5.

Sura Maida (or The Tables Spreed)

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

O Believers! Fulfil all your obligations. Lawful to you is the food of all
four-footed animals, with the exceptions named: But the animals of the chase
are forbidden while in the Sacred Precincts or in the special pilgrim garb (in
most cases the two amount to the same). Do not profane the sanctity of the
Symbols of God, nor the sacrifice animals nor their mark out garlands or fillets
nor the immunity or protection of the Pilgrims which they enjoy. But when
cleared out of the Sacred Precincts and of pilgrim garb, you are allowed to
hunt. Do not retaliate or return evil for evil or the hatred of the wicked lead
you to transgression. Help one another in righteousness and piety and not in
sin and enmity. Forbidden for food are: carroion, blood, flesh of swin, any on
which is invoked the name of other than God, killed by strangling or by
violent blow or by a headlong below or being gored to death or being partly
eaten by a wild animal – unless the animal is slaughtered in a due form as
prescribed by the Lord, before the animal’s death by the above mentioned
causes. Forbidden are any other idolatrious rites, superistitions or practices as
were the customs of Pagan Arabs (as sacrifice devoted to a particular god or
division of the meat by a gambling form, etc. etc.). This day your (O
Muhammad) religion – Islam – is perfected. The hope of the Unbelievers to
wean the Believers from the new Teaching was gone with complete
organization of the community with its own specific laws. That is to say no
more revelation is needed. (the mission of the Messenger completed). God has
made to you all the things, good and pure, lawful to eat. The game by hunting
animals is lawful on the conditions: (1) the animals are trained to kill not only
for themselves but also for their master’s food; the training implies that some
solemnity as taught in religion goes into their action; (2) the name of God to
be pronounced (kalma) when the hawk or dog, etc., is released to the quarry.
Lawful to you in the marriage not only with chaste women who are believers
but also among the People of the Book (as per the Islamic law). Chastity, not
lewdness or any secret intrigues, be desired. Fruitless is the work of those who
have no faith and in the Hereafter they will be having no share in the
pleasantries.

God wishes the believers to be clean and pure at prayer: Wash your
faces, hands, arms up to the elbows, rub heads with water; and feet up to the
angles. If in a ceremonial (sex) impurity wash the whole body. But if ill or in
journey or in contact with woman or come from the office of nature; and find
no water, then take clean sand or earth – rub face and hands with it. God does
not like to put the believers in a difficulty; but likes to them clean. Call in your
prayers the favour from God and fear Him, for He knows the secrets of your
heart. Man is under a spiritual obligation under an implied Covenant with
God: He has given man reason, judgment and the higher faculties of the soul.
Man is bound to serve God faithfully and obey His Will. That obedience
begins with the cleanliness of the body and the soul-mind and thought, and
culminates in purity of motives in the inmost recesses of his heart and soul. To
do justice and act righteously in a favourable or neutral atmosphere is
meritorious enough, but the real test comes when you have to do justice to
people who hate you or to whom you have an aversion. But no less is required
of you by the higher moral law. For such believers, God has promised
forgiveness and a great reward in the Hereafter. But those who reject faith and
deny His Signs will be companion of the Hell. So fear God and let the
believers put their trust in their Lord.

Earlier, God made a Covenant with the Children of Israel that if they
established regular prayer and charity, believe, honour and assist them and
spend in the cause of God; God would remit their sins and would admit them
in the Gardens (of Hereafter). They broke the Covenant, changed words from
God’s Message which attracted curse from their Lord. You (O Muhammad)
will see treachery from them except the few ones. But bear with them and
forgive them: for God loves those who are kind. Those who called themselves
Christians, Covenant was also taken from them (to welcome Ahmad). But they
forgot a good part of the Message sent to them. Thus God punished them with
enmity between those who call themselves Christians and the Jews, will
continue till the last day. O People of the Book! Now God’s Apostle has come
to you, revealing much that you used to hide in you. He has come with a new
light; and a new perspicuous Book wherewith to guide all those who seek His
good pleasure. It is blasphemy to say that God is Christ, the son of Mary. Both
the Christians and the Jews say that they are the beloved sons of God. Then,
who punishes you for your sins? You are the men of the men whom God has
created. He is One to forgive whom He pleases and punishes whom He
wishes. To Him belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that
is in between and to Him is the final return of all. O People of the Book! After
a break, now has come to you an Apostle from your Lord. He has brought for
you glad tidings and a warning from following the Evil, lest you say that no
Messenger came to you.

Moses said to his people to remember that God had been kind to
produce prophets from among their ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, Ismail, Jacob,
etc.), made you kings (slavery to freedom). Further, gave you what was not
given to any of the people before you. That now the people to enter the holy
land. The people had no courage and no faith, and Moses remonstrated them.
But the people said to Moses to drive out the original inhabitants of the land
before they settle down on that land. Moses then prayed to his Lord to separate
him and his brother from those rebellious people. God then said to Moses that
the land would be out of reach for his people for next 40 years; and that they
would go on wandering through the land. And that Moses should not feel sad
over those rebellious bands of people.

Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. One was
puffed up with arrogance and jealousy and murdered the other righteous one
whose sacrifice in the name of God was accepted. Thus by that heinous crime
he ruined his own self. God then sent a raven to show him how to bury the
dead body. Then he became full of regrets. On account of that God ordained
for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless lawful by the
legal authorities – it would be as if he slew the whole people: And if any one
saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then
although there came to them Apostles from their Lord with Clear Signs, yet,
many of them continued to commit excesses. The punishment for those who
wage war against God and His Apostle is to strive with might against them. If
captured, then punish them according to the circumstances by either:
execution (chopping the head) or crucifixion or chopping of opposite limps or
exile from the land. Indeed, a more grievous punishment awaits them in the
Hereafter. But those who repent before their capture, then know that God is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

O the Believers! Do your duty to God and desire intensively to avoid

everything that is against His Will and strive with might for His cause. Those
who reject Faith; if they offer as ransom even twice what ever is on the earth,
it would not save them from the grievous Penalty of Fire on the Day of
Judgment. As to the thief, male or female, cut off their hands – a punishment
by way of example, from God: And God is Exalted, Wise. But if the thief is
repentful and amends his conduct; God forgives him; for God is Oft-forgiving.
Most Merciful. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He
punishes whom He pleases and forgives whom He pleases; and God has power
over all things. O Prophet! Do not be sad for those who reject Faith, the
Hypocrites; and the Jews: The Jews are keen listeners or spies for any lies they
can catch; and they will act as spies for others (their Rabbis, etc.) who are in
the background but to whom they carry false tales; – if God wishes any one’s
trial, you have no authority on him against God: it is not His will to purify
their hearts; for them is disgrace in this world and a heavy penalty in the
Hereafter. If they come to you either judge between them in equity or just
decline: for God loves those who judge in equity. Their motive to come to you
is either to ridicule what ever is said to them or to try to snatch a favourable
decision for themselves; – they are not really People of Faith.

God revealed The Law (Taurat) to Moses – a guidance and spiritual

awakening. Then its protection passed on to the subsequent prophets and the
highly learned people among the Jews. They used to judge the matters by its
standards and guidance. Then, ‘(O Jews!) fear God and not men; and sell not
God’s Signs for a miserable price’. Those who not judged as per the Law, they
were no better than Unbelievers. They were ordained retaliation in aggression
as : “Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and
wounds equal for equal” – (Mosaic Law). But if any one remits the retaliation
by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself (teaching of Jesus and
Muhammad SA). If any one fail to judge by this guidance, they are no better
than wrongdoers. In their footsteps God sent Jesus, the son of Marry,
confirming the Law that came before him. God sent him the Gospel (Injil) – a
guidance and light, a confirmation of the Law and a warning. Let the People of
the Gospel judge by what God had revealed therein. If they fail to judge, they
are no better than those who rebel. To you (O Muhammad) God has sent a
Scripture ( Qur-an) in truth, confirming the earlier scripture; and act as a check
to its interpretation. So judge people in accordance with the guidance of this
Scripture. Strive as in a race in all virtues as your final return is to your Lord
alone. It is then He will show you the truth of the matters in which they used
to dispute with you. Follow not their vain desires but beware of them. If the
turn away, be assured that for their crimes, it is God’s purpose to punish them.
Do they seek from you the judgments of the days of the ignorance (i.e.
tribalism, feuds, vices etc.).? Who could give them better judgment than God?

O the Believers! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as your
friends and protectors but are of each other. Who turns to them for friendship
amongst you is of them. Verily God does not guide unjust people. Those
whose hearts are diseased, race towards them; least a change of fortune might
bring disaster to them! They will definitely repent and fall into ruin, when God
will give you victory over the Unbelievers and the Hypocrities. O the
Believers! Be sure, if you turn away from the Faith, God will produce a people
who will love Him and He will love them. They will be ready to fight for the
Truth and will know no fear. That is a grace of God which He will bestow on
whom He pleases. His bounty is for all, and He knows all things. Your real
friends are, God, His Apostle and the Fellowship of Believers; and that the
Fellowship of God that must certainly triumph.

It is not right that a believer should be in ultimate association with

those to whom religion is either a subject of mockery or at best is nothing but
a plaything. Their association with those who received the Scripture before
you, or among those who reject faith. Such people will sap the earnestness of
their Fatih, and make them cynical and insincere: That is because they are
people without any understanding. Say to the People of the Book (O
Muhammad): ‘You disapprove our way that we believe in God, and the
revelation that came to us and to you also! Perhaps you hate us because we
obey and you are in rebellion against God! Why hate us? Shall I tell you those
who incurred the curse of God and his wrath, were transformed into apes and
swine; and those who worshipped Evil; – these are many times worse in rank,
and far more astray from the even Path!’ Many of them are hypocrites, racing
each other in sin and hatred, eating forbidden things and uttering sinful words;
– evil indeed are their works. The Jews say that ‘God’s hand is tied up’. They
are accursed for the blasphemy they utter. The revelation to you from God
increases in most of them (Jews and Christians) rebellion and blasphemy
against their Lord. He has then placed internal squabbles and external
disputes, enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Judgement. When they
try to prepare for war against you, God keep them quiet. But they ever strive
to do mischief on earth: And God loves not those who do mischief. God would
have blotted out their iniquities had they believed and were righteous and will
admit them to Gardens of Bliss. They would have enjoyed much happiness, if
only they had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was
sent to them from their Lord. There are some people among them on the right
course: But many of them follow the evil course.

Oh Apostle! Go forward and proclaim the Message and fulfil the

Mission. Trust in God for protection and be unconcerned of those who reject it
or threaten you. Tell them that they have no ground to stand upon unless they
hold fast the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelations that have come to you
from your Lord. Those who believe in the Qur-an, those who follow the
Jewish scriptures, and the Sabians and the Christians, – any who believe in
God, the Last Day, and work righteous, – on them shall be no fear, nor shall
they grieve. To the Children of Israel, apostles were sent, but to some they
called imposters and to some went that far to slay! They thought they would
not be punished so they became blind and deaf. They say God is Christ, the
son of Mary. But Christ said to the Children of Israel to worship God – his
Lord and their Lord. Whoso joined gods with God, – God will forbid him the
Garden, and the Fire will be his abode and no one will help the wrongdoers. It
is a clear blasphemy to say God is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god
except One God. If they do not desist from this blasphemy, a grievous penalty
will befall on them on the Day of Judgement. They should turn to God for
forgiveness as He is Most Merciful. Christ, son of Mary, was no more than a
prophet: many apostles passed away before him. His mother was a pious,
virtuous women. They both had to eat their food and God made His Signs
clear to them. But these people are deluded from the truth. Say to them (O
Muhammad) not to exceed in their religion and should not follow the vain
desires of people who went wrong in the times gone by. They misled many,
and strayed themselves from the even Way.

David and Jesus, pronounced curses on those of the Children of Israel

who disobeyed them and persisted in excesses, transgression and evil deeds.
See (O Muhammad) that many of them are turning in friendship with the
Unbelieves (Pagans). Evil are their works which their souls have sent forward
with the result that God’s Wrath is on them and in torment they will live. Most
vehement in hostility to the Believers are the Jews and the Pagans, while
nearest in affection to them are the Christians. This is because among the
Christians are people devoted to learning and men who have renounced the
world, and are not arrogant. They recognize the truth and tears come out from
their eyes when God’s revelation is recited to them. They pray to their Lord
that they believe in it and that they be counted among the believers and admit
them in the company of the righteous. As a compense, God rewarded them
with Garden under which rivers flow and those who reject Faith shall be in the
Hell-fire (in the Hereafter).

Oh you who believe! There is no merit in absentation from things that

are good and lawful. In the physical pleasures of life, the crime is excessive
use beyond natural requirement. Take no rash oaths, but to solemn oaths be
faithful. But where you are unable to do so, expiate the failure by feeding or
clothing the poor, or obtain some one’s freedom, or if no means, by fasting for
three days. Buit up to your rightful oaths: But fear God and be grateful to Him.
Shun as abominations drinking and gambling and superstitions of all kinds.
These are Stan’s handiwork who likes to excite enmity and hatred between
you and hinder you from the remembrance of God. Obey God and His Apostle
and beware of evil. Apostle’s duty is to proclaim God’s Message in the clearest
manner. If some one turns his back, the person himself will be responsible for
his own deeds. But be reverent to what is sacred in rites and associations. Not
the same are things good and things evil. Learn to distinguish: For God loves
those who do good.

Game is forbidden in the sacred Precincts or in pilgrim garb (Ahram).

If one breaks that injuction, he has no faith and reverence. For an inadvertent
breach of the game rule there is apparently no penalty. Intentional breach, the
expiation is: an offering, made to the Ka’ba, of an animal equivalent to the one
killed and meat distributed to the poor; or the poor must be fed, with grains or
money, as per the value of the animal if one had been sacrified; or the offender
must fast as many days as the number of the poor who would have been fed
under the second alternative. Lawful is the pursuit of water-game and its use
for food but forbidden is the pursuit of land-game; – as long as one is in the
Sacred Precincts or in the pilgrim garb. God has made the Ka’ba, the Sacred
House, an asylum of security for men, as also the Sacred Months, the animals
for offerings, the garlands that mark them: God is well-acquainted of all things
and is strict in punishment; but Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Apostle’s duty
is to proclaim God’s Message and God knows all about what you reveal and
what you conceal. The good things and the bad things are not equal even
though the bad things may dazzle the mankind: Fear God so that you may
prosper.

Learn to distinguish, but pry not into questions beyond your range of
knowledge. God’s Message, is so far as it is necessary for shaping the conduct
of the mankind, is plain and open to us. But there are many things too deep for
us to understand, either individually or collectively. It would be foolish to pry
into them. Where a matter is mentioned in Qur-an, we are reverently to ask for
its meaning. That is not forbidden. But one should not pass the bounds as
some earlier people did so and lost their faith on that account. Thus guard your
own souls in truth and justice, and no harm can befall on you. It was not God
Who instituted superstitions: silt-ear she-camel, or a she-camel let loose for
free pasture, or idol sacrifices for twin-births in animals, or stallion-camels
freed from work. They were the blasphemers who invented lies against God;
but most of them lack wisdom. When their Apostle calls them to the revelation
of the Lord they say: ‘What our ancestors did is good enough for us’, ‘What!
Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?’ Oh, the
believers, you take care of your own souls and follow the guidance from your
Apostle. No hurt could come to you from the unbelievers. The final goal of all
of the mankind is to God alone. It is Who will show you the truth of all things.
When death draws near to you, take two just men from among you, as
witnesses when making bequests. When in journey and the death draws near
and that you have some what doubt in the truth of your witnesses, detain them
after prayers; and let them both swear by God: “We wish not in this for any
worldly gain, even though the (beneficiary) be our near relation: We shall hide
not the evidence before God: If we do, then behold! The sin will be upon us!”
If it is known that these two witnesses were guilty of the sin (of perjury), let
two others stand forth in their places, – nearest kin from among those who
claim a lawful right: Let them swear by God: “We affirm that our witness is
trurer than that of those two, and that we have not trespassed (beyond the
Truth): if we did, behold! The wrong be upon us!” But fear God, and listen to
His counsel: for God guides not a rebellious people.

On the Day of Judgement, Jesus is asked to recount all the mercies and
favours shown to him and his mother, so that his followers who later
acclaimed him as son of God, should become ashamed of their ingratitude in
corrupting the Message revealed to Jesus. God strengthened them with the
holy spirit, and Jesus spoke to the people in childhood and in matuarity he was
taught the Book and Wisdom, The Law and the Gospel. Further, among the
miracles of Jesus were that he made out of clay as it were the figure of bird,
and breathed into it and by His leave, became bird. He used to heal the blind,
lepers and by His leave, made dead alive. It was God Who restrained the
unbelievers of the Children of Israel, from violence towards him. That he
showed the Clear Signs but they said it was nothing but magic; and God
inspired the Disciples to have faith in Him and His Apostle. The Disciples
said to Jesus that could the Lord send them a Table with foods from the
heavens and that they only wished as such to satisfy their hearts. Jesus then
prayed to his Lord for such a Sign from Him. God said to Jesus that He would
send it down to him. But after that if any one rejected faith he would be
severely punished.

On the Day of Reckoning, God will ask Jesus, son of Mary, that was he
who told men to worship him and his mother as gods in derogation of God.
Jesus will disclaim of any knowledge of the sort of things were attributed to
him by those who take his name. As commanded by the Lord, he said to them
that they should only worship God, his Lord and their Lord; and that he was a
witness over them whilst he was amongst them. But when God took him up,
them He was the Watcher over them, and that God was the witness to all
things. If God punished them, they were His servants; and if forgive them, He
is the Exalted, the Wise. This is the limit of intercession that men of God can
make on behalf of sinners. God will then say that on this day only truthful will
prosper from their truth and their eternal home is Garden with rivers flowing
underneath. God will be pleased with them and they with God: That is the
great Salvation, the fulfilment of all the desires. To God belong the dominion
of the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein; and it is He Who have
power over all things.