Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 2

Verse:

{... Allah judges as He wills. O you who have believed, do not violate the sacred ordinances of Allah, nor the sacred month, nor the sacrificial animals, nor the necklaces, nor those proceeding to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] pleasure...}

Contextual Note: After prohibiting hunting for the pilgrim in the previous verse, the Almighty reinforces this by forbidding the violation of Allah's commands in this verse, beginning with: {Allah judges as He wills. O you who have believed, do not violate the sacred ordinances of Allah...}

Meaning of Sha'ā'ir (Sacred Ordinances):

• Sha'ā'ir is the plural form. Most scholars agree the singular is sha'īrah. Ibn Faris stated the singular is sha'ārah. Sha'īrah is fa'īlah in the meaning of maf'alah (passive).
• Al-mush'ar means marked or signified. Al-ash'ār means signs or markers. Everything that is marked or made a sign for something else can be called a sha'īrah.
• Therefore, the sacrificial animals (hadāyā) sent to Mecca are called sha'ā'ir because they are marked as offerings.

Interpretations of Sha'ā'ir Allāh (Sacred Ordinances of Allah): There are two main views:

1. General Meaning: {Do not violate the sacred ordinances of Allah} means do not violate any of Allah's injunctions, duties, or obligations set for His servants. In this view, sha'ā'ir Allāh is general and not restricted to a specific matter. Al-Hasan's view aligns closely: Sha'ā'ir Allāh means the religion of Allah.
2. Specific Meaning: The term refers to specific obligations. Several interpretations exist under this view:
   • First: It means do not violate what Allah has forbidden you during your state of iḥrām (consecration), such as hunting.
   • Second (Ibn Abbas): The polytheists used to perform Hajj, offer sacrifices, revere the sacred sites, and slaughter animals. When Muslims intended to retaliate against them, Allah revealed: {Do not violate the sacred ordinances of Allah}.
   • Third (Al-Farra'): Most Arabs did not consider Safa and Marwah part of the Hajj rituals and did not perform tawāf (circumambulation) around them. Thus, the verse commands Muslims not to neglect any ritual of Hajj but to perform all of them perfectly and completely.
   • Fourth (Some Scholars, including Abu 'Ubaydah): Sha'ā'ir refers specifically to the sacrificial animals that are marked by piercing their humps or by hanging necklaces on them to signify they are offerings. This is supported by the verse: {And the sacrificial animals, We have made them for you among the rites of Allah} (Al-Hajj: 36). However, I find this weak because Allah mentioned Sha'ā'ir Allāh and then connected al-Hadī (sacrificial animals) to it via conjunction (wa), implying that the Hadī should be distinct from the Sha'ā'ir mentioned previously.

Meaning of Wa lā al-Shahr al-Ḥarām (Nor the Sacred Month): This means do not violate the sanctity of the Sacred Month by fighting in it.

• The Sacred Months are those which the Arabs revered and refrained from fighting in. Allah states: {Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the decree of Allah... of them are four sacred} (At-Tawbah: 36). These are Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab.
• The phrase {nor the sacred month} may refer to all four months (using the singular to denote the genus), or it may specifically refer to Rajab, as it is considered the most distinguished of the four in this regard.

Meaning of Wa lā al-Hadī (Nor the Sacrificial Animals): Al-Wahidi said: Hadī is what is dedicated as a gift to the Ka'bah—a she-camel, cow, or sheep. The singular is hadiyyah (with a quiescent dāl), or sometimes hadiyyah (with a kasrah), and the plural is hadāyā.

• A poet said:

  I swear by the Lord of Mecca and the place of prayer, And the necks of the sacrificial animals, adorned with necklaces.

• This is analogous to Allah's statement: {as a sacrifice reaching the Ka'bah} (Al-Ma'idah: 95) and {and the sacrificial animals prevented from reaching their place} (Al-Fath: 25).

Meaning of Wa lā al-Qalā'id (Nor the Necklaces): Qalā'id is the plural of qilādah (necklace), which is tied around the neck of the sacrificial animal or other things, and it is well-known. There are several interpretations regarding its mention here:

1. Emphasis on Hadī: It refers to the sacrificial animals that have necklaces. It is connected to al-Hadī as an emphasis on honoring them, as these are the noblest of offerings (like saying {Gabriel and Michael} (Al-Baqarah: 98), implying necklaces specifically).
2. Emphasis on Prohibition: It forbids interfering with the necklaces of the sacrificial animals, as an exaggeration of the prohibition against touching the Hadī itself. It is like saying {and not display their beauty} (An-Nur: 31), where forbidding the display of beauty implies a stronger prohibition against exposing the places of beauty.
3. Pre-Islamic Custom: In the Jahiliyyah, Arabs were constantly at war except during the Sacred Months. If someone was found fighting outside these months, they would be attacked, unless they were marked with a sign indicating a sacrificial animal (made from the bark of the Haram trees) or were performing Umrah to the House. In those cases, they were not to be harmed. Allah commanded Muslims to uphold this principle.

Meaning of Wa lā Āmmiyy al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (Nor those proceeding to the Sacred House): This means do not violate the sanctity of people heading to the Sacred Mosque.

• 'Abdullah [Ibn Mas'ud] recited it as wa lā āmiyy al-Bayt al-Ḥarām (with iḍāfah—genitive construction).

Meaning of Yabtaghūna Faḍlan min Rabbihim wa Riḍwānā (Seeking Bounty from their Lord and His Pleasure): There are several issues concerning this phrase:

Issue 1 (Reading): Humaid bin Qays Al-A'raj recited it with a tā' (Tabtaghūna), addressing the believers.

Issue 2 (Interpretation of Bounty and Pleasure): There are two views:

1. Worldly and Spiritual Gain: They seek bounty from their Lord through permissible trade during their pilgrimage, as in {There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord} (Al-Baqarah: 198), which was revealed concerning their trade during the season. The meaning is: Do not prevent them, for they only intended the House to secure their livelihood (ma'āsh) and their afterlife (ma'ād). Seeking bounty is for the world, and seeking pleasure is for the Hereafter. Scholars noted that polytheists intended to seek Allah's pleasure with their Hajj, even if they wouldn't attain it; thus, it is plausible they might receive some form of sanctity due to this intention.
2. Reward and Acceptance: The bounty of Allah means reward, and the pleasure means that He is pleased with them. Even if a disbeliever does not attain true bounty and pleasure, they believe they are seeking them through their actions. Therefore, they can be described by this based on their assumption, similar to Allah saying {And look at your god} (Ṭā-Hā: 97) and {Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble} (Ad-Dukhān: 49).

Issue 3 (Abrogation): People differed on whether this verse is abrogated:

• View of Abrogation (Majority): Some scholars, including Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah, hold that this verse is abrogated.
  • The prohibition against violating the Sacred Month implies fighting is forbidden in it, which is abrogated by {Slay the polytheists wherever you find them} (At-Tawbah: 5).
  • The prohibition against preventing polytheists from the Sacred Mosque is abrogated by {Then let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this, their year} (Al-Baqarah: 28).
  • Al-Sha'bi said that only this verse from Surah Al-Ma'idah is abrogated.
• View Against Abrogation (Minority): Others maintain this verse is not abrogated. They have two approaches:
  • First Approach: Allah commanded us not to frighten those heading to His House who are Muslims, and forbade us from taking the Hadī from those offering it if they are Muslims. This is supported by the beginning {Do not violate the sacred ordinances of Allah} (which suits Muslim rites) and the end {seeking bounty from their Lord and His pleasure} (which suits a Muslim, not a disbeliever).
  • Second Approach (Abu Muslim Al-Isfahani): The verse referred to the disbelievers during the Prophet's time. When the covenant was dissolved by Surah Bara'ah (At-Tawbah), that prohibition was lifted, leading to the ruling in {Then let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this, their year}.

Meaning of Wa Idhā Ḥalaltum Faṣṭādu (And when you come out of Ihram, then hunt): There are three issues here:

Issue 1 (Reading): It is read as Wa idhā ḥalaltum (when you become lawful) and wa idhā aḥlaltum (when you make yourselves lawful). The fā' is sometimes read with a kasrah (i.e., fa'iḥlālu), possibly as a substitute for the kasrah on the initial hamzah when starting the sentence.

Issue 2 (Relation to Previous Verse): This verse relates to {while you are in a state of Ihram, seeking to catch game} (Al-Ma'idah: 1). Since the prohibition on hunting was due to the state of Iḥrām, when the Iḥrām is lifted, the prohibition must also cease.

Issue 3 (Command Implies Permissibility): Although the command form usually implies obligation (wujūb), here it only signifies permissibility (ibāḥah). This is similar to {And when the prayer has been concluded, then spread out in the land} (Al-Jumu'ah: 10). It is like saying: "Do not enter this house until you pay its price; once you have paid, then enter it," meaning entry becomes permissible. We know the command here is not obligatory due to an external indicator.

Meaning of Wa lā Yajrimannakum Shan'ānu Qawmin an Ṣaddūkum 'an al-Masjid al-Ḥarām an Ta'tadū wa Ta'āwanū 'alā al-Birri wa al-Taqwā wa lā Ta'āwanū 'alā al-Ithmi wa al-'Udwan (And let not the hatred of a people who barred you from the Sacred Mosque incite you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression): There are five issues here:

Issue 1 (Connection): Al-Qaffal stated this is connected to {Do not violate the sacred ordinances of Allah... nor the sacred month...}. Meaning: Let not your enmity toward a people who barred you from the Sacred Mosque incite you to transgress by preventing them from the Sacred Mosque, because falsehood cannot be used to counter falsehood. People should not assist each other in aggression; if one transgresses against another, the other should not retaliate with equal transgression. Rather, they must assist one another in what is righteous and pious—this is the purpose of the verse.

Issue 2 (The Verb Jarama): The author of Al-Kashshāf noted that jarama functions like kasaba (to earn/commit):

• It can take one object: Jarama dhamban (He committed a sin), like kasaba.
• It can take two objects: Jaramtuhu dhamban (I caused him to commit a sin), like kasabtuhu iyyāhu.
• It can be used transitively with hamzah (ajramtuhu), taking two objects, like aksabtuhu dhamban. This supports 'Abdullah's recitation {wa lā yujrimannakum} (with a ḍammah on the yā').
• In both readings, the first object is the pronoun referring to the addressees (you), and the second object is {to transgress} (an ta'tadū). The meaning is: Let not the hatred of a people, because they barred you, cause you to commit aggression, nor let it incite you toward it.

Issue 3 (The Word Shan'ān): Shan'ān means hatred/animosity. One says: Shana'tu al-rajula ashnūhu (I hated the man), with the verbal noun being shan'an, mashna'an, or shanā'an (with fatḥah or kasrah). One can also say rajulun shan'ān or imra'atun shan'ānah (with ṣarf allowed). Shan'ān can be an adjective or a verbal noun.

Issue 4 (Reading of the Nūn in Shan'ān): Ibn 'Amir, Abu Bakr (from 'Asim), and Isma'il (from Nafi') recited the first nūn with sukūn (jussive). The rest recited it with fatḥah.

• The fatḥah reading is considered superior due to the prevalence of similar verbal nouns ending in fatḥah (e.g., al-ḍaribān, al-sayalān, al-ghalayān, al-ghushyān).
• The sukūn reading is mostly found in adjectives. Al-Wahidi noted that a verbal noun with sukūn exists, such as layyantuhu ḥaqqahu layānan (I twisted his right with layānan), and shan'ān according to Abu 'Ubaydah.
  • Al-Ahwas recited:

    And if the one of Shan'ān and the elder are absent...

  • Here, dhū al-shan'ān is a simplification of dhū al-shan'ān, like saying ẓam'ān (thirsty) instead of ẓam'i'ān, by dropping the hamzah and transferring its vowel to the preceding letter.

Issue 5 (Reading of the Alif in an Ṣaddūkum): Ibn Kathir and Abu 'Amr recited the alif with a kasrah (in Ṣaddūkum), indicating conditionality (if/since). The rest recited it with a fatḥah (an Ṣaddūkum), meaning "because they barred you."

• Muhammad bin Jarir Al-Tabari preferred the fatḥah reading because the meaning of their barring them from the Sacred Mosque refers to the Quraysh preventing the Prophet (PBUH) and the believers from Umrah at Hudaybiyyah. Since this Surah was revealed after Hudaybiyyah, this barring must have preceded the revelation of the verse.

Meaning of Wa ttaqū Allāha Inna Allāha Shadīd al-'Iqāb (And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in penalty): This serves as a threat and warning: Fear Allah and do not violate any of His prohibitions, for Allah is severe in punishment; no one can withstand His penalty.

Verse 7 (Transition):

{Forbidden to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and that which has been killed by strangulation or by a violent blow or by a fall or by goring or that which has been partially eaten by a predator, except that which you are able to slaughter [before its death], and that which has been slaughtered on stone altars, and [forbidden is] that you seek decision by arrows. That is grave disobedience. Today those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion, so fear them not, but fear Me. Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger and not byInclination to sin—then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.}