• To Acquire And Use Only Things Lawful

• Intoxicants And Gambling Prohibited

• Not To Be Vain In Oaths

• Obedience To God And The Apostle Muhammad Enjoined

Al-Ma’idah Verses 87 – 93

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحَرِّمُوا طَيِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

“O’ ye who believe! Forbid1not (to yourselves) the good things that God hath made lawful for you and do not transgress the limits; Verily God loveth not the transgressors2” (5:87)

وَكُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي أَنْتُمْ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ

“And eat ye of what God hath given you (for food) that which is lawful and wholesome, and fear God in whom ye believe3.” (5:88)

لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الْأَيْمَانَ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“God doth not call you to account for what is vain in your oaths, but He calleth you to account for the making of deliberate oaths; so its expiation is the feeding of ten poor men out of the moderate food you feed your families with, or their clothing or the freeing4of a slave; but whosoever findeth not means (to do any of these) then (for him) fasting for three days; this is the expiation of your oaths when ye swear; Keep then your oaths; Thus doth God maketh clear to you His signs that ye may be grateful5.” (5:89)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! Intoxicants and games6of chance (dedication of) stones7(i.e. idols) and (divination by) arrows8, are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork, so be ye away from9it so that ye may be successful10.” (5:90)

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنْتَهُونَ

“The Satan only desireth to cause enmity and hatred in your midst through intoxicants and gambling and keep you away from remembering God and from prayer; will ye then abstain11(from them).” (5:91)

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَاحْذَرُوا فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ

“And obey God, and obey the Apostle12, and be ye on your guard, but if ye turn back, know ye then, that Our Apostle (Muhammad) is bound only to deliver a clear announcement (on Our behalf).” (5:92)

لَيْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا طَعِمُوا إِذَا مَا اتَّقَوْا وَآمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ ثُمَّ اتَّقَوْا وَآمَنُوا ثُمَّ اتَّقَوْا وَأَحْسَنُوا وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“On those who believe and do good, is no blame for what they ate13, (before) when they did guard themselves and did believe, and did good, still (more) they guard themselves and believe (more strongly), still (furthermore) they guard themselves and do (greater) good; and God loveth the doers of good14.” (5:93)

Commentary

Verses 87 - 88

Islam denounces self-imposed restriction upon one’s self of abstaining from the use of things and acts, allowed by God as do the Christian monks.

Due to the vehement zeal of religion, some of the faithful companions including Othman Ibn Maa’oon and also ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, decided to give up worldly pleasures altogether and devote the whole time to prayer and fasting and lead an ascetic life. The Holy Prophet intimated of this, sent for them and said:

“I have not been commanded for this - yourselves also have a right on you - Verily I also stand for prayer and I rest and I meet my women, and he who is inclined against my way of life, he is not of me.”

And then he ordered for an assembly and gave a sermon saying:

“Why should people forbid on themselves, women, food, scents, rest and the sensual enjoyments of the world - Verily I command ye not that ye be monks and ascetics - Verily in my religion to give up meat and woman nor to spend lives in monasteries and hermitages. The monasticism for my people is fasting, and asceticism for them is the fight in the way of God - Submit ye yourselves and devote ye yourselves to God and associate not aught with Him - Go ye on pilgrimage to the House of God (The Ka’ba) in Mecca - Establish prayer and give the Zakat (poor-rate) - Fast ye in the month of Ramadhan and be firmly straight, God will support and help you. Verily perished those before you on account of severity in life - They themselves rendered their lives severe and God was severe against them - Here are the relics of the ruins of their monasteries and their ruined hermitages.”

It was here that this Verse and the succeeding one was revealed.

The tone of this Verse is the same as that of 66:1 apparently reproachful but actually appreciating and admiring the bent of their mind and hearts towards the utmost devotion to God or the utmost consideration of the pleasures of these (women) under themselves to be obliged to that extent. Similar to this is the tone of 20:1; 20:2 and 9:42. This called a halt to all the ascetic practices then in vogue (A.P.).

Verse 89

All kinds of oaths are subject to expiation. There are oaths taken unintentionally as a bad habit, which are vain oaths. Such oaths are used by people who make it their habit such as to say: ‘‘Wallah”, ‘Billah’, etc. i.e., by God.” Unless an oath is taken seriously with the definite meaning and the solemn intention to swear, it requires no expiation though the profane use of the Holy name of God, is not the less condemnable and resentable indicating the low degree and the weakness of one’s faith.

Every single oath is not by itself punishable as a sin, though the habit of careless and vain swearing be sinful - and even punishable for persistence in it. An oath is judged by the intention. It has been reported of a tradition that the Holy Prophet said that if a drunkard falls ill, do not go to enquire about his health and if he dies, do not offer the prayer for him and if he falls in need, do not give him any charity (zakat) and if anyone gives his daughter in marriage to a drunkard, it will be throwing the poor helpless woman into the Hell (F.A.).

The oaths, to do what is forbidden and not to do what is enjoined are condemnable. The legal oath is to do or not to do what is optional in the ‘Shariat’, i.e., the Islamic law - or to do what is commendable and not to do what is not appreciable. If in the second kind, i.e., the legal oath; if you want to come out, for the condition of the expiation, refer to ‘Fiqh’ (A.P.).

Verses 90 - 91

This prohibits all intoxicants, games of chance and equalizes the use of intoxicants to offering sacrifices to idols and the other acts of infidelity like the diving by arrows and declares the use of intoxicants to be the act of Satan and openly exhorts the people to abstain from it, leaving no room for any excuse for the people to indulge in it. Yet one Sunni School holds ‘Nabeez’ (Wine drawn out of dates) to be lawful. Many of those who are given a special position among the companions of the Holy Prophet, including ‘Umar and Abu-Bakr were addicted to the use of ‘Nabeez.’

For details about the use of liquor called ‘Nabeez’ the reader is referred to the following famous Sunni authorities:

1. Daqaiqul-Mazahib - Nawab Ahmed Husain Khan Bahadur.

2. Musnad - Imam Abu Hanifa.

3- Ma’ alimat-Tanzeel

4. Kitab Mustatraf Vol. Il - Imam Shahabuddin Shabhi.

5. Mustadruk - Hakim.

6. Tabaqat - Ibn-Sa’d.

7. Izalatul Khulafa

8. Al-Farooq - Shibli.

9. Sahih Bokhari

10. Fathul-Bari - Ibn-Hajjr.

11. Istee-aab

12. Zadul-Ma’aad - Ibn Rayyan.

13. Jazhul Qulooh - Shaikh Abdul Huq Muhaddith.

14. Tafsirul Bari - Sharhe-Bokhari - Maulvi Noorul-Haq.

15- Sharhe-Bokhari - Allama Ibn Hajjr (K.M.)

Intoxicants and games of chance (gambling) has already been prohibited15.

The Shi’a School (i.e., Islam-Original) unanimously holds spiritous liquors of all kinds strictly forbidden.

It is reported that when this Verse was revealed a crier went through the streets of Madina crying about the Verse and no sooner every Muslim heard about the prohibition than every jar of wine in every house was emptied, and wine flew in the streets of Madina. History cannot show any parallel in its records, of such a deep-rooted evil like drinking, so immediately and yet totally given up by the adherents of any faith on a mere declaration from their leader.

Intoxicants, particularly liquor, though not legally prohibited by Islam before the prohibition was ordered, but abhorred by the pious ones and was detested. Though Jesus is accused as wine imbiber it is evident to avoid liquor was commendable as John the Baptist held it. According to the Ahl Al-Bayt all the apostles of God were free from using it and their school (Shi’ism) refutes the falsehood uttered about them in this regard. And this view is strongly held, particularly about all the direct ancestors of the Holy Prophet, and the historical records show that Hasham, Abdul Muttalib, Abdullah, Muhammad the Holy Prophet, AbuTalib, Ja’far and ‘Ali, who were the firm adherents of the creed of Abraham, i.e., strict monotheists and never touched any intoxicants and were never tempted with any of the vices of passion.

However, some new converts were used to it before embracing Islam and they continued it till the fresh prohibitory order in 2:219 was revealed consequent upon which they gave up drinking and gambling but many of them were not satisfied with the tone of the order and continued till the subsequent prohibitory order in 4:43 was conveyed. Then they gave up but that also did not satisfy some of the companions and they continued in it, and an anecdote connected with this is given by the historians and the traditionists in which the names of ten prominent companions are mentioned, that they assembled in the house of Abu Talha wherein Anas Ibn Maalik the youngest of them (18 years) was the cup bearer and some of them at the zenith of the intoxication mourned for the pagan ancestors who were killed in the Battle of Badr. The news reached the Holy Prophet who got angry and called them and recited out this passage, in response to which ‘Umar Ibn Khattab exclaimed:

‘Intahaina! Intahaina! Ya Rasul Allah!

Desisted we have! Desisted we have! O’ Apostle of God!

Though thereafter they gave up liquor and it was called a total prohibition and in spite of the saying of the Holy Prophet, it is unanimously acknowledged by all schools of thought that whatever the large quantity of it causes intoxication, even a drop of it is prohibited. It was the opinion held by ‘Umar that there is no harm in drinking a milder drink or a strong one mixed with water to avoid intoxication. According to Iqdul Fareed, even after the total prohibition ‘Umar was used to ‘Nabeez’ on the plea that without it he could not digest camel’s flesh.

During the reign of ‘Umar a man drank something from ‘Umar’s water-jug thinking what it contained was water and was intoxicated and after he returned to his senses ‘Umar whipped him. The man pleaded saying: ‘I drank only from your own jug’. ‘‘Umar replied: ‘Yes! You ought to have mixed it up with water.’

This instance of ‘Umar’s seems to have been taken as an authority by some jurist of the Sunni School for the use of ‘Nabeez’. etc.

In spite of the strongest prohibitory terms used by the Qur’an and consequently even those addicted to liquor all their life had discarded it altogether and even ‘Umar having understood the implication of the prohibition exclaimed as he did, it will be meaningless to say that Qur’an gives no clear prohibitory ordinance.

However, according to the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt, the use of liquor of any kind, in any shape, or form or quantity, even a drop of it is strictly prohibited16 (A.P.).

Verse 93

Commentators say that this Verse was revealed to allay the fears about those brethren who were used to drink in their lives prior to the prohibition being declared and who had passed away. The Verse was revealed to allay the fears saying that if they really believed in God and guarded themselves against evils and had done good to others, their having used the intoxicants may not harm them spiritually.

The repetition about faith in God, guarding oneself against evils and doing good to others, marks the sole object or chief aim of Islam as regards human life on earth. The repetition means that we should ever be striving for perfection in piety and never be contented with any ordinary degree of any personal virtues. One should be aiming at strengthening his faith in God, upgrading his personal virtues and increasing his being good and doing good to others in his life.

This shows that how intense was the strong prohibitory order that made the people to think of those who had been addicted to it and had passed away for which the conciliatory Verse was revealed, and it may refer to Verse 5:87 in which case it will mean lawful things. However, the question is about the relevancy of the proviso or the conditions of piety, good faith and good deeds for the removal of the responsibility of the food taken. This Verse asserts the importance of the conditions to their continuity and development as possible objects of improved enjoyment (A.P.).

• 1. Compare the forbidding of ‘Muta’ Etc. by ‘Umar, under this Ordinance of the Lord.
• 2. Refer to Verses 66:1; 20:1; 20:2; 5:93.
• 3. Refer to Verses 66:1; 20:1; 20:2.
• 4. Note that Islam’s declaration of freeing of slaves as an act of righteousness sufficient to expiate one’s sins. If a slave wants to purchase his freedom, he can do it & how the ‘Bayt al-Mal’ the public Treasury has to subsidise or aid the slave refer to the Islamic law about it.
• 5. Refer to Verses 66:2; 2:225; 5:88.
• 6. Gambling of all kinds.
• 7. Including sacrifices to the idols and the other false deities.
• 8. Lottery.
• 9. Approach it not.
• 10. Refer to Verses 2:219; 4:43.
• 11. Desist.
• 12. The Holy Prophet Muhammad.
• 13. Or drank or tasted.
• 14. In Arabic ‘Mohsineen’. Refer to Verse 5:87
• 15. Refer to Verses 2:219; 4:43.
• 16. Refer to Verses 2:219; 4:43.