Quest for the details of the unseen things discouraged, All polytheistic practices denounced, To call witness when anyone bequeaths at the time of his death.

Al-Ma’idah Verses 101 – 108

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِنْ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهَا وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

“O’ ye who believe! ask ye not about things which if declared unto you will (only) pain1you; and if ye question about them while the Qur’an is being revealed, they shall be declared unto you (but it shall annoy you), God pardoneth as to these matters; for God is Oft-Forgiving, Forbearing2.” (5:101)

قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا بِهَا كَافِرِينَ

“Surely the people before you did ask such questions and then became disbelievers therein.” (5:102)

مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَائِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ وَلَٰكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

“God hath not ordained (the making of) a ‘Bahirah’, or a ‘Saibah’ or a ‘Wasilah’ or ‘Hami’ but those who disbelieve, fabricate a lie against God; and most of them do not understand.” (5:103)

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ قَالُوا حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

“And when it is said unto them, “Come unto what God hath sent ye down unto the Apostle3,” say they, “Sufficient for us is what we found our fathers upon;” What? even if their fathers knew nothing and were not (rightly) guided.” (5:104)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! On ye resteth4the care of your selves, he who strayeth, cannot hurt you, when ye follow the (right) guidance, to God is the return of you all, then He shall declare unto you that which ye used to do.” (5:105)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا شَهَادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ حِينَ الْوَصِيَّةِ اثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ آخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَأَصَابَتْكُمْ مُصِيبَةُ الْمَوْتِ تَحْبِسُونَهُمَا مِنْ بَعْدِ الصَّلَاةِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِاللَّهِ إِنِ ارْتَبْتُمْ لَا نَشْتَرِي بِهِ ثَمَنًا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ وَلَا نَكْتُمُ شَهَادَةَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا إِذًا لَمِنَ الْآثِمِينَ

“O’ ye who believe! call to witness between you when death presenteth itself unto one of you, when making a Bequest, two just5persons from among you or two others from other than you, if ye be travelling in the land and the affliction of death aftlicteth you; detain the two (witnesses) after the prayer; then if ye doubt (them), they shall both swear by God (saying) “We will not take for it a price though he be a kinsman, and we will not hide the testimony of God (for them), certainly we should be among the sinners6.” (5:106)

فَإِنْ عُثِرَ عَلَىٰ أَنَّهُمَا اسْتَحَقَّا إِثْمًا فَآخَرَانِ يَقُومَانِ مَقَامَهُمَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَوْلَيَانِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِاللَّهِ لَشَهَادَتُنَا أَحَقُّ مِنْ شَهَادَتِهِمَا وَمَا اعْتَدَيْنَا إِنَّا إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

“Then if it gets known that they both have been guilty of a sin (of Perjury), then two others shall stand up in their place from among those who have a claim against them, the two nearest of kin, so they two should swear by God: “certainly our testimony is truer than the testimony of those two, and we have not exceeded the limits, for then most surely we should be of the unjust7.” (5:107)

ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِالشَّهَادَةِ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهَا أَوْ يَخَافُوا أَنْ تُرَدَّ أَيْمَانٌ بَعْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْمَعُوا وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

“This is more proper8that they give the evidence in proper manner or fear they that other oaths be given after their oaths (and they are put to shame), And fear ye God and listen; and God guideth not the transgressing people.” (5:108)

Commentary

Verse 101

Islam does not want to disclose every detail about everything to everybody, irrespective of differences in the individual capacity or the various degrees of the native endowments in the individuals. People used to question the Holy Prophet about the practices being obligatory or not. This was discountenanced to leave scope for individual discretion or to the demands of the circumstances of time and place.

This Verse clearly gives out that everyone who was with the Holy Prophet was not given everything about the depth of the knowledge about God and godly secrets. What was given to Salman was not given Abu Dharr and what was given to Abu Dharr was not given to the others. This Verse makes it doubtlessly clear that being merely a companion of the Holy Prophet, does not also ensure having equal access to the knowledge endowed with the Holy Prophet. Only ‘Ali was declared by the Holy Prophet: ‘I am the City of knowledge and ‘Ali is its Gate.’

It is reported that some people began questioning the Holy Prophet about certain things and events of their personal lives unknown to anybody else, save themselves. The Holy Prophet ascended the Pulpit in the Mosque and said: “O’ people: ye may ask me now, about anything you like, I shall answer to every question of yours.” A fellow stood up and asked the name of his father. The reply was ‘Kharraqa Ibn Qais.’ Another one asked where his father was ‘He is in the Heli’ was the reply.

Then the Holy Prophet said: “By God, I tell you that the hell and the heaven both are before my eyes. I can tell you who among you is the fellow of the fire and who will enter the paradise. Beware! if ye go on asking I will be telling out things and events about you which ye would not relish and ye will repent.” This Verse was revealed.

Questioning any scholar for enlightenment is commendable but this refers to irrelevant questioning merely for test (A.P.).

Verse 102

To stop irrelevant questions and too much of questioning by incompetent persons, the Holy Prophet said that “there is nothing which can take you to God, but I have ordered you to do that, and there is nothing that takes you away from Him and nigh unto Hell, but I have forbidden it to you. Surely God has fixed the limits for you. Overstep not ye the limits and God had kept Himself silent about many things not because He has forgotten them. Put ye not yourself into trouble by asking about them. The people before you got into trouble and the rigidity of the tasks by excessive questioning” (A.P.).

Verse 103

‘Bahira’ is a she-camel exempted from slaughter or carrying of any burdens after she had brought forth five or seven or ten issues. Her ears were slit as a token of the liberation given to her. ‘Saiba’ a beast left to pasture without attention or restriction, she was neither ridden nor milked. ‘Wasila’ a goat under some superstition ‘Hami’ a stallion-camel, left free not made use of in any way.

All these customs and practices were heathenic in their origin, having no authority from the Word of God or any teachings of the Holy Prophet. Such liberation of certain animals in honour of the idol gods was the practice of the heathens, and Islam being strictly monotheistic, abhors polytheism of every kind and uproots every vestige of idolatry, this practice of ‘Bahira’, ‘Vasila’ and ‘Hami’ is condemned.

Verse 104

This Verse is a guidance as well as a warning to those who blindly follow the faith of their ancestors. Faith genuine which is acceptable is that which is the result of one’s own personal and independent conviction. None shall bear the burden of the other9.

Verse 106

‘Tamin Dari’, a companion of the Holy Prophet died while he was travelling along with two Christians Ibn Baidd and Abi Mariah. While breathing his last he requested his Christian fellow-travellers to convey all his belongings to his relatives in Madina. Those two Christians stole away all the silver and golden articles and conveyed the rest to the relatives of the deceased. The relatives had asked these two Christians about the valuable articles of gold and silver which were missing. They pleaded to know nothing about the missing properties. The matter was reported to the Holy Prophet. Since the claimants had no proper evidence, the Holy Prophet let the Christians free.

A few days later when proper evidence came out to prove the theft of the articles, the Holy Prophet ordered to confiscate the property from the Christians and handed it over to the rightful claimants.

• 1. Annoy.
• 2. Note Questioning any scholar for enlightenment is commendable but this refers to irrelevant questions put merely for test.
• 3. The Holy Prophet Muhammad.
• 4. Everyone should try to correct him-self and those attached to him. The Straying of the others will not affect the guarded ones. This has nothing to do with the obligatory ordinance of ‘Amr bil Maroof’ and ‘Nahya anil Munkar’ - that everyone should try to bring people to the right path and prevent them from getting astray, which is supplementary to the goodness of the guided ones.
• 5. One with a balanced head who strictly observes the obligatory precepts of Islam - tending to piety observing even the optional orders.
• 6. Refer to Verse 2:180.
• 7. Note the precautions Islam prescribes to safe guard the legal rights, avoid injustice and maintain fair play.
• 8. Legal, formal and disciplinary in order to make the witness fear that the oath be returned to the Kinsmen of the deceased after the oaths of the former witness. Return of the oath means The Court’s asking the opponent to swear (A.P.).
• 9. Refer to Verse 17:15.