English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Quran: Search & listen

Chapter 5: Al-Maidah — Food (Revealed at Madinah: 16 sections, 120 verses)

Section 13 (Verses 5:94–5:100): Inviolability of the Kabah

Translation:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَیَبۡلُوَنَّکُمُ اللّٰہُ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الصَّیۡدِ تَنَالُہٗۤ اَیۡدِیۡکُمۡ وَ رِمَاحُکُمۡ لِیَعۡلَمَ اللّٰہُ مَنۡ یَّخَافُہٗ بِالۡغَیۡبِ ۚ فَمَنِ اعۡتَدٰی بَعۡدَ ذٰلِکَ فَلَہٗ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۹۴﴾

5:94 O you who believe, Allah will certainly try you in respect of some game which your hands and your lances can reach, that Allah may know who fears Him in secret. Whoever exceeds the limit after this, for him is a painful punishment.

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَقۡتُلُوا الصَّیۡدَ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ حُرُمٌ ؕ وَ مَنۡ قَتَلَہٗ مِنۡکُمۡ مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآءٌ مِّثۡلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ النَّعَمِ یَحۡکُمُ بِہٖ ذَوَا عَدۡلٍ مِّنۡکُمۡ ہَدۡیًۢا بٰلِغَ الۡکَعۡبَۃِ اَوۡ کَفَّارَۃٌ طَعَامُ مَسٰکِیۡنَ اَوۡ عَدۡلُ ذٰلِکَ صِیَامًا لِّیَذُوۡقَ وَبَالَ اَمۡرِہٖ ؕ عَفَا اللّٰہُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ ؕ وَ مَنۡ عَادَ فَیَنۡتَقِمُ اللّٰہُ مِنۡہُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَزِیۡزٌ ذُو انۡتِقَامٍ ﴿۹۵﴾

5:95 O you who believe, do not kill game while you are on pilgrimage.1 And whoever among you kills it intentionally, the compensation of it is the like of what he killed, from the cattle, as two just persons among you judge, as an offering to be brought to the Ka‘bah, or the expiation of it is the feeding of the poor or equivalent of it in fasting, that he may taste the unwholesome result of his deed. Allah pardons what happened in the past. And whoever returns (to it), Allah will punish him. And Allah is Mighty, Lord of retribution.

اُحِلَّ لَکُمۡ صَیۡدُ الۡبَحۡرِ وَ طَعَامُہٗ مَتَاعًا لَّکُمۡ وَ لِلسَّیَّارَۃِ ۚ وَ حُرِّمَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ صَیۡدُ الۡبَرِّ مَا دُمۡتُمۡ حُرُمًا ؕ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ الَّذِیۡۤ اِلَیۡہِ تُحۡشَرُوۡنَ ﴿۹۶﴾

5:96 Lawful to you is the game of the sea and its food,2 a provision for you and for the travellers, and the game of the land is forbidden to you so long as you are on pilgrimage, and keep your duty to Allah, to Whom you shall be gathered.

جَعَلَ اللّٰہُ الۡکَعۡبَۃَ الۡبَیۡتَ الۡحَرَامَ قِیٰمًا لِّلنَّاسِ وَ الشَّہۡرَ الۡحَرَامَ وَ الۡہَدۡیَ وَ الۡقَلَآئِدَ ؕ ذٰلِکَ لِتَعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یَعۡلَمُ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۹۷﴾

5:97 Allah has made the Ka‘bah, the Sacred House,3 a means of support for the people,4 and the sacred month and the offerings and the victims with garlands. That is that you may know that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and that Allah is Knower of all things.

اِعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ شَدِیۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿ؕ۹۸﴾

5:98 Know that Allah is Severe in retribution and that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

مَا عَلَی الرَّسُوۡلِ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُوۡنَ وَ مَا تَکۡتُمُوۡنَ ﴿۹۹﴾

5:99 The duty of the Messenger is only to deliver the message. And Allah knows what you do openly and what you hide.

قُلۡ لَّا یَسۡتَوِی الۡخَبِیۡثُ وَ الطَّیِّبُ وَ لَوۡ اَعۡجَبَکَ کَثۡرَۃُ الۡخَبِیۡثِ ۚ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ یٰۤاُولِی الۡاَلۡبَابِ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰۰﴾٪

5:100 Say: The bad and the good are not equal, though the abundance of the bad may make you wonder. So keep your duty to Allah, you people of understanding, that you may succeed.

Commentary:

  1. The prohibition to kill game when on pilgrimage, mentioned in verses 94–96, is a token of respect for the security of the Ka‘bah (see v. 97), in addition to being a measure necessary for the safety of life in such a large gathering. ↩
  2. By the game of the sea is meant all water game, whether sea, river, pond, or lake. The food of the sea is here distinguished from its game, and means what is found having been left by the sea or river on dry land, without needing to be caught. ↩
  3. The word Ka‘bah comes from the root meaning it swelled or became prominent, and it is so called because of its prominence, or it is a pro­phetical name showing that it shall forever have eminence in the world. Al-Bait al-Ḥarām (The Sacred or Inviolable House), used here, is also one of its names, and among the Arabs it was known as Bait Allāh, or the House of Allah. ↩
  4. This is a prophetic announcement that the Ka‘bah will forever remain a support or stay for mankind, where pilgrims will flock from all parts of the world. The words “That is that you may know that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth” indicate that the fulfilment of this pro­phecy in all future ages will be a sign of the great knowledge of Allah, Who pronounced it at a time when the Ka‘bah was hardly known beyond the borders of Arabia; see 3:97. ↩

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