Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:101

Surah Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 101

{O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if revealed to you, would displease you...}

In this verse, there are several points of discussion:

There are several ways this verse connects to what came before it:

1. Connection to {The Messenger’s duty is only to convey the message} (5:99): Since Allah stated that the Messenger's duty is only to convey the message, the implication is: "Take what the Messenger has conveyed to you and be obedient. As for what he has not conveyed, do not ask about it or delve into it. For if you delve into matters not required of you, burdensome and difficult obligations might be imposed upon you as a result of that misguided inquiry."

2. Connection to the Disbelievers' Demands: After the Prophet (PBUH) established his prophethood and displayed miracles, the disbelievers persistently demanded further signs out of obstinacy, as Allah recounts their demands (e.g., "We will never believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us" [17:90-93]). The meaning here is: "I am a Messenger commanded to deliver the Law and rulings. Allah has already proven the truth of my claim through numerous miracles. Further demands are arbitrary and beyond my capacity. Moreover, revealing more might result in something displeasing to you—for instance, if a new sign appeared, anyone who subsequently opposed it would deserve immediate punishment in this world." When the Muslims heard the disbelievers demanding these miracles from the Prophet (PBUH), a desire for these signs arose in their hearts. This verse informs them that they should not seek such things, as their manifestation might bring them displeasure.

3. Connection to {And Allah knows what you reveal and what you conceal} (5:99): Leave matters as they appear on the surface, and do not ask about frightening situations, lest they be revealed and displease you.

The word ashyā’ (أَشْيَاء) is the plural of shay’ (شَيْء), and it is diptote (does not accept tanwīn or case endings indicating indefiniteness, i.e., it is mamnū‘ min aṣ-ṣarf). Grammarians offer several explanations for why it is diptote:

1. View of Al-Khalīl and Sībawayh: Originally, the plural was shiyā’ (شِيَاء) on the pattern of fa‘lā’ (like ḥamrā’). They found the accumulation of two hamzas at the end burdensome. Thus, they moved the first hamza (which was the lām of the root) to the beginning of the word, resulting in af‘lā’ (أَفْعْلاء). This structure necessitates that the word be diptote for three reasons:
   • The First (Explicit Reason): Since the word was originally on the pattern of fa‘lā’ (like ḥamrā’), it is diptote, just as ḥamrā’ is diptote.
   • The Second (Analogy to Ma‘dūl): Since it was originally shiyā’ and then changed to ashyā’, this change resembles i‘dāl (a type of morphological shift), similar to how ‘āmir becomes ‘umar, or zāfir becomes zufr. I‘dāl is one of the causes for being diptote.
   • The Third (Partial Word Status): Because we cut off the last letter (the alif and hamza) and placed it at the beginning, the word, in one sense, becomes like half a word (since a letter was removed), and half a word does not accept full inflection. Yet, because the removed letter was not completely dropped but attached to the beginning, the word appears almost complete. Therefore, we prevented it from accepting some forms of inflection but not others, as a sign of this intermediate state.

2. View of Al-Akhfash and Al-Farrā’: The pattern of ashyā’ is af‘ilā’ (أَفْعِلاء), like aṣdiqā’ (friends) and aṣfiyā’ (chosen ones). They found the accumulation of the yā’ and the two hamzas burdensome, so they brought the hamza forward. Since ashyā’ was originally on the pattern of aṣdiqā’ (af‘ilā’), which is diptote, ashyā’ is also diptote.

3. View of Al-Kisā’ī: Ashyā’ is on the pattern of af‘āl (أَفْعَال). However, it was made diptote because it superficially resembles ḥamrā’ and ṣafrā’. Al-Zajjāj challenged Al-Kisā’ī, arguing that if this were the case, asmā’ (names) and abnā’ (sons) should also be diptote. Al-Kisā’ī can respond that the analogy (qiyās) would indeed require asmā’ and abnā’ to be diptote, but they were made fully inflected due to explicit textual evidence (naṣṣ). Since there is no such explicit text for ashyā’, it must follow the analogy. Furthermore, the established scholars of grammar agree that grammatical causes do not always lead to consistent application (iṭṭirād). For example, if we say the fā‘iliyyah cause necessitates the nominative case (raf‘), we must apply it everywhere (e.g., jā’anī hā’ulā’). We follow the analogy unless contradicted by a naṣṣ. This is the response to Al-Zajjāj's challenge.

It is narrated from Anas that the Companions asked the Prophet (PBUH) excessively. He stood on the pulpit and said: "Ask me! By Allah, as long as I remain in this place, I will tell you whatever you ask me about!"

Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn Hudhāfah As-Sahmī, who was sometimes questioned regarding his lineage, stood up and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who is my father?" The Prophet (PBUH) replied: "Your father is Hudhāfah ibn Qays."

Then Sarāqah ibn Mālik (or ‘Ukāshah ibn Miḥṣan, according to another narration) asked: "O Messenger of Allah, must we perform Hajj every year?" The Prophet (PBUH) turned away until he repeated the question two or three times. The Prophet (PBUH) then said: "Woe to you! What makes you certain that if I say yes, it will become obligatory? If it becomes obligatory, you will abandon it, and if you abandon it, you will become disbelievers! Leave me as long as I leave you alone. Indeed, those before you were destroyed due to their excessive questioning. If I command you to do something, do as much of it as you are able, and if I forbid you from something, avoid it."

Another man stood up and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, where is my father?" He replied: "He is in the Fire."

When the Prophet’s anger intensified, ‘Umar stood up and said: "We are content with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad as our Prophet." Then Allah revealed this verse.

Understanding the Prohibition: Questioning things can lead to the revelation of concealed matters that people dislike being exposed, or it can result in severe and difficult obligations. Therefore, it is best for the intelligent person to remain silent about matters not required of him. Consider the one who asked about his father; he risked the Prophet (PBUH) linking him to a father other than his own, causing him shame. As for the one who asked about Hajj, he nearly became one of those whom the Prophet (PBUH) warned against, saying: "The greatest sinners among Muslims are those who cause something lawful to become unlawful, because he risked making Hajj obligatory every year."

‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr used to say: "Allah has permitted and forbidden things, and left things in between that He neither permitted nor forbade. That is an amnesty (‘afw) from Allah." He then recited this verse. Abū Tha‘labah Al-Khušhanī said: "Allah has ordained obligations, so do not neglect them; He has forbidden things, so do not transgress them; He has set limits, so do not exceed them; and He has granted amnesty regarding certain matters without forgetting them, so do not investigate them."

Allah then said: {O you who have believed, do not ask about things...} There are several interpretations:

1. The Consequence of Asking: The first part of the verse established that those things they asked about, if revealed, would displease them. This second part clarifies that if they ask about them, they will be revealed to them. The combined meaning is: If they ask, what displeases them will become apparent, leading to what displeases and saddens them.

2. Two Types of Inquiry:
   • Prohibited Inquiry: Asking about something that has not been permitted to be mentioned in the Book or the Sunnah in any way. This is forbidden by the phrase: {do not ask about things which, if revealed to you, would displease you}.
   • Permitted/Obligatory Inquiry: Asking about something mentioned in the Qur'an, but the listener did not understand it properly. In this case, asking is necessary. This is implied by the continuation: {and if you ask about them while they are being revealed...} The purpose of mentioning this second type is to clarify that the prohibition in the first part does not cover all types of questioning.

Objection: If the pronoun in {and if you ask about them} refers back to the ashyā’ (things) mentioned in the prohibition, how can asking about the exact same things be both forbidden and permissible?

Response: * First Answer: It is possible that asking about them was forbidden before the revelation of the Qur'an concerning them, but it becomes commanded after the Qur'an is revealed concerning them. * Second Answer: Although they are two different types of inquiry, they both concern the same subject matter (shay’). Thus, using a single pronoun is appropriate, even if the underlying situations are different.

3. Inquiry about the Inquiry Itself: The phrase {do not ask about things} refers to their actual questions. The phrase {and if you ask about them} means: If you ask about those questions themselves—whether they were permissible or not when the Qur'an was revealed to you—the answer is that questioning was required initially. The overall meaning is that questioning was necessary in the first place, and whether one is permitted to ask about such and such is the subject here.

Allah then said: {Allah has pardoned them} (or ‘afā ‘anhā). There are several interpretations:

1. Pardon for Past Actions: Allah has pardoned what has passed concerning their questions and the Prophet’s displeasure caused by them; therefore, they should not repeat such actions.

2. Pardon Regarding Consequences: Since Allah mentioned that if those things were revealed they would displease them, the phrase {Allah has pardoned them} means He pardoned what was revealed through those questions that would have displeased them, burdened them, and made obligations difficult for them.

3. Fronting and Delaying (Taqdīm wa Ta’khīr): This interpretation suggests a rearrangement: "Do not ask about things {which, if revealed to you, would displease you}—things {Allah has pardoned them} about." This view is weak because if the sentence is coherent without rearrangement, one should not alter the structure. Under this view, {Allah has pardoned them} means He refrained from mentioning them and did not impose any ruling concerning them. This is like the Prophet’s saying: "I have pardoned you regarding the ṣadaqah of horses and slaves," meaning He lightened the burden by dropping the requirement.

This statement indicates that the intended meaning of {Allah has pardoned them} is the first interpretation mentioned above (pardon for past actions and displeasure caused).