Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:20

This is an inaugural sentence, set forth to clarify what the Children of Israel did after the covenant was taken from them, and to detail the manner in which they violated it, while pointing to the absence of any interruption of the line of prophets (peace be upon them) among them.

The word "when" (idh) is in the accusative case as an object for an implied verb, addressed to the Master of those addressed (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). The mode of address shifts from the People of the Scripture to him, in order to enumerate to them some of the crimes committed by their predecessors. It is as if it were said: "And mention to them, O Muhammad, the time when Moses (peace be upon him) said—advising them and seeking to win them over by his kind approach toward them—'O my people, remember the favor of Allah upon you.'"

Directing the command to remember toward the time is more eloquent than directing it toward the event itself, even if the latter is what is intended in essence, as previously indicated. "Upon you" ('alaykum) is connected either to "favor" (ni'mah), if it is considered a verbal noun, or to an implied predicate functioning as a circumstantial qualifier (hal) for it, if it is considered a noun. That is: "Remember His bestowing favor upon you with gratitude," or "Remember His favor being upon you."

Likewise, the "when" (idh) in His saying, "When He placed among you prophets," is connected to whatever the prepositional phrase is connected to. That is: "Remember His bestowing favor upon you at the time He placed..." or "Remember His favor, the Exalted, existing upon you at the time He placed prophets from among your own kin." The plural form is to be taken in its literal sense, as is apparent. These are intended to be Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and the rest of the children of Jacob, based on the view that they were all prophets; or the seventy individuals whom Moses chose for the appointed time of his Lord, as Ibn al-Sa'ib and Muqatil stated that they were prophets.

Al-Mawardi and others said: The meaning is the prophets who were sent afterward among the Children of Israel, and the past tense verb is used figuratively. It is also said: The meaning includes both those who came before and those who came after, and no nation was sent as many prophets (peace be upon them) as were the Children of Israel.

"And made you kings": This is a conjunction attached to "placed among you." The style differs here because, due to the abundance of kings among them or from them, they all became as if they were kings because they adopted their ways of ease and luxury. Therefore, it is used figuratively to attribute kingship to all of them, unlike prophethood; for even if prophethood were abundant, one cannot "adopt the way" of the prophets (peace be upon them), as it is a divine matter that Allah grants to whom He wills. Thus, it is not used figuratively in that context.

It is said: There is no figurative usage in the attribution; rather, it is in the word "kings," for the people were enslaved in the hands of the Copts, and Allah delivered them, so that deliverance was named kingship. It is also said: There is no figurative usage at all, but rather they were all made kings in reality. A "king" is anyone who possesses a house and a servant, as narrated from Zayd ibn Aslam in a marfu' (attributed) report.

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The Children of Israel, if one of them possessed a servant, a mount, and a wife, he was recorded as a king." Ibn Jarir narrated from al-Hasan: "Is kingship anything other than a vehicle, a servant, and a house?" Al-Bukhari narrated from Abdullah ibn Amr that a man asked him, saying: "Are we not among the poor of the Emigrants (Muhajirin)?" Abdullah said: "Do you have a wife to whom you find shelter?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Do you have a dwelling in which you live?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then you are among the wealthy." The man said: "But I have a servant." He said: "Then you are among the kings." It is also said: A king is one who has a spacious dwelling with running water. Another view is that he is one who has wealth that makes him not need to exert himself in labor or bear hardships, a view held by Abu al-Jubba'i. You know that the apparent meaning here is that of the figurative, and what was mentioned in the context of evidence is also susceptible to such interpretation.

"And gave you that which He had not given to anyone among the worlds": Such as the parting of the sea, the drowning of the enemy, the shading of the clouds, the gushing of the stone, the sending down of manna and quails, and other things that Allah granted them of specific matters. The address is to the people of Moses (peace be upon him), as is apparent. The definite article (al-) in "the worlds" (al-'alamin) is for familiarity, and it refers to the worlds of their time, or for generalization. A preference from one aspect does not necessitate preference from all aspects; for the lesser may possess what the greater does not. Under either interpretation, it does not necessitate their superiority over this Muhammadan nation—upon its prophet be the best of blessings and the most perfect of greetings. While granting that which was not given to anyone does not necessarily imply superiority, the common understanding of its usage implies that, and that is why it was interpreted as it was.

From Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Abu Malik it is narrated that the address here is to this [Muslim] nation, but this is contrary to the apparent meaning in the extreme, and such a thing is rarely committed in the Glorious Book, for the preceding and following addresses are to the Children of Israel. Therefore, the presence of an address in the midst of them to others would disrupt the noble order. It seems the motive for this view was the assumption that it necessitated [the Children of Israel's] superiority, while there is no justification for that other than this assumption, and you already know it is but a portion of conjecture.