Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:109-115 - Quran Translation Commentary

(5:109) The Day when Allah shall gather together the Messengers and ask, ‘How were you answered?' They will reply, ‘We have no knowledge.²⁶² You indeed are the Knower of the Unseen.'

(5:110) When Allah will say, ‘O `Isa ibn Maryam! Recall My favor on you and on your mother when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit,²⁶³ you spoke to the people from the cradle and in maturity,²⁶⁴ and when I taught you the Book, the Wisdom, the Tawrah and the Injil; when you made from clay the form of a bird by My leave then blew into it, it became thereof a (real) bird by My leave; you cured the born blind and the leper by My leave, and you brought out the dead by My leave;²⁶⁵ and when I shielded you from the Israelites when you brought them the manifest signs, whereupon those of them who had disbelieved declared, “This is nothing but magic, plain and simple."’²⁶⁶

(5:111) And when I inspired²⁶⁷ the Apostles to the effect, ‘You believe in Me and My messenger.' They said, ‘We have believed. Bear witness that we have surrendered (unto You).'

(5:112) When the Apostles asked, ‘O `Isa ibn Maryam! Could²⁶⁸ your Lord send down upon us a ma'idah²⁶⁹ out of heaven?'²⁷⁰ He replied, ‘Fear Allah if you are believers.'

(5:113) They said, ‘We only wish to eat out of it and strengthen our hearts, and know that you spoke the truth to us, and so that we might be of the witnesses thereto.'

(5:114) Isa the son of Maryam prayed, ‘O Lord our God! Send down upon us a ma'idah out of heaven so that it might be a (day of) prayers, and celebration for the first and the last of us,²⁷¹ and a Sign from You. And provide for us. Surely, You are the best of providers.'²⁷²

(5:115) Allah said, ‘I will send it down to you. But whoso of you disbelieves after that, I shall surely chastise him in a way I have not chastised anyone in the worlds.'²⁷³

Commentary

262. Suddi, Hasan and Mujahid have said that it is out of the terror of the Day that the Messengers would say, ‘We do not know how they responded.' Subsequently, however, when things will calm down and they would have regained their selves, they would bear witness against those they were raised amongst (Ibn Jarir).

Zamakhshari thinks however that since they would know that such questioning was a prelude to the questioning of those they had been commissioned to, and that, it concealed a threat of punishment, they would say that they have no knowledge, thus washing their hands off the issue and leaving it to Allah to judge and punish the people if He may. Another possibility is that they would belittle their knowledge before Allah's.

263. The obvious explanation of "Ruh al-Qudus" is Jibril. But, since there are many kinds of souls, from the brightest to the darkest, an alternative explanation is that the allusion could be to a very bright soul of a very high order bestowed to `Isa (Razi).

264. By saying "from the cradle as well as in maturity," (although "maturity" did not need to be mentioned) the allusion perhaps is to the quality of "talk" as being of the class of Prophets - in both the stages of life - and not merely the naive talk of an infant miraculously begun to speak (Based on Razi).

Further, the use of the term "kahl," which is for a person of age between 34 and 51, while `Isa ibn Maryam was raised up to the heaven when he was only 33, is for the implicit assertion that he will come back and attain that age (Alusi).

265. In the repetition of the words "by My leave" is perhaps the indication that the ability to accomplish these feats did not rest with `Isa all the time, rather, every time he wished to accomplish one of them, he needed to freshly invoke Allah's help (Al-Manar).

266. Majid writes: "According to the Jewish sources: ‘Jesus learned magic in Egypt and performed his miracle by means of it ... The accusation of magic is frequently brought against Jesus.' (Jewish Encyclopedia VII, p. 171). ‘The nearest approach to a definite opinion about Him in the Talmud is the statement that ‘he practiced magic and deceived and led astray Israel.' (ERE. VII, p. 551). ‘Now when the wise men saw that all were believing in him, straightaway they bound him fast and led him before Helene, the queen, under whose hand was the land of Israel. They said unto her, This man is a sorcerer, and he deceived the world.' (Schoufield, According to the Hebrews, p. 41)"

267. "Wahyun" is any secret, quick signaling (Manar). It is used in various senses of: revelation, inspiration, bestowing the knowledge either during sleep or awakening, as well as ordering a thing done (Qurtubi).

268. Being believers, the Apostles were not questioning the capability of their Lord. Rather it was in the same vein as one would say to another person, ‘I am going. Do you think you can come along with me?' By the choice of such words the speaker is not questioning the ability of the person, rather, seeking to know his willingness (based on Ibn Jarir).

Zamakhshari however believes that they were a few skeptic followers of `Isa (sitting mixed up with his true disciples: Qurtubi), who demanded to be shown a sign. The construction of the verse too does not give an emphatic proof of their faith.

A variant reading, as taught by the Prophet to Mu`adh ibn Jabal is "tastati`u rabbaka" meaning, "Is it possible that you ask your Lord" (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). The report is also in Hakim who has declared it of sahih status (Shawkani).

`Ali, `A'isha and Ibn `Abbas were of the opinion that the correct reading is "tastati` rabbaka," but the Hijazi scholars have read it as "yastati`u rabbuka" (Ibn Jarir, Razi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and others).

269. Although the word in the original is "ma'idah" (which is for a half-height table, around which people gathered, sitting on the floor to partake their meals arranged on it), the term has been used here, in this verse, in the sense of "sufra" (which is a circular peace of skin that was laid down on the floor and on which in turn a large platter of food was placed out of which the people ate). Never did our Prophet, (as reported by Anas in a trustworthy report), eat on a "ma'idah" rather, only on the "sufra." Although some ahadith use the term "ma'idah" but it has been used in the sense of "sufra." In fact, in its origin "ma'idah" is anything that is stretched out. Further, when it was said "ma'idah" by the Apostles, it was understood that it was food that they were requesting and not the table (Qurtubi).

Alusi adds: Eating on a table is bid`ah if it is out of pride. (So far as its usage here), the word ma'idah is synonymous with food.

"Indeed," writes Rashid Rida, "a ‘ma'idah' is not ‘ma'idah' without any food on it."

270. Ibn `Abbas has narrated the following as background story to the request for the ma'idah. Once, `Isa ibn Maryam asked his Apostles to fast for thirty days and then make supplications. It was likely to be answered. For, every wage earner is given his wages at the end of his work. So they fasted and at the end of the fasts made the request to their Lord to send them food from the heaven (Ibn Jarir).

271. That is, a day of prayers and celebration for the people of our times as well as of those that will follow (Au.).

Majid writes: "`Eid is not necessarily ‘a festival' or ‘a periodical festival' as generally mistranslated. It is ‘an occurrence that befalls, or besides, one or that happens to one,' or ‘the time of return of joy and of grief.' There is no allusion here to the ‘Last Supper' or any other Christian legend."

272. Note the difference between the two statements of `Isa (asws) and his followers. When they gave out the reasons for the plate of meals, it was material reason that was stated first (so that we might eat out of it) and the spiritual reason next. But when `Isa spoke he gave the spiritual reason first, (so that we might declare it a day of prayers) and the material reason last. Further, he did not stop at provision alone, rather moved on from the provision to the Provider Himself (Razi).

273. Contradictory reports have come down from the Salaf. The same authorities have been reported as saying on the one hand that a plate of food was actually sent down, and, on the other hand, that the Apostles withdrew their request, fearing the punishment and so it was not sent down (Ibn Jarir). Since there is no mention of it in the traditions of the Christians, it is more likely that the plate of meals was not sent down (Ibn Kathir). And the hadith that has been quoted in Tirmidhi, to the effect that food was sent down but the followers of Jesus Christ stored the remains, despite orders against it, and were, in consequence, transformed into swine and apes, is most probably an opinion of the narrator (Shawkani).