Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:78-86 - Quran Translation Commentary

(5:78) Cursed were the unbelievers of the Children of Israel by the tongue of Da'ud and `Isa ibn Maryam: that because they disobeyed and were ceaselessly crossing the bounds.

(5:79) They forbid not one another the vile things they committed.²⁰⁸ Surely evil were the things they were doing.

(5:80) You will see many of them befriending those who have disbelieved. Surely, evil is that which their souls have forwarded for themselves that Allah is angry with them. And in chastisement shall they abide forever.

(5:81) Had they believed in Allah and the Prophet (Moses), and in that which was sent down to him, they would not have befriended them; but many of them are ungodly.

(5:82) You will find the most hostile of men to the believers, the Jews²⁰⁹ and those who associate partners (unto Allah). And you will find nearest of them in love to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians.' That is because among them are priests and monks²¹⁰ and because they do not wax proud.²¹¹

(5:83) When they hear that which has been sent down to the Messenger, you will find their eyes overflow with tears because of the truth they recognize. They say, ‘Our Lord! We have believed, therefore, write us down among the witnesses.²¹²

(5:84) And why should we not believe in Allah and the truth that has come to us, seeing that we long that our Lord should admit us with the righteous?'

(5:85) So, because of what they maintained, Allah rewarded them with gardens underneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. That is the recompense of those who do good.

(5:86) As for those who disbelieved and cried lies to Our signs, they are the companions of the Fire.

Commentary

208. On the importance of enjoining good and forbidding evil, Ibn Jarir has the following reports. Ibn Mas`ud has reported the Prophet as having said (to the effect):

"إنه من كان قبلكم من بني إسرائيل إذا عمل فيهم العامل الخطيئة فنهاه الناهي تعذيراً فإذا كان من الغد جالسه وواكله وشاربه كأنه لم يره على خطيئة بالأمس فلما رأى الله تعالى ذلك منهم ضرب قلوب بعضهم على بعض على لسان داود وعيسى بن مريم {ذلك بما عصوا وكانوا يعتدون} والذي نفسي بيده لتأمرن بالمعروف ولتنهن عن المنكر ولتأخذن على أيدي المسيء ولتأطرنه على الحق أطراً أو ليضربن الله بقلوب بعضكم على بعض ويلعنكم كما لعنهم". (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد - رواه الطبراني ورجاله رجال الصحيح).

"When one of the Israelite saw someone committing a sin he forbid him. But, the next time he saw him doing the same thing, he did not prevent him because they ate, drank and interacted with each other. When that went on for a while, Allah transformed the hearts of some of them in the mold of the hearts of others. As a result they were cursed by the tongue of Da'ud and `Isa ibn Maryam. (That because they disobeyed and were ceaselessly crossing the bounds)." The Prophet then added: "By Him in whose hand is my life, you (O Muslims) will enjoin the good, forbid the evil, restrict the evil doer by holding his hand, and bend him down to the truth, or, Allah will transform the heart of some of you into the mold of the hearts of the others and lay a curse upon you as He laid a curse upon them."

There are several versions of the above report, and, therefore, we have resorted to a free translation.

According to several other reports the Prophet recited this verse and then, sitting up from a reclining position, added:

ثم جلس رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم وكان متكئا ثم قال : كلا والذي نفسي بيده حتى تأطروهم على الحق أطرا

"No! Not until you restrain the hand of the oppressor and force him to act justly."

Another report coming through Ibn Zayd quotes the Prophet as having said:

إنّ رَحَى الإيمان قد دارت، فدُوروا مع القرآن حيث دار [*فإنه... قد فرغ الله مما افترض فيه]. ..كان أمة من بني إسرائيل، كانوا أهل عدل، يأمرون بالمعروف وينهون عن المنكر، فأخذه قومهم فنشروهم بالمناشير، وصلبوهم على الخشب، وبقيت منهم بقية، فلم يرضوا حتى داخلوا الملوك وجالسوهم، ثم لم يرضوا حتى واكلوهم، فضرب الله تلك القلوب بعضها ببعض فجعلها واحدة. فذلك قول الله تعالى: "لعن الذين كفروا من بني إسرائيل على لسان داود" إلى: "ذلك بما عصوا وكانوا يعتدون"، ماذا كانت معصيتهم؟ قال: "كانوا لا يتناهون عن منكر فعلوه لبئس ما كانوا يفعلون".

"The mill stone of faith has taken a full circle. Therefore, turn with the Qur'an, whichever way it turns. For, Allah has finished stating the obligations in it. Among the Israelites were a people who enjoined virtues and forbid evil. But their people slit them through with saws and crucified them over wooden crosses. A few escaped. But they were not spared until they accepted the rulers. With that also they were not satisfied until they interacted with each other. Then Allah transformed the hearts of some of them in the mold of others, unifying them. It is in reference to this that Allah revealed, ‘Cursed were the unbelievers of the Children of Israel by the tongue of Da'ud and `Isa ibn Maryam: that because they disobeyed and continuously crossed the bounds. And, what was their sin? They forbid not one another the evil they committed. Surely vile were the things they did.'"

The above report of Ibn Jarir could not be found in any Hadith collection. However, the following is found in Tabarani’s Mu`jam al-Saghir, which, but for disconnection in the chain, Haythami declared the narrators trustworthy. It says:

أَلا إِنَّ رَحَى الإِسْلامِ دَائِرَةٌ ، فَدُورُوا مَعَ الْكِتَابِ حَيْثُ دَارَ ، أَلا إِنَّ الْكِتَابَ وَالسُّلْطَانَ سَيَفْتَرِقَانِ فَلا تُفَارِقُوا الْكِتَابَ ، أَلا إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ أُمَرَاءُ يَقْضُونَ لَكُمْ ، فَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ أَضَلُّوكُمْ وَإِنْ عَصَيْتُمُوهُمْ قَتَلُوكُمْ ، قَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ، فَكَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ ؟ قَالَ : كَمَا صَنَعَ أَصْحَابُ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ، نُشِرُوا بِالْمَنَاشِيرِ وَحُمِلُوا عَلَى الْخَشَبِ مَوْتٌ فِي طَاعَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ حَيَاةٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

“Lo, the mill-stone of Islam is a full circle, so turn with the Book wheresoever it turns. Lo, the Book and political power will soon split pathways. So, do not part ways with the Book. Lo, there will be rulers who will judge for you but if you obeyed them they will take you off the right path. On the other hand, if you disobeyed them, they will kill you.” The narrator asked, “What shall we do, Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Do as the Companions of `Isa ibn Maryam did. They were split with saws and were hung by the wooden crosses. Indeed, death in obedience is better than life in disobedience of Allah Most High.”

Ibn Kathir adds: Ahadith similar to the above are found in various collections such as Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and others. The following can be added for emphasis. A report in Ahmad backed by one in Tirmidhi of hasan status has Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman quoting the Prophet (saws):

"والذي نَفْسِي بيده لتَأمُرُنَّ بالمعروف ولَتَنْهَوُنَّ عن المُنْكَرِ، أو ليُوشِكَنَّ الله أن يبعث عليكم عِقابًا من عنده، ثم لتدعنه فلا يستجيب لكم". (رواه الترمذي وقال: هذا حديث حسن)

"By Him in whose hands is my life, you will either enjoin good, forbid evil or, it is feared that Allah sends down a chastisement from Him so that you supplicate but are not answered."

Ibn Majah has a hadith of ‘A'isha saying:

مُروا بالمعروف، وانْهَوْا عن المنكر، قبل أن تَدْعوا فلا يستجاب لكم

"I heard the Prophet say, ‘Enjoin good, forbid evil before it happens that you supplicate but are not answered." The hadith however, is weak. But Abu Sa`id al Khudri has been recorded in Muslim as reporting the Prophet:

مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإِيمَانِ

"Whoever of you sees an evil should rectify it with his hand; if he cannot, then with the tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart. And that's the weakest (state) of faith."

The Musnad of Ahmad has another hadith which reports the Prophet as having said:

إن الله لا يُعذِّب العامَّة بعَمَلِ الخاصة، حتى يَرَوا المنكر بين ظَهْرانيْهِم، وهم قادرون على أن ينكروه. فلا ينكرونه فإذا فعلوا ذلك عَذَّبَ الله العامة والخاصة

"Allah does not punish a people for the deeds of a few, until they see evils among themselves, and, despite their ability to prevent it, they do nothing about it. When that happens then Allah punishes everyone: the few as well as the whole lot."

Abu Da'ud has a report which says:

إِذَا عُمِلَ بِالْخَطِيَّةِ فِى الأَرْضِ كَانَ مَنْ شَهِدَهَا فَكَرِهَهَا كَمَنْ غَابَ عَنْهَا وَمَنْ غَابَ عَنْهَا فَرَضِيَهَا كَانَ كَمَنْ شَهِدَهَا.

"When a wrong is committed on the earth, then someone who saw it but disapproved of it, is like he who was away from the scene. In contrast, he who was away from the scene but approved of it, is like he who was present at the scene." (The report has been declared Hasan: Au.)

Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah with Tirmidhi grading it hasan gharib have a report from the Prophet:

أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ

"The best jihad is a word of truth before a tyrannical ruler."

Another hadith of Ibn Majah says that:

عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ عِنْدَ الْجَمْرَةِ الْأُولَى فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْجِهَادِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ وَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ عِنْدَ الْجَمْرَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا رَمَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَمْرَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ وَوَضَعَ رِجْلَهُ فِي الْغَرْزِ قَالَ أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ قَالَ كَلِمَةُ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ إِمَامٍ جَائِرٍ

A man presented himself to the Prophet near the First Jamurah. He asked: "Messenger of Allah, which jihad is the best." The Prophet did not answer him. When he had thrown the pebbles at the Second Jamurah, the man asked the same question. The Prophet did not answer him. Then, after he had thrown the pebbles at the Jamurah al `Aqabah and had placed his foot in the stirrup to mount, he turned and enquired: "Where is the questioner?" And then said: "A word of truth spoken out before a tyrannical ruler."

Yet another report of Ibn Majah says the Prophet said:

"لا يَحْقِر أحدكم نفسه". قالوا: يا رسول الله، كيف يحقر أحدنا نفسه؟. قال: "يرى أمرًا لله فيه مَقَال، ثم لا يقول فيه. فيقول الله له يوم القيامة: ما منعك أن تقول فيّ كذا وكذا وكذا؟ فيقول: خَشْيَةَ الناس، فيقول: فإياي كنت أحق أن تَخْشَى"

"Let not one of you belittle himself." He was asked, "How can one belittle himself?" He replied: "He sees something happening, but does not say a word about it. Allah will ask him on the Day of Judgment: ‘What prevented you from speaking out on such and such a day?' He will reply: ‘Fear of the people.' Allah will say, ‘It was more deserving that you feared Me.'" (Haythami declared it trustworthy: Au.).

Quotes from Ibn Kathir end here.

209. Verse 81 spoke of the Jews befriending the pagans. This verse, 82, speaks of their enmity with the Muslims (Shafi`).

210. Ruhban (sing. rahib) and ruhbaniyyah have the same root, and, as Raghib has said, the latter means ‘to devote oneself to acts of worship to an extreme degree out of an immoderate fear.’ Accordingly, we have a hadith, ‘There is no ruhbaniyyah in Islam (Ruh). In fact, the indirect praise here, adds Thanwi, is not directed at ruhbaniyyah, rather, one aspect of it, viz., abandonment of this world.

211. When there are a large number of people among a nation who have such qualities as renunciation of the world, devotion to God, and, who are not proud such as the Christians of the Prophet's time then, their influence reaches the masses, who also tend to take a soft line to the Truth, even if not as soft as to embrace it in the first instance. In contrast, when there are many in a nation who love this world, follow their carnal self and are proud such as the Jews then their masses too are little inclined to the Truth, even if a few of them might embrace it with the first call. It was the same problem with the Quraysh of Makkah: they were extremely proud. It was when their pride was broken that they became receptive to the Truth (Thanwi).

Shafi` adds: Nevertheless, the situation today is that the so called Christians are no better than Jews in their enmity of Islam and Muslims. So far as their faiths are concerned, surely they are nearer to polytheism than the Jews. The verse then is not speaking of the Christians of all times, as Jassas has pointed out, rather of a specific group of people. Indeed, writes Thanwi, the Qur'anic verse in question, has not been revealed in appreciation of the Christians, rather, when the Jews were condemned for exhibiting certain characteristics, the sense of justice required that the Christian attitudes be also mentioned. Therefore, Shabbir adds, in effect, why should (the Ummah) look for friends among those who lack the qualities stated here?

212. Hakim has narrated a sahih report from `Abdullah ibn Zubayr to the effect that these verses were revealed in reference to Najashi of Abyssinia. Others have said that they were revealed in reference to a group of Abyssinians who had visited Madinah. The Prophet recited a few verses to them. They were in tears and readily declared their faith in Islam. Nonetheless, it seems more reasonable to assume a general import and application of the verses rather than a specific one (Ibn Jarir).

The latter report is in Nasa'i and Hakim who has termed it as sahih of isnad (Ibn Kathir).