Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 59

It is known that the structure of the discourse here is that after Allah recounted how they (the People of the Book) took the religion of Islam as a jest and a plaything, He said to them: What is it that you resent about this religion, and what do you find in it that warrants taking it as a jest and a plaything?

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Reading of "تنقمون" (Tanqimūn)

Al-Hasan read it as {Hal tanqamūna} (with a fatḥa on the qāf), but the more eloquent reading is with a kasra (i.e., {Hal tanqimūna}).

It is said: Naqamtu ash-shay’a and Naqamtuhu (with both fatḥa and kasra on the qāf) when one disapproves of something.

The commentators have various expressions for its meaning:

• "What do you resent about us?" means: What do you criticize? What do you disapprove of? What do you detest?

Some said: Punishment (Naqmah) is named so because it is incumbent upon the disliked action.

Others said: The aversion that is followed by the displeasure of the detester is called Naqmah, because it is followed by the Naqmah which is the punishment.

• According to the first view, the word Naqmah is primarily established for the disliked thing, and then punishment is named Naqmah because it is disliked.
• According to the second view, the word Naqmah is established for punishment, and then the disapproved and disliked thing is named Naqmah because it is followed by punishment.

Issue 2: The Meaning of the Verse

The meaning of the verse is that He says to the People of the Book: Why have you taken this religion as a jest and a plaything? Then He says, in astonishment: Do you find anything in this religion except belief in Allah, belief in what was revealed to Muhammad (PBUH), and belief in all the Prophets who preceded Muhammad? Meaning, this is not something to be resented.

As for belief in Allah, it is the foundation of all obedience. As for belief in Muhammad and all the Prophets, it is the Truth and Veracity. This is because if the way to confirm the claim of prophethood and messengership of some prophets is through miracles, and we see that the miracle has occurred at the hands of Muhammad (PBUH), then acknowledging him as a Messenger is obligatory. However, acknowledging some while denying others is contradictory speech and a false doctrine. Thus, it is established that what we are upon is the true religion and the straight path; so why do you resent it from us?

Ibn Abbas narrated that a group of Jews came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and asked him about which Messengers he believed in. He replied: "I believe in Allah and what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, and so on, until 'and we are Muslims to Him.'" When he mentioned Jesus, they denied his prophethood and said: "By Allah, we do not know any people whose share in this world and the Hereafter is less than yours, nor a religion worse than your religion." Then Allah revealed this verse and the verses following it.

Regarding His saying: {And that most of you are defiantly disobedient (Fāsiqūn)}

The common reading is {A-inna} (with a fatḥa on the alif), while Nu'aym ibn Maysarah read it as {A-inna} (with a kasra on the alif).

In this verse, there are questions:

The answers are manifold:

1. First: His saying {And that most of you are defiantly disobedient} specifies them with disobedience (fisq). This implies, by way of allusion, that they did not follow the Muslims in their disobedience. The meaning would be: "You resent nothing from us except that we believed, and we are not disobedient like you."
2. Second: Since Allah mentioned what the Jews resent about them—belief in all the Messengers, which is not something to be resented—He mentioned in contrast their disobedience (fisq), which is something to be resented. Such balancing is excellent in parallelism. A speaker might say: "Do you resent me except that I am chaste while you are wicked, or that I am rich while you are poor?" This is good for completing the meaning through contrast.
3. Third: The conjunction wāw (and) here means ma'a (with/while). Meaning: "You resent nothing from us except belief in Allah, while most of you are defiantly disobedient." If one of two opponents is described with blameworthy attributes, and the second acquires many praiseworthy attributes, the acquisition of praiseworthy attributes while the opponent possesses blameworthy ones has a stronger effect in causing hatred and envy in the opponent's heart.
4. Fourth: It is based on omitting a word, meaning: "and the belief that you are defiantly disobedient."
5. Fifth: The estimation is: "You resent nothing from us except that we believed in Allah, and that most of you are defiantly disobedient," meaning: because of your disobedience, you resented our faith in us.
6. Sixth: It is possible that it is a causal explanation connected to an omitted causal explanation, as if He said: "You resent nothing from us except belief, due to your lack of fairness, and because most of you are defiantly disobedient."

The answers are twofold:

1. First: It means that most of them say what they say and do what they do seeking leadership, status, taking bribes, and drawing near to kings. So, in their religion, they are disobedient, not upright. A disbeliever or an innovator might be upright in their religion, or they might be disobedient in their religion. It is known that not all of them were like that, so He specified the majority with this ruling.
2. Second: Mentioning the majority is so that it is not assumed that whoever among them believed (in Muhammad) is included in that description.

Verse 60