Surah 5. Al-Ma'idah

---

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]

---

Quran Text of Verse 6-115. Al-Ma'idah Page 108یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْۤاbelieveاِذَاWhenقُمْتُمْyou stand upاِلَیforالصَّلٰوةِthe prayerفَاغْسِلُوْاthen washوُجُوْهَكُمْyour facesوَ اَیْدِیَكُمْand your handsاِلَیtillالْمَرَافِقِthe elbowsوَ امْسَحُوْاand wipeبِرُءُوْسِكُمْyour headsوَ اَرْجُلَكُمْand your feetاِلَیtillالْكَعْبَیْنِ ؕthe anklesوَ اِنْBut ifكُنْتُمْyou areجُنُبًا(in) a state of ceremonial impurityفَاطَّهَّرُوْا ؕthen purify yourselvesوَ اِنْBut ifكُنْتُمْyou areمَّرْضٰۤیillاَوْorعَلٰیonسَفَرٍa journeyاَوْorجَآءَhas comeاَحَدٌany oneمِّنْكُمْof youمِّنَfromالْغَآىِٕطِthe toiletاَوْorلٰمَسْتُمُhas (had) contactالنِّسَآءَ(with) the womenفَلَمْand notتَجِدُوْاyou findمَآءًwaterفَتَیَمَّمُوْاthen do tayyammumصَعِیْدًا(with) earthطَیِّبًاcleanفَامْسَحُوْاthen wipeبِوُجُوْهِكُمْyour facesوَ اَیْدِیْكُمْand your handsمِّنْهُ ؕwith itمَاDoes notیُرِیْدُintendاللّٰهُAllahلِیَجْعَلَto makeعَلَیْكُمْfor youمِّنْanyحَرَجٍdifficultyوَّ لٰكِنْbutیُّرِیْدُHe intendsلِیُطَهِّرَكُمْto purify youوَ لِیُتِمَّand to completeنِعْمَتَهٗHis Favorعَلَیْكُمْupon youلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَشْكُرُوْنَ (be) grateful وَ اذْكُرُوْاAnd rememberنِعْمَةَ(the) Favorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَیْكُمْupon youوَ مِیْثَاقَهُand His covenantالَّذِیْwhichوَاثَقَكُمْHe bound youبِهٖۤ ۙwith [it]اِذْwhenقُلْتُمْyou saidسَمِعْنَاWe hearedوَ اَطَعْنَا ؗand we obeyedوَ اتَّقُواand fearاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All-Knowerبِذَاتِof whatالصُّدُوْرِ (is in) the breasts یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveكُوْنُوْاBeقَوّٰمِیْنَsteadfastلِلّٰهِfor Allahشُهَدَآءَ(as) witnessesبِالْقِسْطِ ؗin justiceوَ لَاand let notیَجْرِمَنَّكُمْprevent youشَنَاٰنُhatredقَوْمٍ(of) a peopleعَلٰۤی[upon]اَلَّاthat notتَعْدِلُوْا ؕyou do justiceاِعْدِلُوْا ۫Be justهُوَitاَقْرَبُ(is) nearerلِلتَّقْوٰی ؗto [the] pietyوَ اتَّقُواAnd fearاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنَّindeedاللّٰهَAllahخَبِیْرٌۢ(is) All-Awareبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ you do وَعَدَHas promisedاللّٰهُAllahالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveوَ عَمِلُواand doالصّٰلِحٰتِ ۙthe righteous deedsلَهُمْfor themمَّغْفِرَةٌ(is) forgivenessوَّ اَجْرٌand a rewardعَظِیْمٌ great 5. Al-Ma'idah Page 109وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveوَ كَذَّبُوْاand denyبِاٰیٰتِنَاۤOur Signsاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالْجَحِیْمِ (of) the Hellfire یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُواbelieve!اذْكُرُوْاRememberنِعْمَتَ(the) Favorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَیْكُمْupon youاِذْwhenهَمَّ(were) determinedقَوْمٌa peopleاَنْ[to]یَّبْسُطُوْۤاstretchاِلَیْكُمْtowards youاَیْدِیَهُمْtheir handsفَكَفَّbut He restrainedاَیْدِیَهُمْtheir handsعَنْكُمْ ۚfrom youوَ اتَّقُواAnd fearاللّٰهَ ؕAllahوَ عَلَیAnd uponاللّٰهِAllahفَلْیَتَوَكَّلِso let put the trustالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ۠the believers

---

Translation of Verse 6-11

(5:6) Believers! When you stand up for Prayer wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles.²⁴ And if you are in the state of ritual impurity, purify yourselves (by taking a bath).²⁵ But if you are either ill, travelling, have satisfied a want of nature or have had contact with women and find no water then have recourse to clean earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith.²⁶ Allah does not want to lay any hardship upon you; rather He wants to purify you and complete His favours upon you²⁷ so that you may give thanks.

(5:7) Remember Allah's favour upon you²⁸ and His covenant which He made with you when you said: 'We have heard and we obey.' So do fear Allah. Allah has full knowledge even of that which is hidden in the breasts of people.

(5:8) Believers! Be upright bearers of witness for Allah,²⁹ and do not let the enmity of any people move you to deviate from justice. Act justly, that is nearer to God-fearing. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is well aware of what you do.

(5:9) Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness from sins and a great reward.

(5:10) As for those who disbelieve and give the lie to Our signs, they are destined for the Blazing Flame.

(5:11) Believers! Remember Allah's favour upon you. When a certain people decided to stretch their hands against you, He restrained their hands from you.³⁰ Do fear Allah. Men of faith should put their trust in Allah alone.

---

Commentary

24. The explanation of this injunction by the Prophet (peace be on him) indicates that washing of the face includes rinsing one's mouth and inhaling water into the nostrils. Unless this is done the washing of the face is not considered complete. Likewise, since the ears are part of the head, 'wiping the head' includes wiping one's hands over the external and internal parts of the ears as well. Moreover, before starting to wash the other parts one should first wash one's hands so that the instruments of washing are themselves clean.

25. Janabah (the state of major ritual impurity) - whether caused by the sexual act or merely by seminal discharge - renders it unlawful to perform the ritual Prayer and to touch the Qur'an for further details see (Surah 4, nn. 67-9 )above.

26. For explanation see (Surah 4, nn. 69-70 )above.

27. Just as purity of the soul is a blessing, so is cleanliness of the body. God's favour to man can be completed only when he has received comprehensive direction in respect of both spiritual purity and physical cleanliness.

28. The 'favour' mentioned here denotes illuminating the Straight Way, and entrusting to the believers the task of guidance and leadership of the whole world.

29. See (Surah 4, nn. 164-5 )above.

30. This alludes to the incident reported by Ibn 'Abbas when a group of Jews invited the Prophet (peace be on him) and a number of his close Companions to dinner. They had in fact hatched a plot to pounce upon the guests and thus undermine the very foundation of Islam. But by the grace of God the Prophet (peace be on him) came to know of the plot at the eleventh hour and did not go. Since the following section is addressed to the Children of Israel, this incident is alluded to here in order to mark the transition to a new subject.

The discourse which begins here has two purposes. The first is to warn the Muslims against following the ways of their predecessors, the People of the Book. The Muslims are told, therefore, that the Israelites and the followers of Jesus had made a covenant with God in the past, in the manner that the Muslims had recently done so. The Muslims should, therefore, take heed lest they also break their covenant and fall a prey to error and misguidance as their predecessors had done.

The second is to sensitize the Jews and Christians to the errors they have committed and invite them to the true religion.