Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission of Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction | About | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:78-86   Chapters ↕   Word for Word
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]
لُعِنَWere cursedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedمِنْۢfromبَنِیْۤ(the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(of) Israelعَلٰیbyلِسَانِ(the) tongueدَاوٗدَ(of) Dawoodوَ عِیْسَیand Isaابْنِsonمَرْیَمَ ؕ(of) Maryamذٰلِكَthat (was)بِمَاbecauseعَصَوْاthey disobeyedوَّ كَانُوْاand they wereیَعْتَدُوْنَ transgressing كَانُوْاThey had beenلَاnotیَتَنَاهَوْنَforbidding each otherعَنْfromمُّنْكَرٍwrongdoingفَعَلُوْهُ ؕthey did [it]لَبِئْسَSurely, evilمَا(was) whatكَانُوْاthey wereیَفْعَلُوْنَ doing تَرٰیYou seeكَثِیْرًاmanyمِّنْهُمْof themیَتَوَلَّوْنَtaking as alliesالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْا ؕdisbelievedلَبِئْسَSurely evilمَا(is) whatقَدَّمَتْsent forthلَهُمْfor themاَنْفُسُهُمْtheir soulsاَنْthatسَخِطَbecame angryاللّٰهُAllahعَلَیْهِمْwith themوَ فِیand inالْعَذَابِthe punishmentهُمْtheyخٰلِدُوْنَ (will) abide forever وَ لَوْAnd ifكَانُوْاthey hadیُؤْمِنُوْنَbelievedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ النَّبِیِّand the Prophetوَ مَاۤand whatاُنْزِلَhas been revealedاِلَیْهِto himمَاnotاتَّخَذُوْهُمْthey (would have) taken themاَوْلِیَآءَ(as) alliesوَ لٰكِنَّ[and] butكَثِیْرًاmanyمِّنْهُمْof themفٰسِقُوْنَ (are) defiantly disobedient لَتَجِدَنَّSurely you will findاَشَدَّstrongestالنَّاسِ(of) the peopleعَدَاوَةً(in) enmityلِّلَّذِیْنَto those whoاٰمَنُواbelieveالْیَهُوْدَthe Jewsوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoاَشْرَكُوْا ۚ(are) polytheistsوَ لَتَجِدَنَّand surely you will findاَقْرَبَهُمْnearest of themمَّوَدَّةً(in) affectionلِّلَّذِیْنَto those whoاٰمَنُواbelieveالَّذِیْنَthose whoقَالُوْۤاsayاِنَّاWeنَصٰرٰی ؕ(are) ChristiansذٰلِكَThat (is)بِاَنَّbecauseمِنْهُمْamong themقِسِّیْسِیْنَ(are) priestsوَ رُهْبَانًاand monksوَّ اَنَّهُمْand that theyلَا(are) notیَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ arrogant 5. Al-Ma'idah Page 122وَ اِذَاAnd whenسَمِعُوْاthey listenمَاۤ(to) whatاُنْزِلَhas been revealedاِلَیtoالرَّسُوْلِthe Messengerتَرٰۤیyou seeاَعْیُنَهُمْtheir eyesتَفِیْضُoverflowingمِنَwithالدَّمْعِthe tearsمِمَّاfor whatعَرَفُوْاthey recognizedمِنَofالْحَقِّ ۚthe truthیَقُوْلُوْنَThey sayرَبَّنَاۤOur Lordاٰمَنَّاwe have believedفَاكْتُبْنَاso write usمَعَwithالشّٰهِدِیْنَ the witnesses وَ مَاAnd whatلَنَاfor us (that)لَاnotنُؤْمِنُwe believeبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ مَاand whatجَآءَنَاcame (to) usمِنَfromالْحَقِّ ۙthe truthوَ نَطْمَعُAnd we hopeاَنْthatیُّدْخِلَنَاwill admit usرَبُّنَاour Lordمَعَwithالْقَوْمِthe peopleالصّٰلِحِیْنَ the righteous فَاَثَابَهُمُSo rewarded themاللّٰهُAllahبِمَاfor whatقَالُوْاthey saidجَنّٰتٍ(with) Gardensتَجْرِیْflowsمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاunderneath themالْاَنْهٰرُthe riversخٰلِدِیْنَwill abide foreverفِیْهَا ؕin itوَ ذٰلِكَAnd thatجَزَآءُ(is the) rewardالْمُحْسِنِیْنَ (of) the good-doers وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedوَ كَذَّبُوْاand deniedبِاٰیٰتِنَاۤOur Signsاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالْجَحِیْمِ۠(of) the Hellfire

Translation

(5:78) Those of the Children of Israel who took to unbelief have been cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary, for they rebelled and exceeded the bounds of right.

(5:79) They did not forbid each other from committing the abominable deeds they committed.102 Indeed what they did was evil.

(5:80) And now you can see many of them taking the unbelievers (instead of the believers) for their allies. Indeed they have prepared evil for themselves. Allah is angry with them, and they shall abide in chastisement.

(5:81) For had they truly believed in Allah and the Messenger and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken unbelievers (instead of believers) for their allies.103 But many of them have rebelled against Allah altogether.

(5:82) Of all men you will find the Jews and those who associate others with Allah in His divinity to be the most hostile to those who believe; and you will surely find that of ail people they who say: 'We are Christians', are closest to feeling affection for those who believe. This is because there are worshipful priests and monks among them, and because they are not arrogant.

(5:83) And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger you see that their eyes overflow with tears because of the Truth that they recognize and they say: 'Our Lord! We do believe; write us down, therefore, with those who bear witness (to the Truth).

(5:84) And why should we not believe in Allah and the Truth which has come down to us when we do fervently desire that our Lord include us among the righteous?'

(5:85) So Allah rewarded them for these words with Gardens beneath which rivers flow so that they would abide there for ever. Such is the reward of the people who do good.

(5:86) Those who disbelieved and gave the lie to Our signs are rightfully the inmates of the Blazing Flame.

Commentary

102. The corruption of any nation begins with that of a few individuals. If the collective conscience of that nation is alive, the pressure of public opinion keeps those persons in check and prevents the nation as a whole from becoming corrupted. But if instead of censuring such individuals, the nation leaves them free to behave corruptly, the corruption originally confined to a few continues to spread till it engulfs the whole nation. It was this which ultimately caused the degeneration of Israel. (For the curse against Israel in the words of David and Jesus see Psalms 10, 50 and Matthew 23.)

103. It seems natural that those who believe in God and the Prophets and the Scriptures, compared with the polytheists, would naturally be more sympathetic to those who at least share with them belief in God, in prophethood and in .revelation (whatever their disagreements on other religious issues). It was ironic, therefore, that the Jews should openly support the polytheists in the struggle between polytheism and monotheism, and that their sympathies in the conflict between those who rejected prophethood and those who believed in it should lie expressly with the former. Despite all this, they brazenly claimed to be true believers in God, in the Prophets and in the Scriptures.