The Qur’an chapter 5
The fifth chapter of the Qur’an is called al-Ma’idah, or The Table. It consists of 120 verses. Here is our commentary.
Disclaimer
We are not Muslims. We have no expertise with the Qur’an.
We are reading the Qur’an as a good-faith effort to to become better-equipped for the ministry of of Interfaith Dialogue with Muslims.
We are Christians who are reading the Qur’an for the first time. Our mindset is to approach the Qur’an with respect and as learners. Our comments are simply whatever stood out to us.
In the name of God, the Almighty, the Merciful.
VERSE 1. O you who believe, fulfill the contracts. Permitted for you are the animal livestock, except that which is being recited to you – while maintaining the ban on hunting while you are under restriction. God decrees as He pleases.
Permitted for you are the animal livestock. Muslims may eat the meat of livestock animals.
VERSE 2. O you who believe, do not violate the rites of God, nor the restricted Month, nor the offerings, nor the regulations, nor the safety of the Restricted Sanctuary; for they are seeking a bounty from their Lord and a blessing. And when it is permitted for you, then you may hunt. And let not the hatred of another people; because they had barred you from the Restricted Temple; make you aggress. And help each other in piety and righteousness, and do not help each other in sin and transgression. And be aware of God, for the retribution of God is severe.
the restricted Month. Presumably this refers to the holy month of Ramadan.
VERSE 3. Forbidden for you is that which is already dead, and blood, and the meat of pig, and what was sacrificed with to other than God. And that which has been strangled, and that which has been bludgeoned, and that which has fallen from a height, and that which has been gored, and that which a wild animal has savaged- unless it was slaughtered while it still lived-and what has been slaughtered on altars, and what you divide through arrows of chance. This is all nasty. Today the rejecters have given up from your system, so do not be concerned by them, but be concerned by Me. Today I have perfected your system for you, and completed My blessings upon you, and I have approved submission as the system for you. So, whoever is forced by severe hunger and not seeking sin, then God is Forgiving, Merciful.
that which is already dead. Muslims may not eat carrion.
and blood. Muslims may not eat blood.
the meat of pig. Like Jewish people, Muslims may not eat pork.
what was sacrificed with to other than God. Like Christians, Muslims may not eat food that was sacrificed to other deities.
VERSE 4. They ask you what was made permissible to them, say: “All the good things have been made permissible for you, and what the birds of prey and trained dogs catch, you teach them from what God teaches you.” So eat from what they have captured for you and mention the name of God upon it, and be aware of God. God is swift in reckoning.
mention the name of God upon it. This appears to suggest a brief prayer of blessing prior to eating food.
VERSE 5. Today, the good things have been made permissible to you, and the food of those who have been given the Book is permissible for you, and your food is permissible for them. And the emancipated females from those who are believers, and the emancipated females from those who have been given the Book before you; on condition that you give them their dowries. To be emancipated – not for illicit sex or taking lovers. And whoever rejects belief, then his work has fallen, and in the Hereafter he is of the losers.
your food is permissible for them. Halal and Kosher are equivalent.
of the losers. This word (“loser”) seems to be new as of this chapter. In context, it seems to denote the people who go to Hell.
VERSE 6. O you who believe, when you attend to the Connection, then wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you have had intercourse, then you shall purify. And if you are ill, or traveling, or you have excreted feces, or you have had sexual contact with the women, and you cannot find water, then you shall select from the clean soil; you shall wipe your faces and your hands with it. God does not want to place any hardship on you, but He wants to purify you and to complete His blessings upon you that you may be thankful.
This verse lists actions that prohibit you from praying:
if you have had intercourse. Sexual intercourse prohibits you from praying.
if you are ill. Illness prohibits you from praying.
or traveling. Traveling prohibits you from prayer.
This is a major problem for homeless people, as they are always traveling.
you have excreted feces. Pooping prohibits you from praying.
you have had sexual contact with the women. Sexual activity with a woman prohibits you from prayer.
select from the clean soil; you shall wipe your faces and your hands with it. The above prohibitions can be overcome by washing your face and hands with dirt.
This is a major problem for people who live in a large city. They do not have access to clean soil.
This verse is similar to 4:43.
VERSE 7. And remember the blessings of God over you and His covenant that He has bound you with, for which you have said: “We hear and obey,” and be aware of God; for God knows what is in the chests.
VERSE 8. O you who believe, stand for God and be witnesses for justice, and let not the hatred towards a people make you avoid being just. Be just, for it is closer to righteousness, and be aware of God. God is expert over what you do.
be witnesses for justice. A Muslim is called to be an agent of justice.
We wish Christians saw themselves as being called to be agents of justice.
let not the hatred towards a people make you avoid being just. A Muslim must overcome their own prejudice and racism.
We wish Christians saw themselves as being called to overcome their own prejudice and racism.
VERSE 9. God has promised those who believe and do good works that they will have forgiveness and a great recompense.
believe and do good works. This is a lovely resolution of the age-old debate among Christians concerning faith versus works.
VERSE 10. And those who reject and deny Our revelations, they are the dwellers of Hell.
VERSE 11. O you who believe, remember the blessings of God upon you when a group desired to aggress against you, and He restrained their hands from you. And reverence God. And in God the believers should put their trust.
a group desired to aggress against you. In the early days of the Muslim movement, the LORD God protected them.
VERSE 12. And God has taken the covenant of the Children of Israel, and We raised from them twelve representatives. And God said: “I am with you if you hold the Connection, and contribute towards purification, and believe in My messengers, and support them, and lend God a loan of righteousness; then I will cancel your sins and admit you into estates with rivers flowing beneath them. Whoever rejects after this from you, then he has strayed from the path.”
VERSE 13. Because of them breaking their covenant, We have cursed them, and made their hearts become hardened; they take the words out of context; and they forgot much of what they were reminded of. And you will still discover betrayal in them except for a few; so pardon them and overlook; God loves the good doers.
We have cursed them. The Qur’an considers the Jewish people to be cursed by the LORD God.
VERSE 14. And from those who have said: “We are Nazarenes,” We have taken their covenant and they have forgotten much of what they were reminded of; so We planted between them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection; and God will inform them of what they had done.
We are Nazarenes. That is, “We are Christians.”
We have taken their covenant. Many Christians imagine that Christianity has replaced Judaism.
This is an errant belief. In our day it is called Supersessionism. See Wikipedia.
VERSE 15. O people of the Book, Our messenger has come to you to clarify for you much of what you were hiding from the Book, and to pardon over much. A light has come to you from God and a clarifying Book.
VERSE 16. God guides with it whoever follows His acceptance, to the ways of peace; and it brings them out of the darkness and into the light with His permission; and it guides them to a straight path.
to the ways of peace. To be a Muslim is to be guided by God into the ways of peace.
VERSE 17. Rejecters indeed are those who have said: “God is the Messiah, son of Mary.” Say: “Who has any power against God if He had wanted to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and all who are on the earth!” And to God is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is in-between; He creates what He pleases. God is capable of all things.
Rejecters indeed are those who have said: “God is the Messiah, son of Mary.” If you believe in the divinity of Jesus, the Qur’an considers you a rejecter.
VERSE 18. And the Jews and the Nazarenes said: “We are the sons of God, and His loved ones.” Say: “Then why does He punish you for your sins?” No, you are merely mortals which He has created. He forgives whom He pleases, and He punishes whom He pleases. And to God is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is in-between, and to Him is the destiny.
VERSE 19. O people of the Book, Our messenger has come to clarify for you after a lack of messengers; so that you cannot say: “No bearer of good news or warner has come to us;” for a bearer of good news and a warner has come to you; and God is capable of all things.
Warner. This is a new term.
VERSE 20. And Moses said to his people: “My people, remember the grace of God upon you that He made among you prophets, and made you sovereigns, and He gave you what He had not given any from the worlds.”
VERSE 21. “O my people, enter the holy land that God has decreed for you to do, and do not turn your backs, or you will become losers.”
losers. This word seems to be new as of this chapter. In context, it seems to denote the people who go to Hell.
VERSE 22. They said: “O Moses, in it are a mighty people, and we will not enter it until they leave from it. So when they leave from it, then we will enter.”
in it are a mighty people. This is recounting the hesitancy of the Hebrew people to invade the Promised Land.
VERSE 23. Two men from among those who were reverent-being blessed by God-said: “Enter upon them by storming the gate; if you can enter it, then you will be the victors; and put your trust in God if you are believers.”
Two men from among those. That is, Josua and Caleb.
VERSE 24. They said: “O Moses, we will never enter it as long as they are in it, so go you and your Lord and fight, we will stay right here!”
we will never enter it. The crowd rejected the favorable report from Joshua and Caleb.
VERSE 25. He said: “My Lord, I do not possess except myself and my brother, so separate between us and between the wicked people.”
VERSE 26. He said: “Then it has become forbidden for them for forty years, and they will be lost in the land.” Do not be sorrowful over the wicked people.
forbidden for them for forty years. Due to the crowd rejected the favorable report from Joshua and Caleb, the Hebrew people had to continue wandering in the desert for another 40 years.
VERSE 27. And recite to them the news of the two sons of Adam with truth. They had both made an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, and not accepted from the other. He said: “I will kill you!” He said: “God only accepts from the righteous.”
the two sons of Adam. That is, Cain and Abel.
VERSE 28. “If you stretch your hand to kill me, I will not stretch my hand to kill you, for I fear God, Lord of the worlds.”
VERSE 29. “I want you to have both my sin and your own sin, and you will then be among the dwellers of the Fire. Such is the recompense of the wicked.”
VERSE 30. So he found it in himself to kill his brother; so he killed him. He thus became one of the losers.
losers. This word seems to be new as of this chapter. In context, it seems to denote the people who go to Hell.
VERSE 31. So God sent forth a raven to scratch the land and show him how to deal with the body of his brother. He said: “Woe to me! Am I not even able to be like this raven and deal with the body of my brother?” So he became of those who regretted.
VERSE 32. It is because of this that We have decreed for the Children of Israel: “Anyone who kills a person for other than murder, or corruption in the land; then it is as if he has killed all the people! And whoever spares a life, then it is as if he has given life to all the people.” Our messengers had come to them with clarities, but many of them are, after this, still overindulgent in the earth.
Anyone who kills a person for other than murder. This seems to prohibit murder.
VERSE 33. The recompense of those who fight God and His messenger, and seek to make corruption in the land, is that they will be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from alternate sides or that they be banished from the land; that is for them a disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a great retribution.
seek to make corruption in the land. People who corrupt others are singled out to be brutally murdered. Or at least banished.
We wish Christians saw themselves as being prohibited from corrupting others.
VERSE 34. Except for those who repent before you overpower them, then know that God is Forgiving, Merciful.
VERSE 35. O you who believe, be aware of God and seek a way to Him, and strive in His cause; that you may succeed.
VERSE 36. Those who have rejected, if they had all that is on the earth and the same again with it to ransom against the retribution of the Day of Resurrection, it will not be accepted from them; and they will have a painful retribution.
the Day of Resurrection. The Resurrection is often spoken of in the chapters of the Qur’an thus far.
VERSE 37. They want to exit from the Fire, but they can never exit from it; and they will have a permanent retribution.
VERSE 38. And the male thief, and the female thief, you shall cut their resources – as a penalty for what they have earned – to be made an example of from God. God is Noble, Wise.
VERSE 39. Whoever repents after his wrongdoing and amends, then God will accept his repentance. God is Forgiving, Merciful.
VERSE 40. Did you not know that God possesses the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He punishes whom He wills and He forgives whom He wills; and God is capable of all things.
VERSE 41. O messenger, do not be saddened by those who increase in disbelief from among those who said: “We believe” with their mouths while their hearts did not believe. And from among those who are Jewish, there are those who listened to lies; they listened to people who never came to you; they distort the words from their context, and they say: “If you are given this, then take it, but if you are given anything different, then beware!” And whoever God wants to test, then you will not possess anything for him against God. These are the ones whose hearts God did not want to purify; in this world they will have humiliation, and in the Hereafter they will have a great retribution.
from among those who are Jewish. The Qur’an continues to attack the Jewish people.
VERSE 42. They listen to lies, and consume money illicitly. If they come to you, then you may judge between them or turn away from them; and if you turn away from them then they cannot harm you in the least; and if you judge then judge between them with justice. God loves those who are just.
VERSE 43. And how can they make you their judge when they have the Torah, in which there is the judgment of God; then they turn away after that. Those are not believers.
VERSE 44. We have sent down the Torah, in it is a guidance and a light; the prophets who have submitted judged with it for those who are Jewish, and the Rabbis, and the Priests, for what they were entrusted of the Book of God, and they were witness over. So do not be concerned with the people but be concerned with Me; and do not purchase with My revelations a cheap price. And whoever does not judge with what God has sent down, then these are the rejecters.
VERSE 45. And We have decreed for them in it that a life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and the wounds shall have reparation; and whoever remits anything of it, then it will cancel sins for him. And whoever does not judge with what God has sent down, then these are the wicked.
an eye for an eye. Mohandas K. Gandhi said:
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
VERSE 46. And We sent in their footsteps Jesus, son of Mary, affirming what was between his hands of the Torah. And We gave him the Gospel, in it is a guidance and a light, and affirming what was between his hands of the Torah, and a guidance and a lesson for the righteous.
We gave him the Gospel. What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How does the Qur’an see it?
in it is a guidance and a light. The Qur’an sees the Gospel of Jesus Christ as guidance and light.
VERSE 47. And let the people of the Gospel judge with what God has sent down in it. And whoever does not judge with what God has sent down, then these are the wicked.
VERSE 48. And We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, affirming what is between your hands of the Book and superseding it. So judge between them by what God has sent down, and do not follow their desires from what has come to you of the truth. For each of you We have made decrees, and a structure; and if God had willed, He would have made you all one nation, but He tests you with what He has given you; so race to do good. To God you will return all of you, and He will inform you regarding that in which you dispute.
the Book with the truth. Presumably this refers to the Qur’an itself.
VERSE 49. And judge between them by what God has sent down, and do not follow their desires, and beware lest they divert you away from some of what God has sent down to you. If they turn away, then know that God wants to inflict them with some of their sins; and many of the people are wicked.
VERSE 50. Is it the judgment of the days of ignorance that they seek? And who is better than God as a judge for a people who comprehend?
VERSE 51. O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Nazarenes as allies, for they are allies to one another; and whoever takes them as such from among you is one of them. God does not guide the wicked people.
do not take the Jews and the Nazarenes as allies. This is a very strong prohibition.
they are allies to one another. This is sometimes true. However, over the millennia, Christian behavior toward the Jewish people has been exceptionally appalling:
Our relationship with the Jewish people. We Christians have great admiration for the Jewish people. Yet we have a proven history of treating them terribly. What is the right way forward? Read more »
In the Bible, Antisemites are the bad guys. In the course of world history, an evil antisemitic agenda repeats over and over again. In our day, professing Christians are often the worst of the worst when it comes to Antisemitism. Read more »
VERSE 52. You will see those who have a disease in their hearts hurrying to them, saying: “We are concerned that a disaster will befall us!” Perhaps God will bring a victory or a decree from Himself, then they will become regretful over what they had kept hidden within themselves.
a disease in their hearts. This phrase is evocative.
VERSE 53. And those who believe said: “Were these the ones who swore oaths by God that they are with you?” Their works have collapsed, and they have become losers.
VERSE 54. O you who believe, whoever from among you turns away from His system, then God will bring a people whom He loves and they love Him; humble towards the believers, dignified towards the rejecters; they strive in the cause of God and do not fear to be blamed by those who blame. This is the grace of God, He bestows it upon whom He wills; God is Encompassing, Knowledgeable.
VERSE 55. For your supporter are God and His messenger and those who believe; they hold the Connection and contribute towards purification, and they kneel.
and they kneel. Apparently kneeling is an important aspect of Muslim life.
VERSE 56. And whoever allies God and His messenger and those who believe; then the party of God are the ones who will be victorious.
VERSE 57. O you who believe, do not take as allies those who have taken your system for mockery and play from among those who have been given the Book before you and the rejecters. And be aware of God if you are believers.
VERSE 58. And if you call to the Connection, they take it for mockery and play. That is because they are a people who do not comprehend.
VERSE 59. Say: “O people of the Book, do you hate us simply because we believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down before?” Alas, the majority of them are wicked.
do you hate us. The Qur’an seems to be saying the Jewish people hate Muslims.
VERSE 60. Say: “Shall I inform you of worse than this as a punishment from God? Those whom God cursed and became angry at them, and He made from them apes and pigs and servants of evil. Those have a worse place and are more astray from the right path.”
He made from them apes and pigs. We are not aware of this taking place in the Bible. Nor in world history.
VERSE 61. And if they come to you they say: “We believe,” while they had entered in with rejection and went out with the same. God is aware of what they were hiding.
We believe,” while they had entered in with rejection. There is an old-school Christian word for such people: “false brethren.”
VERSE 62. And you see many of them hasten to sin and transgression and consuming money illicitly. Miserable indeed is what they were doing.
VERSE 63. If only the Rabbis and Priests had prohibited them for speaking in sin and consuming money illicitly. Miserable indeed is what they have done.
VERSE 64. And the Jews said: “The hand of God is tied down!” Their hands will be tied down, and they will be cursed for what they have said. No, His hands are wide open spending as He wills. And for many of them, what has been sent down to you will increase them in rebellion and rejection; and We have cast between them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they ignite the fire of war, God puts it out; and they seek to make corruption in the land; and God does not like the corrupters.
the Jews said: “The hand of God is tied down. We are not aware of this being said anywhere in the Bible.
VERSE 65. And if the people of the Book only had believed and been aware, We would have cancelled for them their sins and admitted them to gardens of bliss.
VERSE 66. And if they had upheld the Torah and the Gospel, and what was sent down to them from their Lord, they would have been rewarded from above them and from beneath their feet. From among them is a pious nation, but most of them only do evil.
VERSE 67. O messenger, deliver what was sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not then you have not delivered His message; and God will protect you from the people. And God does not guide the rejecting people.
O messenger. From context, this seems to be speaking to any Muslim believer.
deliver what was sent down to you from your Lord. Each individual Muslim believer is called to deliver the message.
VERSE 68. Say: “O people of the Book, you are not upon anything until you uphold the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to you from your Lord.” And for many of them, what was sent down to you from your Lord will only increase them in transgression and rejection. So do not feel sorry for the rejecting people.
VERSE 69. Surely those who believe, and those who are Jewish, and the Sabians, and the Nazarenes, whoever of them believes in God and the Last Day and does good works; then they will have nothing to fear nor will they grieve.
This verse lists three major non-Muslim people-groups:
- those who are Jewish
- the Sabians. See discussion below.
- the Nazarenes. That is, “Christians”
What is required of those non-Muslims? This verse maps out the answer:
- believes in God
- [believes in] the Last Day
- does good works
Those requirements can be fulfilled by many people.
the Sabians. They are a mysterious religious group mentioned three times in the Qur’an:
Qur’an 2:62. Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. (Shakir translation)
Qur’an 5:69. Surely those who believe, and those who are Jewish, and the Sabians, and the Nazarenes, whoever of them believes in God and the Last Day and does good works; then they will have nothing to fear nor will they grieve.
Qur’an 22:17. Surely those who believe; and those who are Jewish, and the Sabians, and the Nazarenes, and the Zoroastrians; and those who were polytheists; God will separate between them on the Day of Resurrection. For God is witness over all things.
VERSE 70. We have taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and We sent to them Our messengers. Every time a messenger came to them with what their souls did not desire, a group of them they would reject, and a group of them they would kill.
The Lord God wants to gather us together in unity. But we believers fight the will of God. We kill the prophets, and we stone the people God sends. Read more »
VERSE 71. And they did not consider it might be a test, so they were blind and deaf. But God would have accepted the repentance from them; but many of them were still blind and deaf. God is Seer over what they do.
VERSE 72. Rejecters indeed are those who have said: “God is the Messiah, son of Mary.” And the Messiah said: “O Children of Israel, serve God, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever sets up partners with God, then God will restrict Paradise from him, and his destiny will be the Fire; and the wicked will have no supporters.”
God is the Messiah, son of Mary. This is a statement about the divinity of the Lord Jesus.
If a person says this, the Qur’an considers that person a rejector.
VERSE 73. Rejecters indeed are those who have said: “God is third of three!” There is no god except One god. If they do not cease from what they are saying, then those who reject from among them will be afflicted with a painful retribution.
God is third of three. This is a statement about the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
Christians believe there is One God, and that the One God exists in three Persons:
Christians are officially monotheists. However, many people misunderstand this. Even some Christians have a mistaken view that they believe in three gods.
If a person believes in the Trinity, the Qur’an considers that person a rejector.
VERSE 74. Would they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? God is Forgiving, Merciful.
VERSE 75. The Messiah, son of Mary, is no more than a messenger; like whom messengers have passed away; and his mother was trustworthy, they used to eat the food. See how We clarify the signs for them, then see how they deviate.
The Messiah, son of Mary, is no more than a messenger. This sums up quite succinctly the view of the Qur’an about the Lord Jesus.
The Qur’an sees Jesus Christ as merely a messenger, and nothing more than a messenger.
VERSE 76. Say: “Do you serve other than God what cannot harm you or benefit you?” God is the Hearer, the Knower.
VERSE 77. Say: “O people of the Book, do not overstep in your system other than the truth, and do not follow the desires of a people who have been misguided before, and they misguide many; and they strayed from the right path.”
VERSE 78. Cursed are those who have rejected from among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary. That is for what they have disobeyed, and for what they transgressed.
The meaning of this verse is not clear to us.
VERSE 79. They would not stop each other from doing vice. Wickedness is what they used to do.
VERSE 80. You see many of them allying the rejecters. Wicked is what their souls have provided for them, for the wrath of God is upon them, and in the retribution they will abide.
VERSE 81. And if they had believed in God and the prophet, and what was sent down to him, then they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are wicked.
This verse maps out three distinct things to be accepted:
- believed in God. A Muslim is a monotheist.
- and the prophet. Presumably the prophet Mohammed.
- and what was sent down to him. Presumably the Qur’an.
VERSE 82. You will find the people with the greatest animosity towards those who believe are the Jews and those who are polytheists; and you will find the closest in affection to those who believe are those who said: “We are Nazarenes;” that is because among them are Priests and Monks, and they are not arrogant.
VERSE 83. And if they hear what was sent down to the messenger you see their eyes flooding with tears, for what they have known as the truth, they say: “Our Lord, we believe, so record us with the witnesses.”
VERSE 84. “And why should we not believe in God and what has come to us of the truth? And we yearn that our Lord admits us with the righteous people.”
VERSE 85. So God recompensed them for what they have said with estates with rivers flowing beneath them, abiding therein; such is the recompense of the good doers.
God recompensed them. This verse seems to say godly people are rewarded with material affluence.
In our day, many Christians have a similar view. However, it is contrary to the New Testament:
Is godliness rewarded with wealth? In the Old Testament era, some people said if you are holy, God will make you rich. In our day, this view is growing in popularity among professing Christians. Read more »
VERSE 86. And those who rejected and denied Our revelations; they are the dwellers of Hell.
VERSE 87. O you who believe, do not make forbidden the good things that God has made permissible to you, and do not aggress; God does not like the aggressors.
do not make forbidden. Muslims may not add to the requirements of the Qur’an.
Such a thing is also prohibited in the New Testament. However, Christians everywhere make up additional requirements.
Over the course of time, Christians come to see their own identity as wrapped up in the man-made rules instead of the actual requirements in the New Testament.
VERSE 88. And eat from what God has provided for you, good and permissible; and be aware of God in whom you believe.
VERSE 89. God will not hold you for your casual oaths, but He will hold you for what oaths you have made binding; its cancellation shall be the feeding of ten poor from the average of what you feed your family, or that you clothe them, or that you free a slave; whoever cannot find such shall fast for three days; this is a cancellation for making your oaths when you swear. And be careful from making oaths. It is such that God clarifies for you His revelations that you may be thankful.
its cancellation. An oath may be cancelled. However, it is a major endeavor.
the feeding of ten poor. This is one way to cancel an oath. However, it is probably not possible for a poor person to feed ten other poor people.
or that you clothe them. This is another way to cancel an oath. However, it is probably not possible for a poor person to clothe ten other poor people.
free a slave. This is yet another way to cancel an oath. However, it is probably not possible for a poor person to free a slave.
fast for three days. This is the fourth way to cancel an oath. To fast for three days is possible for many people. But not all people. For medical reasons, some people should not fast.
VERSE 90. O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and altars, and arrows of chance are made foul by the work of the devil. You shall avoid him so that you may be successful.
These four seem to be prohibited for Muslims:
- intoxicants. Presumably alcohol.
- gambling.
- altars. Presumably altars to other gods.
- arrows of chance. We don’t know what this means.
VERSE 91. The devil only wants to cause strife between you through intoxicants and gambling, and to turn you away from remembering God and from the Connection. Will you be deterred?
VERSE 92. And obey God and obey the messenger, and be aware. If you turn away then know that it is the duty of Our messenger to deliver clearly.
VERSE 93. There is no sin upon those who believe and do good works for what they eat if they are aware and believe and do good works, then they are aware and believe, then they are aware and do good; God loves the good doers.
believe and do good works. For those people:
There is no sin … for what they eat. There are apparently no food prohibitions.
VERSE 94. O you who believe, God will test you with some game coming within reach of your hands and your spears, so that God will know who reverences Him while unseen. Whoever transgresses from now on, then he will have a painful retribution.
test you with some game. Based on the next verse, this seems to be referring to wild game. Animals.
VERSE 95. O you who believe, do not kill any game while you are under restriction; and whoever of you kills it deliberately, then the recompense is to value that hoofed animal which was killed, which shall be judged by two equitable persons from you, and to make it as a donation to reach the Ka’bah. Or, its expiation shall be in using it to feed the needy ones, while he abstains from it; that is to suffer the results of his deed; God forgives what has past. And whoever returns, then God will seek vengeance on him. God is Noble, capable of vengeance.
the Ka’bah. It is the stone building at the center of Islam’s most important mosque: the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
VERSE 96. Permitted for you is the catch of the sea, to eat it as enjoyment for you and for those who travel; and forbidden for you is the catch of the land as long as you are under restriction; and be aware of God to whom you will be gathered.
Permitted for you is the catch of the sea. Muslims may eat animals caught from the sea.
VERSE 97. God has made the Ka’bah – the Restricted Sanctuary – to be a symbol for the people, and for the restricted Month, and the offerings, and the regulations; that is so you may know that God knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and that God is aware of all things.
the Ka’bah. It is the stone building at the center of Islam’s most important mosque: the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
VERSE 98. Know that God is powerful in retribution, and that God is Forgiving, Merciful.
VERSE 99. The messenger is only to deliver. And God knows what you reveal and what you conceal.
VERSE 100. Say: “The rotten and the good are not equal, even if the abundance of the rotten impresses you.” So be aware of God, O you who possess intelligence, that you may succeed.
VERSE 101. O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if clarified, would harm you – and if you ask about them with the Qur’an being revealed, then they will become clear to you. God pardons for them, and God is Forgiving, Compassionate.
do not ask about things. Muslims should not ask about certain things.
which, if clarified, would harm you. Muslims are not to ask about things which can harm them.
But what does the word “harm” mean?
There are many things which can “harm” us. And yet people investigate them all the time. Here are just a few examples:
- Scientists investigate deadly toxins.
- Engineers investigate electrical energy.
- People investigate other religions.
VERSE 102. A people before you had asked the same, then they became rejecters in it.
VERSE 103. God did not decree any restrictions for those that produced litters, or those set free by oath to roam, or those that give twin female births, or the bulls who fathered two generations; but the people who rejected invented lies to God, and most of them do not comprehend.
VERSE 104. And if they are told: “Come to what God has sent down, and to the messenger;” they say: “We are content with what we found our fathers doing.” What if their fathers did not know anything nor were they guided?
We are content with what we found our fathers doing. Many people do not think about their existence. They do not examine it.
Instead, they simply live according to societal custom, or “What their fathers did.”
To them Socrates would reply:
The unexamined life is not worth living.
VERSE 105. O you who believe, you are responsible for yourselves; none who are misguided can harm you if you are guided. To God is your return, all of you, and then He will inform you of what you have done.
VERSE 106. O you who believe, witnessing shall be done if death is approaching one of you and a will is being made – by two who are equitable amongst you. Or, by two who are unknown to you if you have gone forth in the land and death is approaching. If you have doubt regarding them, then you will hold them after the Connection, and let them swear by God: “We will not purchase with it any price, even if it was from a near relative, and we will not conceal the testimony of God, else we are of the sinners.”
a will is being made. Muslims can have a Last Will and Testament.
VERSE 107. If it is then found that they had indeed incurred the sin, then two others, from those who have been named as beneficiaries, will take their place; and they will swear by God: “Our testimony is more truthful than their testimony, and if we aggress, then we are of the wicked.”
swear by God. This is the taking of an oath. In this context, the Qur’an seems to require it.
Christians take oaths all the time, even though the Lord Jesus forbade it. See Matthew 5:33-37. Do not take an oath.
VERSE 108. This is the least that can bring the testimony at its face value, for fear that their oaths would be disregarded as the previous oaths. And be aware of God, and listen; God does not guide the wicked people.
God does not guide the wicked people. This phrase seems to assume that God does indeed guide righteous people.
VERSE 109. The Day God will gather the messengers and He will say: “What was the response you received?” They said: “We have no knowledge, you are the Knower of all the unseen.”
VERSE 110. God said: “O Jesus, son of Mary, recall My blessings upon you and your mother, that I supported you with the Holy Spirit; you spoke to the people in the cradle as an adult; and I taught you the Book and the wisdom, and the Torah, and the Gospel; and you would create from clay the shape of a bird, then blow into it and it becomes a bird with My permission; and you would heal the blind and the leaper with My permission; and you would bring out the dead with My permission. And I have restrained the Children of Israel from you, that you came to them with proofs; but those who rejected among them said: ‘This is clearly magic!'”
Jesus, son of Mary. This calls Jesus the son of Mary.
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Qur’an.
VERSE 111. “And I inspired the disciples: ‘You shall believe in Me and My messenger;’ they said: ‘We believe, and bear witness that we have submitted.'”
the disciples. This verse attests to the disciple-making ministry of the Lord Jesus.
VERSE 112. And the disciples said: “O Jesus, son of Mary, can your Lord send down for us a feast from the heaven?” He said: “Be aware of God if you are believers.”
a feast from the heaven. The Lord Jesus called himself the bread come down from heaven:
John 6:51. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.
VERSE 113. They said: “We want to eat from it and so our hearts become relieved, and so we know that you are truthful, and so that we can become a witness over it.”
VERSE 114. Jesus, son of Mary, said: “Our god, our Lord, send down to us a feast from the heaven, that it becomes a joy to us from the first to the last, and a sign from You, and provide for us, You are the best provider.”
VERSE 115. God said: “I will send it down to you, but whoever rejects after this from among you, I will punish him a punishment like no one else from the worlds will be punished!”
VERSE 116. And God will say: “O Jesus, son of Mary, did you tell the people to take you and your mother as gods other than God?” He said: “Glory to You, I cannot say what I have no right of. If I had said it then You know it, You know what is in my self while I do not know what is in Your self. You are the Knower of the unseen.”
did you tell the people to take you and your mother as gods. We are not aware of any verse in the four Gospels where the Lord Jesus says, directly and clearly, that he is divine.
VERSE 117. “I only said to them what You commanded me to, that: ‘You shall serve God, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was witness over them as long as I was with them, but when You terminated my life, You were watcher over them. You are witness over all things.”
You terminated my life. This is a very strong statement.
The Lord Jesus says God the Father terminated his life.
VERSE 118. “If You punish them, then they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, then You are the Noble, the Wise.”
VERSE 119. God will say: “This is a Day when the truth will benefit the truthful; they will have estates with rivers flowing beneath them, abiding therein eternally; God has become pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Such is the greatest victory.”
estates with rivers flowing beneath them. This is a picture of material affluence.
VERSE 120. To God is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them; and He is capable of all things.
THE QUR’AN
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Phrases, Adventures
Here at the Explore the Faith website, we are using the Modern Literal Translation of the Qur’an by Free Minds. According to their About Us page, all their work at that site, unless specified, may be copied and/or distributed on condition that reference is given back to www.free-minds.org. According to Wikisource, the Modern Literal Translation “is in the public domain worldwide because it has been so released by the copyright holder.”
To help our understanding, we are consulting The Sublime Quran, Revised Edition, translated by Laleh Bakhtiar, Ph.D., distributed by Kazi Publications.
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.