Al-Ma'idah: (2) "O you who believe..."
"The symbols (al-sha'a'ir)"
The plural of sha'irah, meaning the name for that which is marked—that is, made a symbol and a sign for the rites of pilgrimage. This includes the stations of Hajj, the sites for throwing pebbles, the mataf (circumambulation area), the mas'a (area for running between Safa and Marwa), and the actions that serve as signs of Hajj, such as ihram, tawaf, sa'i, shaving the head, and animal sacrifice.
"The sacred month"
The month of Hajj.
"The sacrificial animals (al-hady)"
That which is gifted to the House and offered to Allah as a sacrifice. It is the plural of hadiyyah, just as jadi is the plural of jadiyyah.
"The garlands (al-qala'id)"
The plural of qiladah, which is that with which the sacrificial animal is marked—such as a sandal, a water-skin handle, tree bark, or other items.
"Those heading to the Sacred House"
Those intending it, namely the pilgrims (hujjaj) and those performing 'umrah.
"Violating these things"
This means to treat the sanctity of the symbols with negligence, to obstruct the pilgrims from them, to introduce during the months of Hajj that which turns people away from the pilgrimage, or to interfere with the sacrificial animals by harming them or preventing them from reaching their destination.
Regarding "the garlands":
There are two interpretations:
- It refers to the animals themselves that wear garlands (the camels). It is conjoined to "the sacrificial animals" for emphasis and to show special concern for them, as they are the most noble of sacrifices—similar to the verse: "And Gabriel and Michael" (2:98). It is as if it were said: "And the garlanded animals, specifically."
- It is a prohibition against interfering with the garlands of the sacrificial animals, as an intensification of the prohibition against interfering with the animals themselves. It means: "Do not violate their garlands, let alone violate the animals themselves," similar to the verse: "And let them not display their adornment" (24:31), where the display of adornment is prohibited as an intensification of the prohibition against displaying the parts of the body where the adornment is worn.
"Nor the sacred month"
Do not violate a people intending the Sacred House.
"Seeking bounty from their Lord"
Meaning reward.
"And pleasure"
That He be pleased with them. Do not interfere with people of this description, out of reverence for them and disapproval of interfering with the likes of them. It is said this is a definitive (muhkam) ruling.
Regarding the Prophet (ﷺ):
"Al-Ma'idah is among the last of the Quran to be revealed; so declare its lawful things as lawful and its forbidden things as forbidden." (A mursal narration). Al-Hasan said: "There is nothing abrogated in it." Abu Maysarah said: "It contains eighteen obligatory duties and nothing in it is abrogated." Others say it is abrogated.
Ibn Abbas said: "Muslims and polytheists used to perform Hajj together, so Allah forbade the Muslims from preventing anyone from the pilgrimage to the House with His words: 'Do not violate...' Then, later, it was revealed: 'The polytheists are indeed unclean' (9:28) and 'It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah' (9:17)." Mujahid and Al-Sha'bi said: "Do not violate" was abrogated by: "And kill them wherever you find them" (9:5).
"Seeking bounty" is interpreted as trade, and "seeking pleasure" as the polytheists thinking they were on the right path in their religion and that Hajj brought them closer to Allah; so Allah described them by their own belief.
- Abdullah (Ibn Mas'ud) read: "Nor the people of the Sacred House" (as an idafa construction).
- Humayd ibn Qays and Al-A'raj read: "You seek" (with a ta), addressing the believers.
"Then hunt"
This is a permission to hunt after it had been forbidden to them. It is as if it were said: "When you have exited the state of ihram, there is no blame upon you if you hunt."
- It is read with a kasra on the fa (fa-istadu), which is a substitute for the kasra of the hamza when starting the word.
- It is read: "When you have exited ihram (idha ahlaltum)." It is said: "He exited ihram (halla)" and "He entered the state of ihram (ahalla)."
"And let not the hatred..."
Jaram functions like kasaba (to earn/cause) in its ability to take one or two objects. You say jarama dhanban (he committed a sin) like kasabahu, and jaramtuhu dhanban (I caused him to commit a sin) like kasabtuhu iyyahu.
It is also said ajramtuhu (I caused him to commit a sin) by transferring the verb to two objects via the hamza, like aksabtuhu dhanban. Based on this is the reading of Abdullah: "And let not... cause you" (la yajrimannakum) with a damma on the ya. The first object in both readings is the pronoun of the addressees.
The second object is:
- "That you transgress" (an ta'tadu).
- "Because they hindered you" (an saddukum).
The fatha on the hamza relates to the "hatred" (shana'an) as the cause. Shana'an is intense hatred. It is also read with a sukun on the nun. The meaning is: "Let not the hatred of a people—because they hindered you—cause you to transgress, and do not let it incite you to it."
It is also read as "If they hindered you" (in saddukum) as a conditional in. In Abdullah's reading, it is "If they hinder you" (in yasuddukum).
Their "hindering" refers to the people of Mecca preventing the Prophet (ﷺ) and the believers from the 'umrah on the day of Hudaybiyyah. "Transgression" means taking revenge on them by inflicting harm.
"And cooperate in righteousness and piety"
Meaning: in pardoning and overlooking.
"And do not cooperate in sin and aggression"
Meaning: in revenge and spite.
It is permissible for this to be general, applying to every act of righteousness, piety, sin, and aggression, thus encompassing both pardoning and retaliation.
