Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:6-11 - Quran Translation Commentary

6. O you who believe ! When you stand up for Salat⁴⁷, wash your faces and hands up to the elbows; and perform ‘Masah’ of your heads (with wet hands); and (wash) your feet up to the ankles⁴⁸. And if you have cohabited with a woman ⁴⁹, purify yourself by bathing. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or if one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or if you have touched women⁵⁰ (performed sexual act), and you find no water, then make use of clean earth, touch it with your hands passing them over your faces and your hands (Tayammum)⁵¹. Allah does not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to purify you and to complete his favour upon you⁵² so that you may be grateful.

7. And remember⁵³ Allah’s favour on you, and His Covenant⁵⁴ by which He bound you when you said: We have heard and we obeyed.’ And fear Allah ⁵⁵. Verily, Allah knows what is in men’s breasts (hearts ).

8. O you who believe! Stand out firmly⁵⁶ for Allah, and witnesses in justice⁵⁷, and let not the enmity of any people prompt you not to act justly⁵⁸. Do justice, that is next to righteousness; and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is well aware of all that you do.

9. To those who believe and perform acts of righteousness has Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward.

10. And those who reject Faith and deny Our signs will be companions of Hell.

11. O you who believe ! Remember the favour of Allah on you when a people had planned to extend their hands against you, then Allah had restrained their hands from you⁵⁹; and fearAllah. And let believers put their trust in Allah.

Commentary

47. That is: when you intend to offer salat (prayer).

48. For Salat, cleanliness and purification is absolutely necessary.The method of cleanliness which has been described here is called in the Shariah terminology, as ‘wuzu’ (ablution). The explanation which the Prophet gave of this command shows that the correct method of wuzu according to Sunnah is this: the hands be washed upto the wrists, and there should be gargling with water, then the inside of the nose be cleaned by water, then the face be washed, and the right hand and the left hand be washed up to elbows, thereafter the head be touched with wet hands (masah) and the ears be included in this Masah; in the end the right foot and then the left foot be washed up to the ankles.

A part from the lengthy discussions about wuzu, a few important points are explained here:

1) By washing the parts concerned with water once, the wuzu is completed, but it is better to wash them three times.

2) With the hands the elbows, and with the foot the ankles should also be washed.

3) It is better that the touching with wet hands of the head (masah) is done to cover the whole skull. and also of the outer and the inner side of the external ears.

4) The parts concerned should be washed in such a way that no portion of them should remain dry. It is mentioned in a hadith that the Prophet saw that some people had left their heel dry in their ablution, thereupon he said:

“A pity for those heels that would burn in the fire (for being kept dry)” – (Muslim – Kitabut Taharah).

5) About the feet, some people are under the wrong impression that merely touching them (masah) with hands is sufficient, while according to the Quran and Sunnah washing them is necessary. If touching them with the hand (masah) were sufficient, then in the instruction the restriction ‘up to the ankles’ would not have been there, nor the warning of punishment in the case of keeping the heels dry would have been given, as mentioned above.

6) The wuzu that has been performed for one salat (prayer) can also serve for the other salat that follows, till it is terminated. As regards the benefit and wisdom of wuzu, it not only provides the apparent cleanliness but also gives the internal purification. Accordingly by performing wuzu, the sins of a Muslim drop out and he feels himself in a state of purification. In a hadith it is mentioned that when a Momin performs wuzu his sins are also washed away with water from his face, hands and feet, till he comes out clean and pure off his sins–(Muslim, Kitabut Taharah).

And on the Day of Judgment due to the effect of wuzu, a Muslim’s face, hands and feet will be bright. –(Muslim, Kitabut Taharah). ‘‘The faces of my Ummah (believers) will be shining due to the effect of ablution when they will be called up on the Day of Judgement and their hands too will be bright.’’

49. The explanation of uncleanliness because of pollution has been given in Note No.99, Surah Nisa.

50. For explanation, please see Surah Nisa. note no.101.

51. The explanation of tayammum has been given in note no. 102 Surah Nisa.

52. That is: The conditions of ghusl (bathing) and wuzu are not for inconveniencing the Muslims but for making them clean and purified. The purification of the body is the means for the purification of the self. Therefore, by teaching the Muslims the method of wuzu, ghusl and tayammum, Allah has completed his favours for the people of Faith.

“Allah does not wish to place you in a difficulty, is a great guiding principle that has been mentioned here. About purification it gives us the guidance that the methods which have been given here for obtaining purification, if followed with sincerity and in a simple and straight way, they would suffice.The prescriber of the Shariah does not want the method to be excessive or complicated. Therefore, the complications and excesses that have occurred in these methods as a result of the hairsplitting indulged into by the theologians are in reality unnecessary restrictions which the people themselves have imposed on themselves.

53. Means that favour and blessing which Allah has bestowed on the people of Faith by sending down the perfect Shariah.

54. Means that responsibility which a man accepts for entering into the faith of Islam or for becoming a Muslim, that is: he will obey Allah and His Messenger. This sense is embodied in the kalimah of witness, and this covenant is also taken from the people of the Faith unambiguously through the Prophet.

55. That is: Fear and be wary of the fact that in the event of disobeying of the commands of the Shariah, you will have to undergo severe punishment in the Hereafter.

56. That is: All your efforts and striving should be for Allah only and the axis and the centre of your activities should be the pleasure of Allah. This is demanded from the faithful people individually as well as collectively. Individuals should give the proof of their sincerity and selflessness in the field of action and the Muslim Ummah should become collectively the standard bearer of the religion of Truth.

57. Refer to note no. 220 of Surah Nisa,

58. The enmity or hatred of a nation causes a man to have prejudice against the people of that nation, which makes him adopt a wrong attitude towards them, and there remains no distinction for him as to what is just and unjust. But the very purpose of the existence of Muslim Ummah is justice, therefore, it should not be so influenced by the enmity of a particular nation that it should act unfairly. On the contrary, it should be the distinctive characteristic of the Muslim Ummah that it should deal fairly and justly in all its affairs, even in its political problems, and with all the people, even with its enemies.

This characteristic was found to be present to the utmost degree in the companions of the Prophet. They neither ascribed wrong motives to their enemies nor did they adopt ungentlemanly behaviour with them. Even in their wars they did not commit any excesses. They did not show disrespect to the fallen in the battles nor did they treat the prisoners improperly. They did not kill children and old people and they did not rape women. For this reason they were considered fit to rule with justice and to fill the world with impartiality, equity and fairplay.

59. Refers to the conspiracy hatched by the Jews (Bani Nadheer) to kill the Prophet and his companions. But the timely intimation by Allah saved him.