Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 66

Know that when the Almighty previously explained that if they believed, they would attain the happiness of the Hereafter, in this verse, He also explains that if they believed, they would attain the happiness of this world and find its goodness and blessings.

There are three interpretations regarding their establishment of the Torah and the Gospel:

1. To act upon what is in them: This includes fulfilling the covenants of God within those scriptures and acknowledging that they contain proofs indicating the mission of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
2. Establishing the rulings and limits: Establishing the Torah means implementing its judgments and boundaries, just as one says, "He established the prayer" (أقام الصلاة) when he fulfills its rights. One who does not meet its conditions cannot be said to have established it.
3. Keeping them before their eyes: They should keep them as a guide so they do not err in any of their limits.

All these interpretations are sound, but the first one is the best.

Regarding the phrase { وما أنزل إليهم } (and what was revealed to them), there are two opinions:

1. It refers to the Qur'an.
2. It refers to the other books of the Prophets, such as the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Habakkuk, and the Book of Daniel, as these books are full of glad tidings concerning the mission of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Know that when the Jews insisted on denying Muhammad (peace be upon him), drought and hardship afflicted them, reaching the point where they said, "The hand of God is tied up" (referring to stinginess). God Almighty clarified that if they abandoned that disbelief, the situation would reverse, and abundance and ease would occur.

There are several interpretations for { لاكلوا من فوقهم ومن تحت أرجلهم } (they would have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet):

1. Exaggeration of Abundance: It means to emphasize the vastness and abundance of sustenance, not that there is literally something above and something below. The meaning is that they would eat continuously and abundantly, similar to saying, "So-and-so is immersed in goodness from his head to his feet," meaning the goodness is dense and plentiful around him.
2. Rain and Vegetation: Eating from above refers to the descent of rain, and eating from beneath their feet refers to the growth of vegetation, as God Almighty said in Surah Al-A'raf: { And if the people of the towns had believed and feared God, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth } (Al-A'raf: 96).
3. Trees and Crops: Eating from above refers to the abundance of fruit-bearing trees, and eating from beneath their feet refers to the fruitful crops.
4. Fruits from Trees and Ground: It means they would be provided with lush gardens bearing fruit, so they would pick what hangs down from the tops of the trees and gather what has fallen onto the ground beneath their feet.
5. Reference to Jewish History: This might be an allusion to what happened to the Jews of Banu Qurayza and Banu Nadir—the cutting down of their palm trees, the spoiling of their crops, and their expulsion from their homelands.

The meaning of Al-Iqtisad (moderation) in language is balancing actions without exaggeration or deficiency. Its root is Qasd (aiming). This is because whoever knows his goal aims for it on the straight path without deviation or confusion. However, whoever does not know the location of his objective becomes bewildered, sometimes going right and sometimes left. For this reason, moderation is used to describe the action that leads to the goal.

Regarding this moderate nation (al-ummah al-muqtasidah), there are two opinions:

1. It refers to those among the People of the Book who believed, such as Abdullah ibn Salam from the Jews and the Negus from the Christians. They are upon the straight path in their religion and have not inclined toward the extremes of excess or deficiency.
2. It refers to the disbelievers among the People of the Book who are just in their religion and do not possess extreme obstinacy or complete harshness, as stated: { And among the People of the Scripture is one who, if entrusted with a Qintar [a large amount of wealth], he will return it to you } (Al 'Imran: 75).

This contains a sense of astonishment, as if it were said: "And how evil are the deeds of many of them!" It refers to the coarse, blameworthy, and hateful ones among them, upon whom evidence has no effect, and words are of no avail.

Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 67