Surah Al Maidah (سورة المائدة)

Al Māʼidah (Arabic: المائدة‎, "The Table" or "The Table Spread with Food" is the fifth chapter (sūrah / Surah) of the Quran, with 120 verses (āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation (Asbāb al-nuzūl), it is a "Medinan (Madani / Madni ) surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina, instead of Mecca.

The chapter's topics include animals which are forbidden, Jesus' and Moses' missions. Verse (āyah / ayah / ayat / ayaat) 90 prohibits "The intoxicant" (alcohol). Verse 8 Contains the passage: "Do not let the injustice of others lead you into injustice".[Quran 5:8] Verse 67 is relevant to the Farewell Pilgrimage and Ghadir Khumm.[Quran 5:67]

Verses (Q5:32-33) have been quoted to denounce killing, by using an abbreviated form such as, "If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people". This verse is similar to that of one from the Talmud.[Quran 5:32][Quran 5:33].

Other notable verses

Verse 3

This verse has a Parenthetical Sentence: "This day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and fear Me. This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.."[Quran 5:3] This verse was revealed at Arafat as reported in the authentic hadith:

Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: Once a Jew said to me, "O the chief of believers! There is a verse in your Holy Book which is read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us, we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed) as a day of celebration." 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asked, "Which is that verse?" The Jew replied, "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." (5:3) 'Umar replied,"No doubt, we know when and where this verse was revealed to the Prophet. It was Friday and the Prophet was standing at 'Arafat (i.e. the Day of Hajj).

— Bukhari

Verse 51

The Quran, chapter 5 (Al-Ma'ida), verse 51:

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

— translated by Sahih International

Some Muslim hard liners have used verses such as this one to denounce close relationships with non-Muslims[citation needed] and forbidding non-Muslims from becoming leaders in Muslim countries. However, other Muslim scholars such as Shafi Usmani see this as forbidding only "indiscriminating intimacy" which might confuse the "distinctive hallmarks of Islam", while all other equitable relations as being allowed. Ghamidi in the context of his Itmam al-Hujjah interpretation of Islam, restricts the subjects of this verse to only the Jews and Christians of the Muslim Prophet's time. Other Muslim apologists argue that only belligerent non-Muslims are being referenced here.

Verse 54

In Sahih International: O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion Gerrans translates O you who heed warning: whoso among you renounces his doctrine

- Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

Verse 54 is also interesting in relation to who the "beloved" are; some hadith view it as being Abu Musa al-Ashari.[Quran 5:54]

Shia' view

On the Shia interpretation of this verse, God used the singular form "waliyyukum" implying the "wilayah" (Guardianship of the believers) is a single project. In other words, the "wilayah" of the messenger and that of the Ali springs from the root of God's wilayah.