The following is an excerpt from The Endless Banquet: A Thematic Explanation of the Qur’an (Volume I) by Shaykh Hamzah Abdul Malik.
Juz 6: “Upholding the Religion”
Ayat 1-5
While Surah al-Nisa’ begins by discussing laws that protect society and relationships between people, Surah al-Ma’idah opens with a discussion on our relationship with food, particularly the animals we consume.
In this surah, Allah presents a detailed list of the types of meats that are forbidden, paralleling the list of relationships that are forbidden in Surah al-Nisa’. He also states the rules of hunting; explaining in what situations hunting is allowed during the hajj season, the kinds of hunting animals that can be used, and how the People of the Book can slaughter these animals for us and that is lawful. This final point is similar to other associations with the People of the Book Allah, such as having permission to marry their women.
Ayat 6-16
In a similar way that He addressed the Children of Israel in Surah al-Baqarah, Allah now addresses the current believers. He details specific instructions on how to worship with extra details on purification. He also reminds us of the blessing He has bestowed in the form of a new covenant and promises a great reward for upholding it. Moreover, He highlights how He extends His blessing by protecting the believers from their enemies.
5|1-2| “O you who believe, fulfill the contracts. The animals from the cattle have been made lawful for you, except that which shall be read over to you, provided that you do not treat hunting as lawful while you are in Ihram. Surely, Allah ordains what He wills. O you who believe, do not violate (the sanctity) of the Marks of Allah, nor of the sacred month, nor of the sacrificial animal, nor of the garlands, nor of those proceeding to the Sacred House, seeking the grace of their Lord and (His) Pleasure. When you are out of Ihram, you may hunt. Malice against a people for their having prevented you from Al-Masjid-ul-Haram, should not cause you to cross the limits. Help each other in righteousness and piety, and do not help each other in sin and aggression. Fear Allah. Surely, Allah is severe at punishment.”
On the other hand, He warns us against treating our covenant in the same manner as the Children of Israel. He gave them similar instructions yet they broke their covenant, distorted it, and neglected its preservation. Thus most of them developed insensitive and treacherous hearts.
He also warns us of treating our covenant like the Christians did, who also neglected the preservation of their Book, thereby developing hatred for each other.
After outlining their shortcomings, He then reminds both groups that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has come to set the record straight and can guide them to rectify their ways if they follow him as Muslims.
Ayat 17-26
Allah continues to show how the People of the Book have broken their covenants by specifying how both the Children of Israel and the Christians deviated, even though they both claim the exclusive love of Allah. The Christians distorted their theology altogether, by equating the Messiah to Allah, while the Children of Israel never fully accepted the teachings of Prophet Musa. The Children of Israel used every opportunity they could to disobey him when sacrifices were required. Just as Allah blessed us with sacred land and a Prophet, the People of the Book received similar blessings in the past. But when they were required to make the necessary sacrifices to follow the guidance and accept their blessings, they refused to take action, so Allah withheld it from them for forty years.
The lesson we learn from this story is that we have the responsibility of preventing people from distorting our theology and laws. We must also make the necessary sacrifices to accept our blessings and follow the guidance of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Otherwise, we will experience the same loss as the communities that came before us.
Ayat 27-40
For the majority of the succeeding sections, Allah provides us with examples and details on how faith communities failed to uphold their religion.
In this section He relates the story of Qabil and Habil, and how Qabil’s crime of murder became a sin which set the precedent for every murder that came after it.
Hence, any unrepentant rebels from the community who take up arms to kill the Prophet and the innocent must be made into an example to deter others from following suit and to halt the cycles of murder. Similarly, those who steal should be made into an example to deter others from stealing and so that momentum does not build up for future crimes.
Unlike most other legal systems, the rights of animals in Islam are so unique that the intentional killing of an animal calls for significant reparations akin to those of killing a human being. The reason for this lies in the sanctity of the Sacred Grounds and months.
Ayat 41-57
Here, Allah highlights how guidance is abandoned, and how it is related to the connection between what we consume and what we produce. This is why the laws of food are so vital.
As an example, Allah tells the Prophet not to be surprised by hypocrites when they rush to disbelief. They have fallen into the same habits as the Children of Israel, who consumed unlawful matter and produce, through their mental and physical diet, by accepting lies and unlawful food. Therefore, it only follows that they, in turn, produce lies about religion and exhibit unlawful actions.
He then demonstrates how the Children of Israel further abandoned their religion by not following the laws of the Torah, despite the Torah being sent as a light and guidance for them. Allah also details how the Christians followed the same path by abandoning the Injīl similarly to how the Children of Israel abandoned the Torah.
Allah turns the focus to us and our Book and reminds us that we must live according to the guidance in the Qur’an and that we should not abandon its laws, like those before us, by seeking out laws of ignorance that suit our desires.
Since hypocrites are the ones who lead the charge to abandon religious law, this section highlights the reasons and signs of hypocrisy. In sum, complete hypocrisy is when a person publicly declares themselves as a Muslim, yet they privately place their spiritual allegiance with disbelievers, such as the Children of Israel and the Christians. In doing so they believe they can find protection in and benefit from both groups at the same time. Hence, Allah warns them of the punishment that they will receive and that their entire community will be replaced if they persist in their transgression.
Ayat 58-71
Allah further points out to the hypocrites that it is futile to follow the lead of the People of the Book, who do not take their own religion or Allah seriously and mock the adhān when they hear it.
They already harbour hypocrisy in their own religion, making undeserved declarations of spiritual purity, eating unlawful foods, and enthusiastically racing to sinful and disbelieving deeds (such as saying that the hands of Allah are tied), spreading corruption, and inciting war.
Despite all of this, Allah still opens the doors of forgiveness for them, advising them that if they just believed in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and upheld the original guidance of the Torah and Injīl as it was revealed, Allah would still shower them with blessings.
Hence, Allah commands us to proclaim the truth through the guidance that He has given us, and to hold the Children of Israel and the Christians accountable for the guidance that was given to them, which affirms the truth of the message of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, until they believe.
Ayat 72-81
In the last section, Allah said that people of previous religions would be rewarded if they believed. Because of this, some assume that they can take this statement and claim that they do not have to follow Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at all. Consequently, Allah states in unambiguous terms that those who equate ʿĪsā with Allah are disbelievers, and that those who believe in the Trinity are also disbelievers. He definitively states that ʿĪsā and Maryam were human beings, thereby leaving no doubt about the truth of the matter.
Since the Christians were originally taught by the Children of Israel, Allah discourages them from trusting the Jewish narrative by reminding them that the Children of Israel were cursed by some of their own Prophets, and that they did not uphold their own religion. Moreover, instead of following Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, they preferred the laws of the disbelievers over Divine guidance. Now, the only way for them to save themselves is to follow Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Juz 7: “The Transcendence of Allah”
Ayat 82-91
Following on from the end of Juz 6, Allah continues on the subject about the Christians and how they have a greater natural affinity to the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ than the Children of Israel. Of the two groups, they are the likeliest prospects when it comes to becoming followers of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
5|90 “O you who believe! Wine, gambling, altars and divining arrows are filth, made up by Satan. Therefore, refrain from it, so that you may be successful.”
Allah then shifts our attention to Divine law, addressing the believers and giving them guidance that contradicts the practices of the People of the Book. Accordingly, Muslims should refrain from imposing unnecessary dietary restrictions on themselves, they should take their contractual oaths seriously, and they should avoid gambling and alcohol altogether because they are weapons of shayṭān.
Ayat 92-108
Now that the surah is coming to an end, the discussion comes full circle, returning to the regulations on food, specifically regarding the animals hunted during hajj or in the Sacred Grounds. Surprisingly, this is one of the most unique aspects of the surah. Unlike most other legal systems, the rights of animals here are so unique that the intentional killing of an animal calls for significant reparations akin to those of killing a human being. The reason for this lies in the sanctity of the Sacred Grounds and months. It is also a test that gauges how committed we are to obeying Allah over our own desires to consume certain foods, and the strength of our belief in the judgement of Allah on which food is filthy and which is pure.
Through His infinite wisdom, Allah knows that our unnecessary questioning and superstitions can be a major reason for laws becoming more severe and restricted, similar to how it was with the Children of Israel. Therefore, Allah discourages us from engaging in these practices and also from worrying about the harm that the people of misguidance can cause, so long as we adhere to His guidance.
He describes how the disciples asked ʿIsa for a repast so they could verify it as a sign, and it would be a returning blessing for each generation.
Demonstrating how thorough His guidance and legal protection is, Allah shows us how His laws not only protect our best interests in life, but also in death. Here, He elaborates on how, even when a person has died away from his homeland, a person’s will should be protected from being tampered with, citing the process of how witnesses of a will should be vetted.
Ayat 109-120
At a higher level, Allah shows how He also protects the legacy of the Messengers, relating the story of the miracles of Prophet ʿIsa, and how he interacted with his disciples. Interestingly, He describes how the disciples asked ʿIsa for a repast so they could verify it as a sign, and it would be a returning blessing for each generation. Yet, we find that the people who came after Prophet ʿIsa abandoned the guidance he had given them and made up lies about him which Allah will interrogate them about on the Day of Judgment.
Similarly, Allah has presented us with the Qu’ran, with guidance that every generation can benefit from in unique ways. Allah has blessed us with clear guidance on every matter from food to wills, including the truth regarding the life of Prophet ʿIsa. Therefore, we should take heed of this message and learn from the mistakes of the People of the Book. We should follow the guidance that Allah has given us in the way that He dictates, for our own salvation.
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The full three-volume set of Shaykh Hamzah Abdul Malik’s The Endless Banquet, a thematic introduction to and explanation of the Qur’an, is available in the IGI Bookstore