahu allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati lahum maghfiratun waajrun AAatheemun

9. Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward for those who believe and do good deeds.

5.10
10. Waallatheena kafaroo wakaththaboo bi-ayatina ola-ika as-habu aljaheemi

10. And those who suppress the Truth and deny our Verses/Signs - those shall be the dwellers of the Fire.

5.11
11. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo othkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum ith hamma qawmun an yabsutoo ilaykum aydiyahum fakaffa aydiyahum AAankum waittaqoo Allaha waAAala Allahi falyatawakkali almu/minoona

11. O you who believe! Remember Allah's Favour upon you when people had planned to raise their hands against you, but He stayed their hands from you.8 And fear Allah. And in Allah let the believers put their trust.

8. Reference here is obviously to events during the time the Qur'aan was revealed. But many Muslims today may recall instances in their own personal lives when they were miraculously saved from attacks intended against them by others. I myself am aware of such instances in my life. Although we are guilty of disobedience to Him in many matters, Allah still protects us sometimes so that we remember this and come back to the blessed path of complete obedience and submission to Him, putting our complete trust in Him.

5.12
12. Walaqad akhatha Allahu meethaqa banee isra-eela wabaAAathna minhumu ithnay AAashara naqeeban waqala Allahu innee maAAakum la-in aqamtumu alssalata waataytumu alzzakata waamantum birusulee waAAazzartumoohum waaqradtumu Allaha qardan hasanan laokaffiranna AAankum sayyi-atikum walaodkhilannakum jannatin tajree min tahtiha al-anharu faman kafara baAAda thalika minkum faqad dalla sawaa alssabeeli

12. And Allah did take a covenant from the Children of Israel, and We raised up among them twelve chieftains. And Allah said, "I am indeed with you. If you establish prayer and give charity and believe in My Messengers and assist them and lend a goodly loan to Allah9, I shall certainly condone your shortcomings, and shall certainly admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever has suppressed the Truth from among you after that, he has surely lost the right way."

9. A similar phrase is used in Verse 2.245. Kindly go through the footnote, of these Studies, under that Verse.

5.13
13. Fabima naqdihim meethaqahum laAAannahum wajaAAalna quloobahum qasiyatan yuharrifoona alkalima AAan mawadiAAihi wanasoo haththan mimma thukkiroo bihi wala tazalu tattaliAAu AAala kha-inatin minhum illa qaleelan minhum faoAAfu AAanhum waisfah inna Allaha yuhibbu almuhsineena

13. And then, because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts hard. They pervert the Word from its contextual sense10 and they have forgotten a part of what they were reminded of. And you will not cease to find treachery in them, except in a few of them. But then leave them alone and overlook. Allah does indeed love those who do good.

10. Alas! Many Muslims of today are trying to do the same thing with the Qur'aan. Had it not been for the divine protection of the original text in Arabic, they might have succeeded in corrupting it.

5.14
14. Wamina allatheena qaloo inna nasara akhathna meethaqahum fanasoo haththan mimma thukkiroo bihi faaghrayna baynahumu alAAadawata waalbaghdaa ila yawmi alqiyamati wasawfa yunabbi-ohumu Allahu bima kanoo yasnaAAoona

14. And from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant. And then, they forgot a part of what they were reminded of. So then, We made mutual enmity and hatred stick to them till the Day of Resurrection. And Allah will inform them what work they did.

5.15
15. Ya ahla alkitabi qad jaakum rasooluna yubayyinu lakum katheeran mimma kuntum tukhfoona mina alkitabi wayaAAfoo AAan katheerin qad jaakum mina Allahi noorun wakitabun mubeenun

15. O people of the Book! Our Messenger has surely come to you explaining to you much of what you concealed of and effaced from the Book. Surely, from Allah has come to you light, and a clear Book.

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5.16
16. Yahdee bihi Allahu mani ittabaAAa ridwanahu subula alssalami wayukhrijuhum mina alththulumati ila alnnoori bi-ithnihi wayahdeehim ila siratin mustaqeemin

16. With it Allah guides him who seeks His pleasure to ways of peace. And He takes them out of darknesses to light by His will. And He guides them to the Straight Path.

5.17
17. Laqad kafara allatheena qaloo inna Allaha huwa almaseehu ibnu maryama qul faman yamliku mina Allahi shay-an in arada an yuhlika almaseeha ibna maryama waommahu waman fee al-ardi jameeAAan walillahi mulku alssamawati waal-ardi wama baynahuma yakhluqu ma yashao waAllahu AAala kulli shay-in qadeerun

17. Surely they suppress the Truth, who say, "The Messiah, son of Mary, is indeed Allah." Say, "Who then could have power over anything against Allah if He wished to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and anyone on the entire earth? And to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allah can do anything.

5.18
18. Waqalati alyahoodu waalnnasara nahnu abnao Allahi waahibbaohu qul falima yuAAaththibukum bithunoobikum bal antum basharun mimman khalaqa yaghfiru liman yashao wayuAAaththibu man yashao walillahi mulku alssamawati waal-ardi wama baynahuma wa-ilayhi almaseeru

18. And the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of Allah and His loved ones." Say, "Why does He then punish you for your sins? Nay, you are but human beings from among those whom He has created. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the absolute authority over the heavens and the earth and over all that is between them. And to Him is the final destination."

5.19
19. Ya ahla alkitabi qad jaakum rasooluna yubayyinu lakum AAala fatratin mina alrrusuli an taqooloo ma jaana min basheerin wala natheerin faqad jaakum basheerun wanatheerun waAllahu AAala kulli shay-in qadeerun

19. O people of the Book! Surely, Our Messenger has come to you to explain things to you, after a break in sending the Messengers, lest you say, "No one had come to us as a messenger of good news or as a warner." Surely, now, there has come to you a messenger of good news and a warner. And Allah can do anything.

5.20
20. Wa-ith qala moosa liqawmihi ya qawmi othkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum ith jaAAala feekum anbiyaa wajaAAalakum mulookan waatakum ma lam yu/ti ahadan mina alAAalameena

20. And when Moses said to his people, "O my people! Remember Allah's Favour upon you when He raised Prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any of the worlds11."

11. For the meaning of aalameen, refer footnote 1.5 of these Studies.

5.21
21. Ya qawmi odkhuloo al-arda almuqaddasata allatee kataba Allahu lakum wala tartaddoo AAala adbarikum fatanqaliboo khasireena

21. "O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah has assigned to you12,13 and turn not on your backs; for, then, you will turn back doomed."

12. It is on the basis of this divine statement, which obviously the Torah also contains, that the State of Israel has now been created. The Jews claim that they have a divine right to the land, which was almost entirely inhabited by the Arabs at the beginning of the twentieth century. There were hardly any Jews living there then. They had been scattered all over the world, living everywhere as small minorities. The Allied Forces, which had defeated the Germans in World War II, had promised to the Jews, who had suffered greatly in Hitler's Germany, to give them a land of their own. And so was the State of Israel created in 1948. And the scattered Jews flocked to the new State from all over the world. The land with the original boundaries of Israel was not enough, and it managed to occupy surrounding Arab territory in conflicts and wars that ensued. The Arabs were thus turned into refugees in their own land.

13. But, whatever the circumstances under which Israel stands now created, the coming into existence of the new State is a confirmation of the divine statement that the land was assigned to the Jews. Therefore they are there now. They were there before also, forty years after they were first told to enter the land, as the Verses, following this Verse, indicate. Under David and Solomon, the land prospered and expanded. But, thereafter, the Jews relapsed into the same rebellious mood as depicted in Verses below. They were punished, their State was completely destroyed, and they were scattered to live as small minorities in different parts of the world. [Refer Verses 17.4 & 17.5] They are brought together now as foretold in Verse 17.104. And if they become tyrants and arrogant again, they are destined for destruction again. [Verse 17.7]

5.22
22. Qaloo ya moosa inna feeha qawman jabbareena wa-inna lan nadkhulaha hatta yakhrujoo minha fa-in yakhrujoo minha fa-inna dakhiloona

22. They said, "O Moses! In it indeed live a cruel people. And we shall definitely not enter it until they go out from it. And if they go out from it, then indeed we shall enter.

5.23
23. Qala rajulani mina allatheena yakhafoona anAAama Allahu AAalayhima odkhuloo AAalayhimu albaba fa-itha dakhaltumoohu fa-innakum ghaliboona waAAala Allahi fatawakkaloo in kuntum mu/mineena

23. Two men of those who feared and upon both of whom Allah had bestowed favour, said, "Enter upon them by the gate, and when you enter it, you shall indeed be victorious. And upon Allah put your trust, if you do believe.

5.24
24. Qaloo ya moosa inna lan nadkhulaha abadan ma damoo feeha fa-ithhab anta warabbuka faqatila inna hahuna qaAAidoona

24. They said, "O Moses! We shall never enter it so long as they are in it. Go then, you and your Lord, and fight you both with them. We shall indeed sit right here!

5.25
25. Qala rabbi innee la amliku illa nafsee waakhee faofruq baynana wabayna alqawmi alfasiqeena

25. He said, "My Lord! I have indeed no control but on my own self and on my brother. Make a distinction, then, between us and the transgressing people."

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5.26
26. Qala fa-innaha muharramatun AAalayhim arbaAAeena sanatan yateehoona fee al-ardi fala ta/sa AAala alqawmi alfasiqeena

26. Allah said, "So it is forbidden to them for forty years, during which time they shall suffer, wandering from place to place on the earth. Be not sad then for the transgressing people."

5.27
27. Waotlu AAalayhim nabaa ibnay adama bialhaqqi ith qarraba qurbanan fatuqubbila min ahadihima walam yutaqabbal mina al-akhari qala laaqtulannaka qala innama yataqabbalu Allahu mina almuttaqeena

27. And relate to them the story of the two sons of Adam with truth. When each offered a sacrifice, the sacrifice from one of them was accepted and the sacrifice from the other was not. The latter said, "I will certainly kill you." The former said, "Allah accepts offerings only from the pious."14

14. This story about the two sons of Adam is continued in Verses, immediately following this Verse in the Qur'aan. Those following Verses are to be taken up for these Studies, in the next Volume inshaAllah.

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