Surah 5. Al-Ma'idah

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Verses [Section]: 1-5[1], 6-11 [2], 12-19 [3], 20-26 [4], 27-34 [5], 35-43 [6], 44-50 [7], 51-56 [8], 57-66 [9], 67-77 [10], 78-86 [11], 87-98 [12], 99-100 [13], 101-108 [14], 109-115 [15], 116-120 [16]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-55. Al-Ma'idahبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِیٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْۤاbelieve!اَوْفُوْاFulfilبِالْعُقُوْدِ ؕ۬the contractsاُحِلَّتْAre made lawfulلَكُمْfor youبَهِیْمَةُthe quadrupedالْاَنْعَامِ(of) the grazing livestockاِلَّاexceptمَاwhatیُتْلٰیis recitedعَلَیْكُمْon youغَیْرَnotمُحِلِّیbeing permittedالصَّیْدِ(to) huntوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youحُرُمٌ ؕ(are in) IhramاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیَحْكُمُdecreesمَاwhatیُرِیْدُ He wills یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveلَا(Do) notتُحِلُّوْاviolateشَعَآىِٕرَ(the) ritesاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ لَاand notالشَّهْرَthe monthالْحَرَامَthe sacredوَ لَاand notالْهَدْیَthe sacrificial animalsوَ لَاand notالْقَلَآىِٕدَthe garlandedوَ لَاۤand notآٰمِّیْنَ(those) comingالْبَیْتَ(to) the Houseالْحَرَامَthe SacredیَبْتَغُوْنَseekingفَضْلًاBountyمِّنْofرَّبِّهِمْtheir Lordوَ رِضْوَانًا ؕand good pleasureوَ اِذَاAnd whenحَلَلْتُمْyou come out of Ihramفَاصْطَادُوْا ؕthen (you may) huntوَ لَاAnd let notیَجْرِمَنَّكُمْincite youشَنَاٰنُ(the) hatredقَوْمٍ(for) a peopleاَنْasصَدُّوْكُمْthey stopped youعَنِfromالْمَسْجِدِAl-MasjidالْحَرَامِAl-Haraamاَنْthatتَعْتَدُوْا ۘyou commit transgressionوَ تَعَاوَنُوْاAnd help one anotherعَلَیinالْبِرِّ[the] righteousnessوَ التَّقْوٰی ۪and [the] pietyوَ لَاbut (do) notتَعَاوَنُوْاhelp one anotherعَلَیinالْاِثْمِ[the] sinوَ الْعُدْوَانِ ۪and [the] transgressionوَ اتَّقُواAnd fearاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنَّindeedاللّٰهَAllahشَدِیْدُ(is) severeالْعِقَابِ (in) [the] punishment 5. Al-Ma'idah Page 107حُرِّمَتْAre made unlawfulعَلَیْكُمُon youالْمَیْتَةُthe dead animalsوَ الدَّمُand the bloodوَ لَحْمُand fleshالْخِنْزِیْرِ(of) the swineوَ مَاۤand whatاُهِلَّhas been dedicatedلِغَیْرِto other thanاللّٰهِAllahبِهٖ[on it]وَ الْمُنْخَنِقَةُand that which is strangled (to death)وَ الْمَوْقُوْذَةُand that which is hit fatallyوَ الْمُتَرَدِّیَةُand that which has a fatal fallوَ النَّطِیْحَةُand that which is gored by hornsوَ مَاۤand that whichاَكَلَate (it)السَّبُعُthe wild animalاِلَّاexceptمَاwhatذَكَّیْتُمْ ۫you slaughteredوَ مَاand whatذُبِحَis sacrificedعَلَیonالنُّصُبِthe stone altarsوَ اَنْand thatتَسْتَقْسِمُوْاyou seek divisionبِالْاَزْلَامِ ؕby divining arrowsذٰلِكُمْthatفِسْقٌ ؕ(is) grave disobedienceاَلْیَوْمَThis dayیَىِٕسَ(have) despairedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedمِنْofدِیْنِكُمْyour religionفَلَاso (do) notتَخْشَوْهُمْfear themوَ اخْشَوْنِ ؕbut fear MeاَلْیَوْمَThis dayاَكْمَلْتُI have perfectedلَكُمْfor youدِیْنَكُمْyour religionوَ اَتْمَمْتُand I have completedعَلَیْكُمْupon youنِعْمَتِیْMy Favorوَ رَضِیْتُand I have approvedلَكُمُfor youالْاِسْلَامَ[the] Islamدِیْنًا ؕ(as) a religionفَمَنِBut whoeverاضْطُرَّ(is) forcedفِیْbyمَخْمَصَةٍhungerغَیْرَ(and) notمُتَجَانِفٍincliningلِّاِثْمٍ ۙto sinفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful یَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَThey ask youمَا ذَاۤwhatاُحِلَّ(is) made lawfulلَهُمْ ؕfor themقُلْSayاُحِلَّAre made lawfulلَكُمُfor youالطَّیِّبٰتُ ۙthe good thingsوَ مَاand whatعَلَّمْتُمْyou have taughtمِّنَofالْجَوَارِحِ(your) hunting animalsمُكَلِّبِیْنَones who train animals to huntتُعَلِّمُوْنَهُنَّyou teach themمِمَّاof whatعَلَّمَكُمُhas taught youاللّٰهُ ؗAllahفَكُلُوْاSo eatمِمَّاۤof whatاَمْسَكْنَthey catchعَلَیْكُمْfor youوَ اذْكُرُواbut mentionاسْمَ(the) nameاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَیْهِ ۪on itوَ اتَّقُواand fearاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahسَرِیْعُis swiftالْحِسَابِ (in taking) account اَلْیَوْمَThis dayاُحِلَّare made lawfulلَكُمُfor youالطَّیِّبٰتُ ؕthe good thingsوَ طَعَامُand (the) foodالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْكِتٰبَthe Bookحِلٌّ(is) lawfulلَّكُمْ ۪for youوَ طَعَامُكُمْand your foodحِلٌّ(is) lawfulلَّهُمْ ؗfor themوَ الْمُحْصَنٰتُAnd the chaste womenمِنَfromالْمُؤْمِنٰتِthe believersوَ الْمُحْصَنٰتُand the chaste womenمِنَfromالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْكِتٰبَthe Bookمِنْfromقَبْلِكُمْbefore youاِذَاۤwhenاٰتَیْتُمُوْهُنَّyou have given themاُجُوْرَهُنَّtheir bridal dueمُحْصِنِیْنَbeing chasteغَیْرَnotمُسٰفِحِیْنَbeing lewdوَ لَاand notمُتَّخِذِیْۤones (who are) takingاَخْدَانٍ ؕsecret loversوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّكْفُرْdeniesبِالْاِیْمَانِthe faithفَقَدْthen surelyحَبِطَ(are) wastedعَمَلُهٗ ؗhis deedsوَ هُوَand heفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterمِنَ(will be) amongالْخٰسِرِیْنَ۠the losers

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Surah Introduction

This Medinian sûrah takes its name from the story of the table mentioned in verses 112-115. Several rulings are laid out, including permissible and prohibited foods, hunting while on pilgrimage, and making a bequest while travelling. A reference is made to Allah's covenants with the Jews and Christians and how those covenants were repeatedly violated. The believers are urged to comply with Allah's judgment as communicated by the Prophet ( ﷺ ) . Some topics that have been touched on in the previous sûrahs are detailed here, including making up for a broken oath, the sanctity of the human life, and the humanity of Jesus ( ﷺ ) .

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Translation of Verse 1-51. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. O believers! Honour your obligations. All grazing livestock has been made lawful to you-except what is hereby announced to you and hunting while on pilgrimage. Indeed, Allah commands what He wills.

2. O believers! Do not violate Allah's rituals ˹of pilgrimage˺, the sacred months, the sacrificial animals, the ˹offerings decorated with˺ garlands, nor those ˹pilgrims˺ on their way to the Sacred House seeking their Lord's bounty and pleasure. When pilgrimage has ended, you are allowed to hunt. Do not let the hatred of a people who once barred you from the Sacred Mosque provoke you to transgress. Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.

3. Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and swine; what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah; what is killed by strangling, beating, a fall, or by being gored to death; what is partly eaten by a predator unless you slaughter it; and what is sacrificed on altars. You are also forbidden to draw lots for decisions. ²⁴⁰ This is all evil. Today the disbelievers have given up all hope of ˹undermining˺ your faith. So do not fear them; fear Me! Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way. But whoever is compelled by extreme hunger-not intending to sin-then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

4. They ask you, ˹O Prophet,˺ what is permissible for them ˹to eat˺. Say, "What is good and lawful. Also what is caught by your hunting animals and birds of prey which you have trained as instructed by Allah. So eat what they catch for you, but mention the Name of Allah over it ˹first˺." And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is swift in reckoning.

5. Today all good, pure foods have been made lawful for you. Similarly, the food of the People of the Book ²⁴¹ is permissible for you and yours is permissible for them. And ˹permissible for you in marriage˺ are chaste believing women as well as chaste women of those given the Scripture before you-as long as you pay them their dowries in wedlock, neither fornicating nor taking them as mistresses. And whoever rejects the faith, all their good deeds will be void ˹in this life˺ and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.

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Commentary

240. To make a decision in pre-Islamic Arabia, a person would draw one of three straws: one saying "Do it," the other "Do not do it," and the third was left blank, whereas in Islam there is a special prayer (called istikhârah ) for guidance when making a decision.

241. "The food of the People of the Book" here means the meat of the animals slaughtered by the Jews and Christians.