Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 90

Context and Connection

Know that this is the third type of ruling mentioned in this passage.

Its connection to what preceded it is that Allah, the Exalted, previously said: {Do not forbid the good things which Allah has made lawful for you} up to His saying {and eat of what Allah has provided for you, lawful and good} (Al-Ma'idah: 87, 88). Since wine (khamr) and gambling (maysir) are among the desirable things, it is necessary that Allah clarified that they are not included among the lawful things, but rather among the forbidden ones.

Definitions and Prior References

We have already explained the meaning of wine (khamr) and gambling (maysir) in Surah Al-Baqarah. We also explained the meaning of the sacrificial stones (ansab) and divination arrows (azlam) at the beginning of this Surah, concerning His saying: {and what is sacrificed on stone altars, and that you seek decision by arrows} (Al-Ma'idah: 3). Whoever desires a comprehensive treatment should refer to those passages.

Regarding the etymology of the word khamr (wine), there are two views:

1. It is named khamr because it khamarat al-'aql (mixed with/veiled the intellect), meaning it mingled with it and covered it.
2. Ibn al-A'rabi said: It was left until it ikhtamarat (fermented), meaning its smell changed.

Maysir (gambling) is their game of chance involving camels (jazur). Ansab (sacrificial stones) are the idols they erected for worship. Azlam (divination arrows) are arrows inscribed with "good" or "bad."

The Two Descriptions of These Four Things

Know that Allah, the Exalted, described these four categories with two descriptions:

The First Description: His saying: {abomination} (rijs). In language, rijs refers to every detestable act. It is said: rajusa al-rajul or rajisa if he committed an ugly deed. Its origin is from rijis (with a fathah on the ra), which denotes the intensity of sound. It is said of a cloud: sahab rajjas if it is intense in thunderous sound. Thus, rijs is the act that is complete and of the highest degree in ugliness.

The Second Description: His saying: {an abomination of Satan's handiwork} (min 'amal al-Shaytan). This complements its being an abomination because Satan is impure and malicious, as he is a disbeliever, and the disbeliever is impure according to His saying: {Indeed, the polytheists are unclean} (At-Tawbah: 28). The malicious only calls to the malicious, according to His saying: {Impure women are for impure men} (An-Nur: 26). Furthermore, anything attributed to Satan implies exaggeration in the completeness of its ugliness. Allah said: {So Moses struck him and finished him. He said, "This is from the work of Satan"} (Al-Qasas: 15).

The Command to Avoid Them

After describing these four things with these two descriptions, Allah commanded: {So avoid it} (fajtanibuhu). This means: stay away from it.

There are two views regarding the pronoun "it" (ha):

1. It refers back to rijs (abomination), and rijs encompasses all four mentioned things. Thus, the command to avoid it includes all of them.
2. It refers to an implied noun, as if He said: "The matter of wine and gambling, or consuming them, or the like," which is why He said: {an abomination of Satan's handiwork}.

The Evils Mentioned

Know that after commanding avoidance of these things, Allah mentioned two types of corruption (mafsadah) related to them:

The First Type: That which relates to the worldly life, which is His saying: