Qxpiv May, 2007 By Shabbir Ahmed, M. D., Florida Chief Adviser and Editor: Hossein Kowsari, California Reviewed by: Abdullah Ali Bashoeb, Hijaz

Surah 5. Al Maaedah – The Table Spread

This is the fifth Surah of the Qur’an and it has 120 verses. Establishment of the Divine System ensures heavenly bounties on everyone’s table spread. The Qur’an is a perfected guide for all humanity.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness

5:1 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Fulfill your pledges and obligations. Permitted for you for food are all plant-eating livestock with the exceptions named (5:3). God has ordained that all hunting is prohibited during Hajj. Surely, God ordains as He deems fit. [Baheema-tul-An’aam = The herbivorous cattle = Plant-eating quadrupeds = Livestock]

5:2 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not violate the symbols set up by God, nor the Sacred Months (2:194), neither the gifts nor the camels for use as transport or sacrifice, nor the garlands marking them, nor the people who proceed to the Sacred Sanctuary, Ka'bah, seeking God's Blessings and Approval. When you have completed the Hajj, you are free to hunt. Let not your hatred (or disapproval) of a people lead you to transgression, because they prevented you from going to the Sacred Masjid (48:25). Help one another in acts of collective benefit and in being mindful of God, and do not help one another in deeds that hurt humanity and in creating a wedge between people. Be mindful of God’s Laws. His Law of Requital is strong in grasping.

5:3 The following things are Forbidden to you:

Carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, anything (not just meat) that has been dedicated to any other than God (such as an idol, grave or saint), any animal that has been strangled to death, or beaten to death, or killed by fall, or gored to death, or eaten by a wild animal unless you are able to slaughter it while it is still alive, and (also Forbidden is) what is sacrificed on idolatrous altars (devotional stones or blocks in shrines considered sacred). And (you are forbidden) from dividing one another’s portions through raffling, and divining the future by such means as arrows, for these are deviations. This Day, the rejecters of the Truth have lost all hope of (making compromises with) your System of Life. But, do not fear them, but fear Me. This Day, I have perfected your Law for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen for you Al-Islam as the System of Life. If anyone is forced by dire necessity (to consume the Forbidden), with no intention of transgression, God is indeed Forgiving, Merciful.

[Mayitah = Carrion = Dead meat = An animal that dies of itself. Azlaam = Divining arrows = The conjecture of foretelling the future = Raffle = Lottery = Dividing things or time for one another through randomly picking up slips of paper. Deen = System of Life = The Law. 2:173, 2:185, 2:219, 5:90]

5:4 They ask you (O Prophet) what foods are Permissible. Tell them all good things of life are Lawful to you. As for the hunting animals, the catch of your trained dogs and falcons, as God has taught you, is Permissible. Mention God's name thereupon. Always be mindful of God’s Laws. His Law of Requital is swift in reckoning.

5:5 This Day, all good food of your choice is made Lawful for you. The food of the People of the Scripture is Lawful for you. And your food is Lawful for them. You are permitted to marry chaste women of the People of the Scripture, (provided they do not indulge in Shirk … not associate anyone with God 2:221). You are permitted to marry the virtuous, chaste women among the believers and the virtuous, chaste women of those who were given the Scripture before. You must give your brides a generous marital gift and live with them in honor, not in fornication as secret lovers. (It must be an honest wedlock 4:24.) Anyone who rejects belief, all his work will go vain and He will be among the losers in the Hereafter.

5:6 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! When you congregate for Salaat, wash your faces and your forearms, hands to the elbows. Lightly rub your heads and your feet to the ankles. If you are in the post-coital state with your spouses, bathe your whole body. But, if you are ill or traveling, or coming from the privy, or are in the post-coital state and find no water, then observe dry ablution by touching clean dry soil and lightly rub your faces and hands. God does not wish to place upon you any difficulty, but to make you clean and to perfect His blessings upon you, that you be grateful. [4:43. Wudhu = Ablution will help prepare mentally for congregational prayer. Tayammum = Dry ablution]

5:7 Remember God's Blessing (Guidance) upon you and His Covenant binding upon you when you said, “We hear and we obey.” Be mindful of God. God is fully Aware of what is in the hearts. [1:4-5]

5:8 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Be upholders of justice for the sake of God as witnesses to the Truth. Let not the hatred of any people move you away from justice. Deal justly. That is closer to being upright. Be mindful of your duty to God. Surely, God is fully Aware of what you do.

5:9 God promises the protection of forgiveness and a Great reward to those who attain belief and do works that fulfill the needs of people and increase the well being of society.

5:10 On the other hand, there are those who reject Our revelations openly, or deny them in action. They are the companions of the Insurmountable Barrier. [‘Selves’ that fail to develop, are unfit to move up to the higher levels of existence, so they merely survive instead of achieving true immortality. 69:27]

5:11 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Remember the Blessing of God. There were people who had aggressive designs against you but He withheld their hands from you. (Due preparation against danger is a strong deterrent 4:71, 8:60). Remain mindful of God and in God let believers put their trust.

5:12 Indeed God made a Covenant with the Children of Israel. We appointed twelve leaders among them. God said to them, "I am with you so long as you follow the Divine Commands, spend your wealth for the community, believe in My messengers, assist them, and give a beautiful loan to God (that is paid back to you manifold in both lives 2:261). I will absolve your imperfections, help you create balance in the society and admit you to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath. But, whoever among you disbelieves after this, will go astray from the Right Path."

5:13 When they broke their Promise, We rejected them and Our Law caused their hearts to harden. So, now they change words from their context and ignore a good part of the Message, forgetting what they were told to bear in mind. (O Prophet) You will not cease to discover betrayal from all but a few of them. Pardon them and forbear. Indeed, God loves those who serve humanity.

5:14 We also made a Covenant with those who say, “We are Christians.” But they ignored a good part of the Message that was sent to them and forgot what they were told to bear in mind. As a result, Our Law has caused enmity and hatred among them till the Resurrection Day, when God will inform them of what they contrived, (Rivalry based upon Sectarianism and Nationalism, a natural consequence of deviating from the True Message, whether people call themselves Jews, Christians or Muslims.)

5:15 O People of the Book! Now has come to you Our Messenger, to make clear to you much of what you have been concealing from yourselves and others. He ignores much of the irrelevant accounts and pardons much of your misdeeds. Now has come to you from God a Beacon of Light and a Clear Book.

5:16 Through this Book God guides to paths of Peace, those who seek His Approval. He brings them out of darkness into the Light of His Grace, and guides them to the Straight Path.

5:17 They indeed have denied the Truth who say, “God is the Messiah, son of Mary.” Say, "Who could oppose God if He willed to annihilate the Messiah son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on earth, all of them?" God’s is the Dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He creates all things according to His Laws. And God has Power over all things and events.

5:18 Jews and Christians say, "We are God's children and his loved ones". Ask them "Why does He, then, take you to task for your transgressions?" Nay, you are but human beings of His creating. He forgives and punishes according to His Laws. The Dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is in between them, belongs to God. To Him is the Final Destination of all.

5:19 O People of the Scripture! Our Messenger has come to you, to make the Truth clear, after an interval without messengers. Lest you say, “No Messenger came to us to give good news and to warn.” Now has come to you the giver of glad tiding and warning. God has Power over all things and events.

5:20 Moses told his people, “Remember God's Blessings that He raised prophets among you and made you your own masters. And He gave you what He had not given to any other people.

5:21 O My nation! Enter the Sacred Land that God has decreed for you, as long as you hold fast to His Laws. But, if you turn back in flight, you will be overthrown to your own ruin.”

[Sacred Land = Can’aan = Syria-Palestine, 2:125, 6:137, 12:58, 12:94, 21:71, 23:50, 26:59, 29:26, 30:3, 44:3, Introduction to Surahs: 12, 14, 19]

5:22 They said to Moses, "In this land there are ferocious people. Never shall we enter it until they leave. If they leave, than we will enter.”

5:23 Then two men who feared violating God’s Command, and whom God had blessed, said, “Enter the gate daringly, and you will be in Command of the situation and will be victorious. Put your trust in God if you are believers.” [The two men were Joshua and Caleb. Bible; Numbers 14: 6-30]

5:24 They said, "O Moses! We shall never enter the land while they are in it. You and your Lord should go and fight, while we sit here.”

5:25 Moses said, "My Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother, allow us to part ways from those who keep drifting away from the Commands.”

5:26 Their Lord said, “This land will be forbidden for them for forty years. They will wander on earth, bewildered. So grieve not over these people who keep drifting away from the Right Path.”

[Among mankind there always have been those who submit, and those who transgress. The Children of Israel enjoyed great Divine Blessings, but for their repeated transgressions they were chastised (2:259, 17:5-6), and God’s Bounty of prophethood, in His Infinite wisdom, moved away from the Children of Israel to the Children of Ishmael, among whom was raised Muhammad, the Final Prophet and Messenger of God. The dire opposition of Jews and Christians to the Final Messenger is now alluded to, in the following verses, in reference to the famous story of the two brothers, Abel, Haabeel and Cain, Qaabeel]

5:27 (O Messenger) Tell them the true story of the two descendants of Adam. Each of them made an offering, and they thought that it was accepted from one of them, but not from the other. The latter, out of jealousy, said, "Surely I will kill you.” The former said, “God accepts every action of the righteous like an accepted offering.”

5:28 “If you extend your hand to kill me, I would not extend my hand against you to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of the Worlds.”

5:29 “I would rather have you carry two sins. First, of slaying me, and second, of slaying the person inside you, and be among the dwellers of the Fire. That is the reward for the wrongdoers.”

5:30 His ego led him into killing his brother. He killed him and became a loser.

5:31 God then sent a raven scratching up the soil, to allude to him that he might have concealed and ignored the imperfections of his brother. He said, “Oh, I failed even to be like this raven to conceal my brother’s imperfections, (and hide his naked body)!” Then he became full of regret. [Sauaat = Imperfections, faults. Yuwaari sauaat = Literally, hide the naked body. 7:20-22]

5:32 On that account, We decreed to the Children of Israel (the Eternal Moral Ordinance for all humanity 2:178) that whoever kills a human being, unless it be for murder or bloody crimes on the earth, it would be as if he killed all mankind. And whoever saves one life it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And, indeed, Our messengers came to them with evident Truth, yet, behold, even after this, many of them continue to commit excesses in the land.

5:33 The just punishment for those who wage war against God and His Messenger and endeavor to commit bloody crimes on earth, is that they be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet severed on alternate sides, or be entirely banished from the land. Such is their disgrace in this world, and an awful suffering awaits them in the Hereafter.

[Fasaad = Bloody crimes = Spreading corruption in the land = Creating disorder. ‘God and Rasool’ … None can physically fight against God, and the Rasool (S) was a mortal man. Hence, God and Rasool denote the Central Authority of the Islamic State. Waging war against God and Rasool would mean rebellion against the true Islamic State. ‘Severing the hands and feet’ may also be understood as cutting of their ability to create Fasaad. See 5:38 & 12:31. ‘Banishing from the land’ indicates exile or imprisonment for life]

5:34 Unless the corruptors repent before you become more powerful than they are. Know that God is Forgiving, Merciful. [Peace will prevail when the righteous become more powerful than the guilty]

5:35 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Be mindful of God and seek earnestly to come closer to Him by obeying His Commands, and strive hard in His Cause so that you may truly prosper.

[Waseelah = Seeking earnestly = Applying the mind and heart to reach a noble goal. verses 2:186 and 17:57 are many of the verses that negate the concept of Waseelah as some saints, sages or even prophets interceding on people’s behalf]

5:36 (Those who reject this Revelation, exclude themselves from taking part in the establishment of the Ideal Society.) If the rejecters possessed everything on earth and twice as much, and offered it as ransom to spare them from the retribution on the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them. For them is a painful doom.

5:37 They will wish to come out of the Fire, but they will not be able to come out of it. Theirs will be a lasting punishment.

5:38 (Theft is a crime that steals away the sense of security from a society.) A habitual thief, male or female, must have their ability (to steal) cut off. This is the reward for their doings, and a deterrent from God. God is Almighty, Wise.

[For Qat’a yadd, the so-called cutting of hand, please see 12:31. Yadd = Hand = Ability = Power. ‘God’s hand’ at many places in the Qur’an, of course, denotes His Power and Authority. So, consider all circumstances with wisdom, and take measures to prevent this crime in the society. Here's an interesting reference from Mathew Chapter 18, verses 8-9, The New King James Version.

"And if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from

you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than

having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.
"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is

better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes,

to be cast into Hell fire]
5:39 Whoever repents after the crime and makes amends, certainly, God grants him pardon. Surely, God is Forgiving, Merciful. [If the hands are cut off, where are the making amends, pardon and Mercy?]

5:40 Do you not know that God’s is the Dominion of the heavens and the earth? He is the Law-giving Authority. He punishes and forgives according to His Law of Requital. God has Control over all things and He has appointed due measure for all things.

5:41 O Messenger! Let not those grieve you who run to disbelief, saying, “We believe,” from their mouths, while their hearts do not believe. And grieve not about those Jews who listen for the sake of fabricating lies. They listen and go to their folk who have never met with you. Then they distort the words out of context and tell others to accept only a part and reject a part. You can do nothing to help those who decide to go astray. Guidance and straying depend upon the Laws of God (4:88). God does not intervene to purify the hearts of such people. For those who go astray, there is disgrace in this world and an awful punishment in the Hereafter.

5:42 They are upholders of falsehood and they make wealth by unfair means. They get bribed into spying. If they come to you asking to judge among them, the choice to accept or reject their request is yours. You have the right to disclaim jurisdiction since they have not yet accepted the Qur’an and they have the Torah. If you disclaim jurisdiction they cannot harm you at all. However, if you decide to judge among them, do so equitably. God loves the equitable.

5:43 Why do they ask you to act as a judge among them when they have the Torah, containing God’s Law and they disregard it? They are not believers.

5:44 We did send down the Torah containing Guidance and a light. By it the prophets who always sincerely submitted to God, judged the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests judged according to God’s Scripture as they were commanded to observe. For, to them was entrusted the protection of God’s Book, and they were witnesses to it. So, fear not people, but fear Me and do not trade away My revelations for petty gains. Whoever does not judge and does not rule according to what God has revealed, such are the disbelievers.

5:45 For them (Jews), We had decreed in the Torah: Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and equal injury for injury (Exodus 21:23). But If one shall forgo retaliation by way of charity, it shall absolve his or her imperfections. Whoever does not judge or rule according to what God has Revealed, such are the wrongdoers.”

[See 5:41. That was a time-bound Mosaic Law specific to the Israelites. The Final Revelation of God, the Qur’an has updated Laws for all humanity for all Times. Incidentally, Exodus in the Bible, as seen today, does not leave room for forgiveness on the subject]

5:46 And after them We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming the (remaining Truth in) what was revealed before him. We gave him the Gospel in which there was Guidance and a light, and it confirmed the (Truth in) what was revealed before it in the Torah, a Guidance and admonition to those who wished to live upright. [2:101]

5:47 Let the People of the Gospel judge by what God has revealed therein. Those who fail to judge and rule according to God's Revelation, are drifters from the Right Path.

5:48 To you (O Messenger) We have sent the Book in Sure Truth confirming the (Truth in) whatever Scripture was before it. The Qur’an is the Watcher over the old Scriptures and guards the Truth in them. So, Judge between people by what God has revealed to you and follow not their wishes away from the Truth that has come to you. Now has come to all of you the Divine Law, and a traced-out Way. If God had willed, He could have made all of you humans one single community. But, He decided to let you choose your own path after showing you the Truth, and thus test yourselves. Outdo one another in actions that serve humanity and thus grow your ‘selves’. To God is your final destination, of all of you. Then He will make you understand where you differ. [2:101]

5:49 So judge between them by what God has revealed. And do not follow their desires giving in to their demands, lest they divert you from what God has revealed to you. If they turn away from the Ultimate Truth, know that God’s Law of Requital is going to chastise them for trailing behind in attaining belief and for their previous transgressions. And, certainly, a great many people are but drifters from the Right Path.

5:50 Do they want to turn back to the Ways of Ignorance? Who can provide more equitable rules than God to a people who have attained Conviction in the Truth?

5:51 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! (Since they deny the Final Revelation that is the Constitution of your state), Do not take the Jews and Christians as your allies. They are allies of one another. He among you who takes them for allies is one of them. God does not guide those who displace Command with desire. [The verse is talking about taking allies on a national scale, and not about individual friends. See 60:7-9]

5:52 You will see those who harbor doubt in their hearts running to them saying, “We fear that a change of fortune may befall us.” But, God will bring you victory, or His Command will come to pass and they will regret what they harbored in their hearts.

5:53 The believers will then wonder: "Are these the same people who swore by God that they were with the believers?" Eventually, all their deeds will go to waste and they will be great losers.

5:54 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! If any of you reverts from his Faith, soon God will bring forth people whom He will love and they will love Him. They will be kind to the believers, and stern with the rejecters. They will strive in the Cause of God without fear of any blame of a fault-finder. Such is the Bounty of God that He bestows according to His Laws. For, God is All Encompassing, All Knowing.

5:55 Your real friends and protectors are God, His Messenger and those believers who establish the Divine System, set up the equitable Economic Order and humble themselves before God's Commands.

5:56 Those who ally themselves with God and His Messenger and the believers, belong in the party of God. Absolutely they are the victorious.

5:57 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not take for allies, some of the people who were given the Scripture before you, and the rejecters who mock and ridicule your Religion. Be mindful of God’s Commands if you are indeed believers.

5:58 When you call to prayer, they mock it and make a jest of it, simply because they are a people who do not use reason. [They do not know that the call with its clearest Mission Statement is unique in the world and speaks volumes of the conviction behind it]

5:59 Say, "O People of the Scripture! Do you not blame us just because we believe in God, and what is revealed to us and what was revealed before? And because most of you are drifting away from the Right Direction?”

5:60 Say, “Shall I point out to you something much worse for retribution with God? Worse is the case of those whom God has rejected, and His requital hits them. And remember those whom God’s Law relegated from the honorable stature of humanity and they started behaving like apes and swine. And they fell into becoming the slaves of Taaghoot (tyrants and the priesthood of any religion). Such are in worse plight, and farther astray than the mockers.” [2:65, 4:51]

5:61 When they come to you O believers, they say, "We believe". In fact they come in disbelief and depart in disbelief. God knows best what they conceal.

5:62 You will see many of them race towards actions that drag down the human potential, create division in the society and they earn wealth through illicit means. Indeed condemnable is what they do.

5:63 Why do not the rabbis and the priests forbid them from their down-grading assertions and illicit earnings? Indeed condemnable is what they manufacture. (A great many religious leaders, rabbis, priests, monks, Mullahs, yogis, and mystics devour the wealth of people deceptively, and hinder them from the Way of God 9:34)

5:64 (The Divine System wants people to contribute to the society) The Jews say, "God's hand is tied down." It is their hands that are tied down. Their uttering deprives them of God's Grace. His hands are wide open and He showers His Bounties according to His Laws. (O Prophet) Since the Revelation given to you by your Lord brings about a benevolent revolution in the society, people with selfish interests hate it. Many of them plunge deeper into transgression and disbelief. Consequently, Our Law has sent down into their hearts and ranks animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. God has put down the flames of war that they repeatedly ignited. They try to create corruption and disorder in the land and God does not love the corruptors.

5:65 If the People of the Scripture would believe in the Qur’an and be mindful of the Divine Laws, We would remit their sins from them and admit them into the Gardens of Bliss.

5:66 If they had observed the Torah and the Gospel, and all that was sent down upon them by their Lord, they would surely have received the blessings of the heavens and earth. Among them there are people who are moderate, but a great many of them follow a course that is evil. [Literally, min fauqihim wa min tahti arjulihim = From above them and from underneath their feet’. Akl = Food = Eating = Partaking = Blessings]

5:67 O Messenger! Make known all that your Lord has revealed to you. If you do not do it, then you have not fulfilled your duty of conveying His Message at all. God will protect you from people. Remember that God does not step in to guide those who refuse to acknowledge the Truth.

5:68 Say, "O People of the Scripture! You have no valid ground for your beliefs unless you uphold the Torah and the Gospel and all that has been revealed to you from your Lord." (The Truth in them has been incorporated into the Final Revelation). Yet all that has been revealed to you (O Prophet), by your Lord is bound to make many of them more stubborn in their arrogance and denial. But grieve not for the disbelieving folk.

5:69 Those who attain belief (and call themselves Muslims) and those who are Jews, and the agnostics, and Christians; whoever believes in God and the Last Day, and helps people, for them shall be no fear from without, nor shall grief touch them from within.

[Surely, those who attain belief (and call themselves Muslims), and those who are Jews, and Christians and the agnostics, whoever believes in God and the Last Day and helps people, shall have their reward with their Sustainer. For them there shall be no fear from without, nor shall grief touch them from within. (2:62). Note: Dear reader, I am not aware of any instance in the Qur’an where the use of Tasreef, the Big Picture could be more crucial than in the understanding of these verses, 2:62, 5:69. Respectfully speaking, some great commentators have misinterpreted this verse for not looking at other related verses. Please read on the Tasreef.

It is inconceivable that those who deny the Truth, whether they are the People of the Book or the idolaters, could get out of error till the Clear Proof Al-Qur’an comes to them. (98:1-3)

---- The non-Israelite Prophet liberates the People of the Book from the shackles of their manmade dogmas and brings them from darkness to Light ------. (7:157)

They say, “Be Jews or Christians, then you will be rightly guided.” Say, “Nay, we follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He associated no one with the One True God.” And Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. (2:135)

O you who believe, say, “We believe in God and the Revelation that has been conveyed to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob as well as the tribal Israelite prophets; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to other prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among them since all of them were one in Purpose and they got their Guidance from the One True God. And for Him, we are Muslims.” (2:136)

So, if they come to believe in the way you believe, they will be rightly guided. But if they turn away, they will be falling into opposition and God will be Sufficient for you against them. He is the Hearer, Knower of all things and events. 2:137]

5:70 We took a Covenant with the Children of Israel (to follow the Commandments) and sent messengers to them. Whenever We sent a Messenger to them with what they disliked, some of these they rejected, and some they killed.

5:71 They thought there would be no trial, so they became blind and deaf (to reason). Yet God turned to them, but again many of them (faltered and) became blind and deaf. But God is Seer of all they did.

5:72 Rejecters of the Truth certainly are those who proclaim that God is Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah himself taught them, "O Children of Israel! You shall worship God, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever associates deities with God, for such God has forbidden Paradise and their abode is the Fire. For those who displace Truth with falsehood there will be no helpers.

5:73 And surely they disbelieve who say that God is one of three in a Trinity when there is no god whatever but the One God. Unless they desist from saying what they say, grievous suffering is bound to befall such of them who are bent upon denying the Truth.

5:74 Will they not rather turn to God and seek His forgiveness? For God is Forgiving, Merciful.

5:75 The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a Messenger, like other messengers before him who passed on. And his mother was a woman of Truth. Both of them were human beings who had to eat food (like all other mortals). See how clearly We explain Our verses for them, and note how they still deviate!

5:76 Say, “Would you worship in place of God what possesses no power of harm or benefit to you?” God it is Who is the Hearer, the Knower.

5:77 Say, “O People of the Book! Do not overstep the bounds of Truth in your religious beliefs. And do not follow the errant views of people who have gone astray long before, and led a great many others astray, and those who are still straying from the Even Way.

5:78 Those Children of Israel who were bent upon denying the Truth have already been condemned by the tongue of David and of Jesus, son of Mary. This because they rebelled and persisted in overstepping the bounds of what is right.

5:79 They did not restrain one another from violating the Permanent Values. Their behavior was indeed miserable.

5:80 Even now you see many of them allying themselves with the rejecters. Miserable indeed is what they send forth for their ‘selves’. God is displeased with them and in the doom they will abide forever.

5:81 If they had believed in God and the Prophet, and what is revealed to him, they (the People of the Scripture) would not ally themselves with the rejecters. But a great many of them are drifting away from the Truth.

5:82 (O Prophet) You will find the most vehement of mankind in hostility to the believers to be the Jews and the idolaters. Closer in affection to the believers you will find those who say, "We are Christians." That is because there are among them priests and monks and because they are not given to arrogance.

5:83 When they listen to what has been revealed to the Messenger, you (O Prophet) see their eyes overflow with tears because of their recognition of the Truth. They say, "Our Lord! We accept it, so count us among the witnesses.”

5:84 "What excuse do we have not to believe in God and the Truth that has come to us, when we so fervently desire that Our Sustainer admit us to the company of the righteous?"

5:85 For their saying this, God rewarded them with Gardens, with rivers flowing underneath, to abide therein. Such is the recompense of the doers of good. [Muhsineen = Doers of good = Benefactors of humanity = Those who create balance in the society]

5:86 Whereas those who reject the Truth and deny Our revelations, are companions of the Insurmountable Barrier. [Their ‘selves’ face Jaheem, a great hindrance to self-actualization = Blazing Fire]

5:87 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not deprive yourselves of the good things of life that God has made Lawful to you. But commit no excesses. God does not love those who exceed the limits. [Self-mortification by ascetics, monks and mystics is not the way to ‘purify’ the ‘soul’]

5:88 Thus, partake of the Lawful, good things that God grants you as sustenance. And be conscious of God, in Whom you are believers.

5:89 God will not call you to account for vain utterances of your oaths. He will hold you accountable for your deliberate and intentional oaths. If you violate such oaths, that would be a transgression against your ‘self’. If you do violate an oath, the expiation for that is: Feeding ten needy persons of what is standard for your own family, or clothing them - Or, freeing one human being from bondage, whether it is slavery, extreme poverty, heavy debt, or oppression. If you do not have the means to do so, then observe Abstinence for three days, as in Ramadhan. This is the expiation of your (breaking of) intentional oaths. But be mindful of your oaths. God explains His messages, so that you might have cause to be grateful. [Abstinence, 2:183]

5:90 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Intoxicants and gambling and games of chance, sacrificing animals on stones (altars of idols) and forecasting the future by such means as arrows, raffles and omens (all) is an immoral handiwork of Satan. Refrain from it that you may prosper.

5:91 By means of intoxicants and games of chance Satan, your rebellious and selfish desire, excites you to enmity and hatred among you and hinders you from being conscious of God and following the Divine System. Will you not then abstain?

5:92 You shall obey God and the Messenger, the Divine System that the Messenger has established, and be careful in this regard. If you turn away, it will be to your own detriment. Know that the duty of Our Messenger is just to convey the Message clearly.

5:93 Those who have chosen to believe and do works beneficial to the society, bear no guilt for whatever they partake (of the Lawful), as long as they live upright and continue to believe, and grow ever in righteousness, and continue with their good works benefiting others. Remember that God loves the benefactors of humanity. [Ta’m, beyond eating and drinking, includes enjoying God’s bounties in all forms]

5:94 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! During Hajj, God may let you test your belief in privacy with some game or someone else’s wandering livestock within easy reach of your hands and your arrows. Refrain from hunting it. Whoever crosses the limits after this, will face an awful requital.

5:95 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not kill animals of game while you are in the state of Pilgrimage. Whoever kills it intentionally, must send a Permissible domestic animal to the Ka’bah, as a gift for the needy. Two equitable persons will decide what domestic animal is equivalent to the game animal that was killed. They must ensure that the offering reaches the Ka’bah (for use by the needy pilgrims 22:28). Or for expiation, feed some poor at a cost equal to the cost of the animal. If someone has no means to do that, then Abstinence (for three days as in Ramadhan. Three days of Abstinence would equal feeding ten poor persons (5:89). God has pardoned past violations. An appropriate court shall punish those who persist in violating this Law. God is Almighty, Able to requite.

5:96 Lawful to you is all water-game. This is decent provision for you and for those who are traveling (to Hajj) by sea. Do not pursue land-game during Pilgrimage. Be mindful of God to Whom you will be summoned. [Bahr = Sea = River = Any body of water]

5:97 God has appointed the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, a Standard for mankind, the Sacred Months (2:194), the gifts for pilgrims, and the offerings marked with garlands. Know that God is fully Aware of all things in the heavens and all things on earth. And that God knows all things and events.

5:98 Beware that God’s Law of Requital is ever vigilant. And God is Forgiving, Merciful. (So, He has shown you how to become worthy of His Mercy.)

5:99 The Messenger's duty is to convey the Message, and God knows what you declare and what you hide.

5:100 Say, “The bad and the good are not same. Let not the abundance of evil dazzle you. O People of understanding! Be mindful of God’s Laws if you wish to reap a rich harvest. [The bad or evil is what harms the collective good of humanity and drags the ‘self’ down 14:24-27. The right is right, and the wrong is wrong regardless of what the majority think. 2:243, 6:116-119, 11:17]

5:101 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not ask unnecessary details of the things (as the Israelites did to Moses about the cow 2:68.) This attitude may bring unpleasant consequences for you. But if you ask them as the Qur’an is being revealed, the minor details of Ordinances might be given which will be hard for you to follow. God has pardoned you in this respect, for God is Forgiving, Clement.

[The general rule has been given that all pure and good things are Permissible to you. Your questions are very clearly answered in the Qur’an 5:15, 15:1, 22:40. The Qur’an is for all times, and while the basic Laws and Principles remain immutable, minor details are intended to be flexible according to temporal and spatial requirements 11:1. This Day I have perfected your Law for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen for you Al-Islam as the Way of Life. 5:3]

5:102 Some folk before you asked such questions and then rejected the instructions. [2:68]

5:103 God did not ordain that certain kinds of cattle and other livestock be marked out, assigned names, and set aside from human use or consumption. Disbelievers invented such superstitions and attributed them to God. Most of them do not use their intellect.

5:104 When it is said to them, “Come to what God has revealed and to His Messenger, they say, "Enough for us is what we found our parents doing." What! Even though their parents had no knowledge whatsoever and no Guidance?

5:105 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! You are responsible for yourselves. He who goes astray cannot harm you if you are rightly guided. All of you will return to God; and He will make you understand all that you were doing in life.

5:106 [Where necessary, even minor details of Law have been given in the Qur’an] O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! When death approaches you, two equitable persons among you should witness your will. If the pangs of death come upon you when you are traveling far from home, then two of others (equitable persons other than your own people, non-Muslims) may do the witnessing. After you have prayed, let the witnesses swear by God, “We shall not sell our word for any price, even if the (beneficiary) is our near relative, and we will not conceal what we have witnessed before God, or we will be among the violators of Law.”

5:107 If the witnesses commit this very violation, then let two others from among the nearest in kin take their place and swear by God, "Our testimony (that we have heard from the deceased before) is true rather than the testimony of these two, and we have not transgressed the bounds of right, or else, may we indeed be counted among the transgressors."

5:108 This procedure will encourage an honest testimony to begin with. The first witnesses will be more likely to bear true witness fearing that after their oath, the oath of others might be taken. Be mindful of God’s Laws, and listen. God does not guide those who decide to drift away from the Straight Path.

5:109 On the Day when God will assemble all messengers and ask them, “What was the long term response to your teachings?” They will say, “We have no knowledge. You, only You are the Knower of the Unseen.”

5:110 Then God will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Recall My blessings upon you and your mother. I strengthened you with Sacred Revelation, enabled you to speak eloquently to the people in childhood, and also at the advanced age. I gave you Revelation and wisdom including the Torah and the Gospel. Recall that you told them that you would raise them from dust up into the heights of glory by My leave. You made people see the Truth otherwise given to blind following, by My leave. You healed the wounds of inequity on people by My leave, and you gave a new meaning to life to those who were otherwise no better than dead, by My leave). Recall, how I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with all evidence of the Truth. And those who were bent upon denying the Truth said, “This is nothing but clear deception.” [3:45-48, 3:111, 4:157, 6:123. 7:176]

5:111 Recall, I told the disciples in the Gospel, “Believe in Me and in My Messenger. They said, "We believe, and be Witness that we have submitted."

5:112 When the disciples said, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Is your Lord Able to send down for us a Table Spread with Heavenly sustenance? Jesus said, “Be mindful of God if you are believers.” [Establish the Divine Order on earth and that will ensure heavenly provision in abundance and equity. 7:96]

5:113 They said, "This is exactly what we want. So that we live with a contented heart and know that your System is truly workable. And that we may be witnesses for the future generations.”

5:114 Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O God our Lord! Help us create the Heavenly System on earth that ensures abundance of provision for all of us. Let there be a happy feast for the founders and the followers of the Divine System. This will be a sign from You that Your Commands are blissful. Provide for us and You are the Best of providers.”

5:115. God said, “ I will make abundance for you as long as you remain loyal to the System. But, for those who disbelieve afterward, I will punish them as I have never punished anyone else.”

5:116 On the Resurrection Day, God will say: O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to mankind, “Worship me and my mother as deities besides God?" He will respond, "Be You Glorified! I could never say what was not my right. If I said such a thing, You would indeed know it. You know what is in my mind, and I do not know what is in Your mind. You, only You are the Knower of what is beyond human perception.”

5:117 "Never did I say to them except what You commanded me to say, 'Worship and obey God my Lord and your Lord.' I was a witness to them as long as I lived among them. After You caused me to die, You were the Watcher over them and You are Witness over all things and events."

5:118 “If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, You alone are Almighty, Wise.”

5:119 God will say, "This is a Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness. For them are Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, wherein they will be immortal. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. This is the Greatest Triumph.”

5:120 To God belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything therein. He has Power over all things and events, and He has appointed due measure for all things.