5:2 Al-Maaida (The Table)

يقول تعالى { يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ ْ} أي: محرماته التي أمركم بتعظيمها، وعدم فعلها، والنهي يشمل النهي عن فعلها، والنهي عن اعتقاد حلها؛ فهو يشمل النهي، عن فعل القبيح، وعن اعتقاده. ويدخل في ذلك النهي عن محرمات الإحرام، ومحرمات الحرم. ويدخل في ذلك ما نص عليه بقوله: { وَلَا الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ ْ} أي: لا تنتهكوه بالقتال فيه وغيره من أنواع الظلم كما قال تعالى: { إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ْ} والجمهور من العلماء على أن القتال في الأشهر الحرم منسوخ بقوله تعالى: { فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ ْ} وغير ذلك من العمومات التي فيها الأمر بقتال الكفار مطلقا، والوعيد في التخلف عن قتالهم مطلقا. وبأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قاتل أهل الطائف في ذي القعدة، وهو من الأشهر الحرم. وقال آخرون: إن النهي عن القتال في الأشهر الحرم غير منسوخ لهذه الآية وغيرها، مما فيه النهي عن ذلك بخصوصه، وحملوا النصوص المطلقة الواردة على ذلك، وقالوا: المطلق يحمل على المقيد. وفصل بعضهم فقال: لا يجوز ابتداء القتال في الأشهر الحرم، وأما استدامته وتكميله إذا كان أوله في غيرها، فإنه يجوز. وحملوا قتال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأهل الطائف على ذلك، لأن أول قتالهم في \"حنين\" في \"شوال\". وكل هذا في القتال الذي ليس المقصود منه الدفع. فأما قتال الدفع إذا ابتدأ الكفار المسلمين بالقتال، فإنه يجوز للمسلمين القتال، دفعا عن أنفسهم في الشهر الحرام وغيره بإجماع العلماء. وقوله: { وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ ْ} أي: ولا تحلوا الهدي الذي يهدى إلى بيت الله في حج أو عمرة، أو غيرهما، من نعم وغيرها، فلا تصدوه عن الوصول إلى محله، ولا تأخذوه بسرقة أو غيرها، ولا تقصروا به، أو تحملوه ما لا يطيق، خوفا من تلفه قبل وصوله إلى محله، بل عظموه وعظموا من جاء به. { وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ ْ} هذا نوع خاص من أنواع الهدي، وهو الهدي الذي يفتل له قلائد أو عرى، فيجعل في أعناقه إظهارا لشعائر الله، وحملا للناس على الاقتداء، وتعليما لهم للسنة، وليعرف أنه هدي فيحترم، ولهذا كان تقليد الهدي من السنن والشعائر المسنونة. { وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ ْ} أي: قاصدين له { يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَانًا ْ} أي: من قصد هذا البيت الحرام، وقصده فضل الله بالتجارة والمكاسب المباحة، أو قصده رضوان الله بحجه وعمرته والطواف به، والصلاة، وغيرها من أنواع العبادات، فلا تتعرضوا له بسوء، ولا تهينوه، بل أكرموه، وعظموا الوافدين الزائرين لبيت ربكم. ودخل في هذا الأمرُ الأمر بتأمين الطرق الموصلة إلى بيت الله وجعل القاصدين له مطمئنين مستريحين، غير خائفين على أنفسهم من القتل فما دونه، ولا على أموالهم من المكس والنهب ونحو ذلك. وهذه الآية الكريمة مخصوصة بقوله تعالى: { يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَذَا ْ} فالمشرك لا يُمَكَّن من الدخول إلى الحرم. والتخصيص في هذه الآية بالنهي عن التعرض لمن قصد البيت ابتغاء فضل الله أو رضوانه -يدل على أن من قصده ليلحد فيه بالمعاصي، فإن من تمام احترام الحرم صد من هذه حاله عن الإفساد ببيت الله، كما قال تعالى: { وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ْ} ولما نهاهم عن الصيد في حال الإحرام قال: { وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا ْ} أي: إذا حللتم من الإحرام بالحج والعمرة، وخرجتم من الحرم حل لكم الاصطياد، وزال ذلك التحريم. والأمر بعد التحريم يرد الأشياء إلى ما كانت عليه من قبل. { وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا ْ} أي: لا يحملنكم بغض قوم وعداوتهم واعتداؤهم عليكم، حيث صدوكم عن المسجد، على الاعتداء عليهم، طلبا للاشتفاء منهم، فإن العبد عليه أن يلتزم أمر الله، ويسلك طريق العدل، ولو جُنِي عليه أو ظلم واعتدي عليه، فلا يحل له أن يكذب على من كذب عليه، أو يخون من خانه. { وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى ْ} أي: ليعن بعضكم بعضا على البر. وهو: اسم جامع لكل ما يحبه الله ويرضاه، من الأعمال الظاهرة والباطنة، من حقوق الله وحقوق الآدميين. والتقوى في هذا الموضع: اسم جامع لترك كل ما يكرهه الله ورسوله، من الأعمال الظاهرة والباطنة. وكلُّ خصلة من خصال الخير المأمور بفعلها، أو خصلة من خصال الشر المأمور بتركها، فإن العبد مأمور بفعلها بنفسه، وبمعاونة غيره من إخوانه المؤمنين عليها، بكل قول يبعث عليها وينشط لها، وبكل فعل كذلك. { وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ ْ} وهو التجرؤ على المعاصي التي يأثم صاحبها، ويحرج. { وَالْعُدْوَانِ ْ} وهو التعدي على الخَلْق في دمائهم وأموالهم وأعراضهم، فكل معصية وظلم يجب على العبد كف نفسه عنه، ثم إعانة غيره على تركه. { وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ْ} على من عصاه وتجرأ على محارمه، فاحذروا المحارم لئلا يحل بكم عقابه العاجل والآجل.

ثم قال تعالى "يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تحلوا شعائر الله" قال ابن عباس: يعني بذلك مناسك الحج وقال مجاهد: الصفا والمروة والهدى والبدن من شعائر الله وقيل شعائر الله محارمه: أي لا تحلوا محارم الله التي حرمها تعالى ولهذا قال تعالى " ولا الشهر الحرام " يعني بذلك تحريمه والاعتراف بتعظيمه وترك ما نهى الله عن تعاطيه فيه من ابتداء بالقتال وتأكيد اجتناب المحارم كما قال تعالى " يسألونك عن الشهر الحرام قتال فيه قل قتال فيه كبير وقال تعالى " إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا " الآية. وفي صحيح البخاري عن أبى بكرة أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال في حجة الوداع:" إن الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات والأرض السنة اثنا عشر شهرا منها أربعة حرم: ثلاث متواليات ذو القعدة وذو الحجة والمحرم ورجب مضر الذي بين جمادى وشعبان". وهذا يدل على استمرار تحريمها إلى آخر وقت كما هو مذهب طائفة من السلف. قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما في قوله تعالى " ولا الشهر الحرام " يعني لا تستحلوا القتال فيه وكذا قال مقاتل بن حيان وعبد الكريم بن مالك الجزري واختارهم ابن جرير أيضا وذهب الجمهور إلى أن ذلك منسوخ وأنه يجوز ابتداء القتال في الأشهر الحرم واحتجوا بقوله تعالى " فإذا انسلخ الأشهر الحرم فاقتلوا المشركين حيث وجدتموهم " والمراد أشهر التسير الأربعة قالوا فلم يستثن شهرا حراما من غيره وقد حكى الإمام أبو جعفر الإجماع على أن الله قد أحل قتال أهل الشرك في الأشهر الحرم وغيرها من شهور السنة قال وكذلك أجمعوا على أن المشرك لو قلد عنقه أو ذراعيه بلحاء جميع أشجار الحرم لم يكن ذلك له أمانا من القتل إذا لم يكن تقدم له عقد ذمة من المسلمين أو أمان ولهذه المسألة بحث آخـر له موضع أبسط من هذا وقوله تعالى " ولا الهدى ولا القلائد " يعني لا تتركوا الإهداء إلى البيت الحرام فإن فيه تعظيم شعائر الله ولا تتركوا تقليدها في أعناقها لتتميز به عما عداها من الأنعام وليعلم أنها هدى إلى الكعبة فيجتنبها من يريدها بسوء وتبعث من يراها على الإتيان بمثلها فإن من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من اتبعه من غير أن ينقص من أجورهم شيء ولهذا لما حج رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم- بات بذي الحليفة وهو وادي العقيق فلما أصبح طاف على نسائه وكن تسعا ثم اغتسل وتطيب وصلى ركعتين ثم أشعر هديه وقلده وأهل للحج والعمرة وكان هديه إبلا كثيرة تنيف على الستين من أحسن الأشكال والألوان كما قال تعالى " ذلك ومن يعظم شعائر الله فإنها من تقوى القلوب " وقال بعض السلف: إعظامها استحسانها واستسمانها قال علي بن أبي طالب: أمرنا رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم- أن نستشرف العين والأذن. رواه أهل السنن وقال مقاتل بن حيان قوله " ولا القلائد " فلا تستحلوه وكان أهل الجاهلية إذا خرجوا من أوطانهم في غير الأشهر الحرم قلدوا أنفسهم بالشعر والوبر وتقلد مشركو الحرم من لحاء شجره فيأمنون به. رواه ابن أبي حاتم ثم قال حدثنا محمد بن عمار حدثنا سعيد بن سليمان قال حدثنا عباد بن العوام عن سفيان بن حسن عن الحكم عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال نسخ من هذه السورة آيتان آية القلائد وقوله " فإن جاءوك فاحكم بينهم أو أعرض عنهم " وحدثنا المنذر بن شاذان حدثنا زكريا بن عدى حدثنا محمد بن أبي عدي عن ابن عوف قال: قلت للحسن: نسخ من المائده شيء؟ قال لا وقال عطاء كانوا يتقلدون من شجر الحرم فيأمنون فنهى الله عن قطع شجره وكذا قال مطرف بن عبد الله. وقوله تعالى " ولا آمين البيت الحرام يبتغون فضلا من ربهم ورضوانا " أي ولا تستحلوا قتال القاصدين إلى بيت الله الحرام الذي من دخله كان آمنا وكذا من قصده طالبا فضل الله وراغب في رسوله فلا تصدوه ولا تمنعوه ولا تهجوه قال مجاهد وعطاء وأبو العالية ومطرف بن عبد الله وعبد الله بن عبيد بن عمير والربيع بن أنس ومقاتل بن حيان وقتادة وغير واحد في قوله " يبتغون فضلا من ربهم": يعني بذلك التجارة وهذا كما تقدم في قوله " ليس عليكـم جناح أن تبتغوا فضلا من ربكم " وقوله " ورضوانا " قال ابن عباس يترضون الله بحبهم ذكر عكرمة والسدي وابن جرير أن هذه الآية نزلت في الحطم بن هند البكري كان قد أغار على سرح المدينة فلما كان من العام المقبل اعتمر إلى البيت فأراد بعض الصحابة أن يعترضوا عليه في طريقه إلى البيت فأنزل الله عز وجل " ولا آمين البيت الحرام يبتغون فضلا من ربهم ورضوانا ". وقد حكى ابن جرير الإجماع على أن المشرك يجوز قتله إذا لم يكن له أمان وإن أم البيت الحرام أو بيت المقدس وإن هذا الحكم منسوخ في حقهم والله أعلم. فأما من قصده بالإلحاد فيه والشرك عنده والكفر به فهذا يمنع قال تعالى " يا أيها الذين آمنوا إنما المشركون نجس فلا يقربوا المسجد الحرام بعد عامهم هذا " ولهذا بعث رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم- عام تسع لما أمر الصديق على الحجيج عليا وأمره أن ينادي على سبيل النيابة عن رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم- ببراءة وأن لا يحج بعد العام مشرك ولا يطوف بالبيت عريان وقال ابن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس قوله " ولا آمين البيت الحرام " يعني من توجه قبل البيت الحرام فكان المؤمنون والمشركون يحجون فنهى الله المؤمنين أن يمنعوا أحدا من مؤمن أو كافر ثم أنزل الله بعدها " إنما المشركون نجس فلا يقربوا المسجد الحرام بعد عامهم هذا " الآية وقال تعالى " ما كان للمشركين أن يعمروا مساجد الله " وقال " إنما يعمر مساجد الله من آمن بالله واليوم الآخر " فنفى المشركين من المسجد الحرام وقال عبد الرزاق حدثنا معمر عن قتادة في قوله " ولا القلائد ولا آمين البيت الحرام " قال منسوخ كان الرجل في الجاهلية إذا خرج من بيته يريد الحج تقلد من الشجر فلم يعرض له أحد فإذا رجع تقلد قلادة من شعر فلم يعرض له أحد وكان المشرك يومئذ لا يصد عن البيت فأمروا أن لا يقاتلوا في الشهر الحرام ولا عند البيت فنسخها قوله " اقتلوا المشركين حيث وجدتموهم " وقد اختار ابن جرير أن المراد بقوله " ولاالقلائد " يعني إن تقلدوا قلادة من الحرم فأمنوهم قال ولم تزل العرب تعير من أخفر ذلك قال الشاعر: ألم تقتلا الحرجين إذ أعورا لكم يمران بالأيدي اللحاء المضفرا وقوله تعالى " وإذا حللتم فاصطادوا " أي إذا فرغتم من إحرامكم وأحللتم منه فقد أبحنا لكم ما كان محرما عليكم في حال الإحرام من الصيد وهذا أمر بعد الحظر والصحيح الذي يثبت على السير أنه يرد الحكم إلى ما كان عليه قبل النهي فإن كان واجبا رده واجبا وإن كان مستحبا فمستحب أو مباحا فمباح ومن قال إنه على الوجوب ينتقض عليه بآيات كثيرة ومن قال إنه للإباحة يرد عليه آيات أخرى والذي ينتظم الأدلة كلها هذا الذي ذكرنا كما اختاره بعض علماء الأصول والله أعلم. وقوله " ولا يجرمنكم شنآن قوم أن صدوكم عن المسجد الحرام أن تعتدوا " من القراء من قرأ أن صدوكم بفتح الألف من أن ومعناها ظاهر أي لا يحملنكم بعض من كانوا صدوكم عن الوصول إلى المسجد الحرام وذلك عام الحديبية على أن تعتدوا حكم الله فيهم فتقتصوا منهم ظلما وعدوانا بل احكموا بما أمركم الله به من العدل في حق كل أحد وهذه الآية كما سيأتي من قوله " ولا يجرمنكم شنآن قوم على أن لا تعدلوا اعدلوا هو أقرب للتقوى " أى لا يحملنكم بعض قوم على ترك العدل فإن العدل واجب على كل أحد في كل أحد في كل حال وقال بعض السلف: ما عاملت من عصى الله فيك بمثل أن تطيع الله فيه والعدل به قامت السموات والأرض. وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا سهل بن عفان حدثنا عبد الله بن جعفر عن زيد بن أسلم قال كان رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم- بالحديبية وأصحابه حين صدهم المشركون عن البيت وقد اشتد ذلك عليهم فمر بهم الناس من المشركين من أهل المشرق يريدون العمرة فقال أصحاب النبي- صلى الله عليه وسلم- نصد هؤلاء كما صدك أصحابهم فأنزل الله هذه الآية والشنآن هو البغض قاله ابن عباس وغيره وهو مصدر من شنأته أشنؤه شنآنا بالتحريك مثل قولهم جمزان ودرجان ورقلان من جمز ودرج ورقل وقال ابن جرير: من العرب من يسقط التحريك في شنآن فيقول شنان ولم أعلم أحدا قرأ بها ومنه قول الشاعر: وما العيش إلا ما تحب وتشتهي وإن لام فيه ذو الشنان وفندا وقوله تعالى " وتعاونوا على البر والتقوى ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوان " يأمر تعالى عباده المؤمنين بالمعاونة على فعل الخيرات وهو البر وترك المنكرات وهو التقوى وينهاهم عن التناصر علي الباطل والتعاون على المآثم والمحارم قال ابن جرير: الإثم ترك ما أمر الله بفعله والعدوان مجاوزة ما فرض الله عليكم في أنفسكم وفى غيركم وقد قال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا هشيم حدثنا عبيد الله بن أبي بكر بن أنس عن جده أنس بن مالك قال: قال رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم-" انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما قيل يا رسول الله هذا نصرته مظلوما فكيف أنصره إذا كان ظالما ؟ قال تحجزه وتمنعه من الظلم فذاك نصره". انفرد به البخاري من حديث هشيم به نحوه وأخرجاه من طريق ثابت عن أنس قال: قال رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم-" انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما قيل يا رسول الله هذا نصرته مظلوما فكيف أنصره ظالما قال تمنعه من الظلم فذلك نصرك إياه". وقال أحمد: حدثنا يزيد حدثنا سفيان بن سعيد عن الأعمش عن يحيى بن وثاب عن رجل من أصحاب النبي- صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال:" المؤمن الذي يخالط الناس ويصبر على أذاهم أعظم أجرا من الذي لا يخالط الناس ولا يصبر على أذاهم". وقد رواه أحمد أيضا في مسند عبد الله بن عمر حدثنا حجاج حدثنا شعبة عن الأعمش عن يحيى بن وثاب عن شيخ من أصحاب النبي- صلى الله عليه وسلم- أنه قال:" المؤمن الذي يخالط الناس ويصبر على أذاهم خير من الذي لا يخالطهم ولا يصبر على أذاهم". وهكذا رواه الترمذي من حديث شعبة وابن ماجة من طريق إسحاق بن يوسف كلاهما عن الأعمش به وقال الحافظ أبو بكر البزار: حدثنا إبراهيم بن عبد الله بن محمد أبو شيبة الكوفي حدثنا بكر بن عبد الرحمن حدثنا عيسى بن المختار عن ابن أبي ليلى عن فضيل بن عمرو عن أبي وائل عن عبد الله قال: قال رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم-:" الدال على الخير كفاعله" ثم قال لا نعلمه يروى إلا بهذا الإسناد قلت وله شاهد في الصحيح" من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من اتبعه إلى يوم القيامة لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئا ومن دعا إلى ضلالة كان عليه من الإثم مثل آثام من اتبعه إلى يوم القيامة لا ينقص ذلك من آثامهم شيئا" وقال أبو القاسم الطبراني: حدثنا عمرو بن إسحاق بن إبراهيم بن زريق الحمصي حدثنا أبي حدثنا عمرو بن الحارث عن عبد الله بن سالم عن الزبيدي قال عباس بن يونس: إن أبا الحسن ثمران بن صخر حدثه أن رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال:" من مشى مع ظالم ليعينه وهو يعلم أنه ظالم فقد خرج من الإسلام ".

Which was revealed in Al-Madina

The Virtues of Surat Al-Ma'idah; When It was Revealed

At-Tirmidhi recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, "The last Surahs to be revealed were Surat Al-Ma'idah and Surat Al-Fath (chapter 48)." At-Tirmidhi commented, "This Hadith is Hasan, Gharib." and it was also reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the last Surah to be revealed was,

إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ

(When there comes the help of Allah and the Conquest,) Al-Hakim collected a narration similar to that of At-Tirmidhi in his Mustadrak, and he said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs and they did not record it." Al-Hakim narrated that Jubayr bin Nufayr said, "I performed Hajj once and visited `A'ishah and she said to me, `O Jubayr! Do you read (or memorize) Al-Ma'idah ' I answered `Yes.' She said, `It was the last Surah to be revealed. Therefore, whatever permissible matters you find in it, then consider (treat) them permissible. And whatever impermissible matters you find in it, then consider (treat) them impermissible."' Al-Hakim said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs and they did not record it. " Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdur-Rahman bin Mahdi related that Mu`awiyah bin Salih added this statement in the last Hadith, "I (Jubayr) also asked `A'ishah about the Messenger of Allah's ﷺ conduct and she answered by saying, `The Qur'an."' An-Nasa'i also recorded it.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that a man came to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud and said to him, "Advise me." He said, "When you hear Allah's statement,

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(O you who believe!) then pay full attention, for it is a righteous matter that He is ordaining or an evil thing that He is forbidding." Khaythamah said, "Everything in the Qur'an that reads,

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(O you who believe!) reads in the Tawrah, `O you who are in need."' Allah said,

أَوْفُواْ بِالْعُقُودِ

(Fulfill (your) obligations.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others said that `obligations' here means treaties. Ibn Jarir mentioned that there is a consensus for this view. Ibn Jarir also said that it means treaties, such as the alliances that they used to conduct. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented:

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَوْفُواْ بِالْعُقُودِ

(O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations.) "Refers to the covenants, meaning, what Allah permitted, prohibited, ordained and set limits for in the Qur'an. Therefore, do not commit treachery or break the covenants. Allah emphasized this command when He said,

وَالَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مِيثَـقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ

(And those who break the covenant of Allah, after its ratification, and sever that which Allah has commanded to be joined,) until,

سُوءُ الدَّارِ

(unhappy (evil) home (i.e. Hell).)" Ad-Dahhak said that,

أَوْفُواْ بِالْعُقُودِ

(Fulfill your obligations.) "Refers to what Allah has permitted and what He has prohibited. Allah has taken the covenant from those who proclaim their faith in the Prophet and the Book to fulfill the obligations that He has ordered for them in the permissible and the impermissible."

Explaining the Lawful and the Unlawful Beasts

Allah said,

أُحِلَّتْ لَكُمْ بَهِيمَةُ الاٌّنْعَامِ

(Lawful to you (for food) are all the beasts of cattle) camels, cows and sheep, as Al-Hasan, Qatadah and several others stated. Ibn Jarir said that this Tafsir conforms to the meaning of (`beasts of cattle') that the Arabs had. We should mention that Ibn `Umar, Ibn `Abbas and others relied on this Ayah as evidence to allow eating the meat of the fetus if it is found dead in the belly of its slaughtered mother. There is a Hadith to the same effect collected in the Sunan of Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah and narrated by Abu Sa`id who said, "We asked, `O Messenger of Allah! When we slaughter a camel, cow or sheep, we sometimes find a fetus in its belly, should we discard it or eat its meat' He said,

«كُلُوهُ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ فَإِنَّ ذَكَاتَهُ ذَكَاةُ أُمِّه»

(Eat it if you want, because its slaughter was fulfilled when its mother was slaughtered.)" At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan." Abu Dawud recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«ذَكَاةُ الْجَنِينِ ذَكَاةُ أُمِّه»

(Proper slaughter of the fetus is fulfilled with the slaughter of its mother.) Only Abu Dawud collected this narration. Allah's statement,

إِلاَّ مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ

(except that which will be announced to you (herein), ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that it refers to, "The flesh of dead animals, blood and the meat of swine." Qatadah said, "The meat of dead animals and animals slaughtered without Allah's Name being pronounced at the time of slaughtering." It appears, and Allah knows best, that the Ayah refers to Allah's other statement,

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ

(Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals), blood, the flesh of swine, and what has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns - and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal.)5:3, for although the animals mentioned in this Ayah are types of permissible cattle (except for swine), they become impermissible under the circumstances that the Ayah 5:3 specifies. This is why Allah said afterwards,

إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ

(Unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone altars)) as the latter type is not permissible, because it can no longer be slaughtered properly. Hence, Allah's statement,

أُحِلَّتْ لَكُمْ بَهِيمَةُ الاٌّنْعَامِ إِلاَّ مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ

(Lawful to you are all the beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you, ) means, except the specific circumstances that prohibit some of these which will be announced to you. Allah said,

غَيْرَ مُحِلِّى الصَّيْدِ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ

(game (also) being unlawful when you assume Ihram.) Some scholars said that the general meaning of `cattle' includes domesticated cattle, such as camels, cows and sheep, and wild cattle, such as gazzelle, wild cattle and wild donkeys. Allah made the exceptions mentioned above (dead animals blood, flesh of swine etc.), and prohibited hunting wild beasts while in the state of Ihram. It was also reported that the meaning here is, "We have allowed for you all types of cattle in all circumstances, except what We excluded herewith for the one hunting game while in the state of Ihram." Allah said,

فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(But if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, and not transgressing, then, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) This Ayah means, "We allowed eating the meat of dead animals, when one is forced by necessity, under the condition that one is not transgressing the limits or overstepping them." Here, Allah states, "Just as We allowed the meat of cattle in all conditions and circumstances, then do not hunt game when in the state of Ihram, for this is the decision of Allah, Who is the Most Wise in all that He commands and forbids." So Allah said;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ

(Verily, Allah commands that which He wills.)

The Necessity of Observing the Sanctity of the Sacred Area and the Sacred Months

Allah continues,

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُحِلُّواْ شَعَآئِرَ اللَّهِ

(O you who believe! Violate not the sanctity of Sha'a'ir Allah (the symbols of Allah),) Ibn `Abbas said, "Sha`a'ir Allah means the rituals of Hajj." Mujahid said, "As-Safa and Al-Marwah, and the sacrificial animal are the symbols of Allah." It was also stated that Sha`a'ir Allah is what He prohibited. Therefore, it means, do not violate what Allah prohibited. Allah said afterwards,

وَلاَ الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ

(nor of the Sacred Month,) for you are required to respect and honor the Sacred Month and to refrain from what Allah forbade during it, such as fighting. This also lays emphasis on avoiding sins during that time. As Allah said;

يَسْـَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ

(They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Month. Say, "Fighting therein is a great (transgression).") and,

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً

(Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year). ) Al-Bukhari recorded in his Sahih that Abu Bakrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said during the Farewell Hajj,

«إِنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ اللهُ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ السَّنَةُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ، ثَلَاثٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ: ذُو الْقَعْدَةِ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ وَالْمُحَرَّمُ، وَرَجَبُ مُضَرَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى وَشَعْبَان»

(The division of time has returned as it was when Allah created the Heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, four of which are sacred: Three are in succession, (they are:) Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of (the tribe of) Mudar which comes between Jumada (Ath-Thaniyah) and Sha'ban.) This Hadith testifies to the continued sanctity of these months until the end of time.

Taking the Hady to the Sacred House of Allah, Al-Ka`bah

Allah's statement,

وَلاَ الْهَدْىَ وَلاَ الْقَلَـئِدَ

(nor of the Hady brought for sacrifice, nor the garlands,) means, do not abandon the practice of bringing the Hady (sacrificial animals) to the Sacred House, as this ritual is a form of honoring the symbols of Allah. Do not abandon the practice of garlanding these animals on their necks, so that they are distinguished from other cattle. This way, it will be known that these animals are intended to be offered as Hady at the Ka`bah, and thus those who might intend some harm to them would refrain from doing so. Those who see the Hady might be encouraged to imitate this ritual, and indeed, he who calls to a type of guidance, will earn rewards equal to the rewards of those who follow his lead, without decrease in their own rewards. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to perform Hajj, he spent the night at Dhul-Hulayfah, which is also called Wadi Al-`Aqiq. In the morning, the Prophet made rounds with his wives, who were nine at that time, performed Ghusl (bath), applied some perfume and performed a two Rak`ah prayer. He then garlanded the Hady and announced aloud his intention to perform Hajj and `Umrah. The Prophet's Hady at the time consisted of plenty of camels, more than sixty, and they were among the best animals, the healthiest and most physically acceptable, just as Allah's statement proclaims,

ذلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَـئِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

(Thus it is, and whosoever honors the symbols of Allah, then it is truly, from the piety of the hearts.) Muqatil bin Hayyan said that Allah's statement,

وَلاَ الْقَلَـئِدَ

(nor the garlands) means, "Do not breach their sanctity." During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to garland themselves with animal hair and pelts when they left their areas in months other than the Sacred Months. The idolators of the Sacred House Area used to garland themselves with the tree-stems of the Sacred Area, so that they were granted safe passage." This statement was collected by Ibn Abi Hatim, who also recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "There are two Ayat in this Surah (Al-Ma'idah) that were abrogated, the Ayah about the garlands 5:2, and

فَإِن جَآءُوكَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ أَوْ أَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ

(So if they come to you (O Muhammad ), either judge between them, or turn away from them.)"

The Necessity of Preserving the Sanctity and Safety of those who Intend to Travel to the Sacred House

Allah said,

وَلا ءَامِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَناً

(nor the people coming to the Sacred House (Makkah), seeking the bounty and good pleasure of their Lord.) The Ayah commands: Do not fight people who are heading towards the Sacred House of Allah, which if anyone enters it, he must be granted safe refuge. Likewise, those who are heading towards the Sacred House seeking the bounty and good pleasure of Allah, must not be stopped, prevented, or frightened away from entering the Sacred House. Mujahid, `Ata', Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mutarrif bin `Abdullah, `Abdullah bin `Ubayd bin `Umayr, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Qatadah and several others said that,

يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ

(seeking the bounty of their Lord.) refers to trading. A similar discussion preceded concerning the Ayah;

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُواْ فَضْلاً مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(There is no sin on you if you seek the bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage by trading).) Allah said;

وَرِضْوَناً

(and pleasure. ) Ibn `Abbas said that the word `pleasure' in the Ayah refers to, "seeking Allah's pleasure by their Hajj." `Ikrimah, As-Suddi and Ibn Jarir mentioned that this Ayah was revealed concerning Al-Hutam bin Hind Al-Bakri, who had raided the cattle belonging to the people of Al-Madinah. The following year, he wanted to perform `Umrah to the House of Allah and some of the Companions wanted to attack him on his way to the House. Allah revealed,

وَلا ءَامِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَناً

(nor the people coming to the Sacred House (Makkah), seeking the bounty and good pleasure of their Lord.)

Hunting Game is Permissible After Ihram Ends

Allah said,

وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَـدُواْ

(But when you finish the Ihram, then hunt,) When you end your Ihram, it is permitted for you to hunt game, which was prohibited for you during Ihram. Although this Ayah contains a command that takes effect after the end of a state of prohibition (during Ihram in this case), the Ayah, in fact, brings back the ruling that was previously in effect. If the previous ruling was an obligation, the new command will uphold that obligation, and such is the case with recommended and permissible matters. There are many Ayat that deny that the ruling in such cases is always an obligation. Such is also the case against those who say that it is always merely allowed. What we mentioned here is the correct opinion that employs the available evidence, and Allah knows best.

Justice is Always Necessary

Allah said,

وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُواْ

(and let not the hatred of some people in (once) stopping you from Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah) lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part).) The meaning of this Ayah is apparent, as it commands: Let not the hatred for some people, who prevented you from reaching the Sacred House in the year of Hudaybiyyah, make you transgress Allah's Law and commit injustice against them in retaliation. Rather, rule as Allah has commanded you, being just with every one. We will explain a similar Ayah later on,

وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى

(And let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety,) which commands: do not be driven by your hatred for some people into abandoning justice, for justice is ordained for everyone, in all situations. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Zayd bin Aslam said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions were in the area of Al-Hudaybiyyah when the idolators prevented them from visiting the House, and that was especially hard on them. Later on, some idolators passed by them from the east intending to perform `Umrah. So the Companions of the Prophet said, `Let us prevent those (from `Umrah) just as their fellow idolators prevented us.' Thereafter, Allah sent down this Ayah." Ibn Abbas and others said that "Shana'an" refers to enmity and hate. Allah said next,

وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

(Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa; but do not help one another in sin and transgression.) Allah commands His believing servants to help one another perform righteous, good deeds, which is the meaning of `Al-Birr', and to avoid sins, which is the meaning of `At-Taqwa'. Allah forbids His servants from helping one another in sin, `Ithm' and committing the prohibitions. Ibn Jarir said that, "Ithm means abandoning what Allah has ordained, while transgression means overstepping the limits that Allah set in your religion, along with overstepping what Allah has ordered concerning yourselves and others." Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«انْصُرْ أَخَاكَ ظَالِمًا أَوْ مَظْلُومًا»

(Support your brother whether he was unjust or the victim of injustice.) He was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! We know about helping him when he suffers injustice, so what about helping him when he commits injustice" He said,

«تَحْجُزُهُ وَتَمْنَعُهُ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ فَذَاكَ نَصْرُه»

(Prevent and stop him from committing injustice, and this represents giving support to him.) Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith through Hushaym. Ahmad recorded that one of the Companions of the Prophet narrated the Hadith,

«الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنَ الَّذِي لَا يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَصْبِرُ عَلى أَذَاهُم»

(The believer who mingles with people and is patient with their annoyance, earns more reward than the believer who does not mingle with people and does not observe patience with their annoyance.) Muslim recorded a Hadith that states,

«مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يَنْقُصُ ذلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا، وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلَالَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْإِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، لَا يَنْقُصُ ذلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا»

(He who calls to a guidance, will earn a reward similar to the rewards of those who accept his call, until the Day of Resurrection, without decreasing their rewards. Whoever calls to a heresy, will carry a burden similar to the burdens of those who accept his call, until the Day of Resurrection, without decreasing their own burdens.)

O you who believe do not profane God’s sacraments sha‘ā’ir is the plural of sha‘īra that is the ritual ceremonies of the religion by hunting game while you are on pilgrimage nor the sacred month by fighting in it nor the offering that is the boon offered in the Meccan Sanctuary by interfering with it nor the garlands qalā’id is the plural of qilāda and these made from the trees around the Sanctuary were placed around it the offering to protect it in other words do not interfere with these offerings or with those who place them; nor violate the sanctity of those repairing those heading to the Sacred House by fighting them who are seeking bounty provision from their Lord through commerce and His beatitude by resorting to Him as they the Meccans pagans falsely claimed this was abrogated by the barā’a verse of sūrat al-Tawba Q. 94. But when you are discharged from pilgrimage inviolability then hunt for game a command denoting permission. And let not hatred read shana’ānu or shan’ānu of a people that because they barred you from the Sacred Mosque cause you to commit aggression against them by killing them or otherwise. Help one another to righteousness by doing that to which you were enjoined and piety by refraining from what you have been forbidden; do not help one another ta‘āwanū one of the two original tā’ letters in tata‘āwanū has been omitted to sin acts of disobedience and enmity transgression of God’s bounds. And fear God fear His punishment by being obedient to Him; surely God is severe in retribution against those that oppose Him.

Linkage of Verses

The first verse of Surah al-Ma'idah emphasized the fulfillment of contracts. Included among these contracts is the contract or pledge to abide by the restrictions of the lawful and the unlawful as ordained by Allah Almighty. The second verse cited here describes two important articles of this contract. The first relates to the sanctity of the signs, symbols or hallmarks of Allah with the specific instruction to stay away from desecrating them. The second article recommends an even-handed dispension of justice to everyone, your own or not your own, friend or foe, which has been combined with a corresponding prohibition of any counter injustice inflicted in return for some injustice done.

Background

There are some events which form the background of the revelation of these verses. Let us go to them first so that the subject of the verse becomes fully clear to us. One of these is the event of Hudaybiyah the details of which have been taken up by the Holy Qur'an elsewhere. This relates to the sixth year of Hijrah when the Holy Prophet g and his noble Companions decided to perform ` Umrah.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ entered into the Ihram of ` Umrah with more than one thousand of his Companions and left for Makkah al-Mu` azzamah. After having reached Hudaybiyah close to Makkah al-Mu` azzamah, he sent a message to the Makkans that he was coming in with his group to perform ` Umrah and not for any aggressive designs. He requested that they be allowed to perform ` Umrah. The disbelievers of Makkah, not only that they refused it, they put forward many hard conditions and challenged them to agree to a treaty which stipulated that all Muslims will undo their Ihram they were in at that time and go back. When they come next year to perform their ` Umrah, they would be required to come without any arms, stay for three days only, perform ` Umrah and leave. Besides these conditions, there were many others agreeing to which was obviously very much against the self-respect of Muslims. But, obeying the orders of the Holy Prophet ﷺ everyone returned in peace. After that, it was in the month of Dhu-al-Qa'dah of the Hijrah year 7 that this missed ` Umrah was performed again with full observance of the conditions imposed under the Treaty.

However, the events at Hudaybiyah and the insulting conditions imposed there had planted seeds of discord in the hearts of the Companions against the disbelievers of Makkah. Then there came up the other incident when Hatim ibn Hind, one of the disbelievers of Makkah, came to Madinah al-Tayyibah with his trading goods. After having sold his goods, he left his baggage and his attendant outside Madinah and came to visit the Holy Prophet ﷺ and expressed his desire to enter the fold of Islam, in all hypocrisy, so that Muslims are satisfied. But, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had, well before he came to him, told his Companions on the strength of revelation that a man was coming to them who would talk in the words of the Satan. And when he went away, he said that the man came with disbelief and returned with deception and treason. Leaving the company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، this man went straight out of Madinah where the livestock of the people of Madinah were grazing. He drove them away with him. The noble Companions ؓ came to know about this somewhat late. When they went out after him, he was gone out of their reach. Then it was in the seventh year of Hijrah, when they were going with the Holy Prophet ﷺ to perform the Qada' of ` Umrah they had missed at Hudaybiyah, they heard someone reciting Talbiyyah at some distance. When they looked, they discovered that the same Hatim ibn Hind who had decamped with the animals belonging to the people of Madinah was right there going for ` Umrah with the same animals going with him as sacrificial animals. At that time, the noble Companions ؓ thought of attacking him and taking their animals back by killing him off right there.

The third event came to pass in the eighth year of Hijrah when Makkah al-Mukarramah was conquered in Ramadan a1-Mubarak and the entire Arabian Peninsula came under Islamic rule. The disbelievers of Makkah were set free by the Holy Prophet ﷺ without any revenge. They went about doing everything they used to do with complete freedom to the extent that they even kept observing their 'pagan customs of Hajj and ` Umrah too. At that time some noble Companions thought of taking their revenge for what had happened at Hudaybiyah. These people had stopped them from doing ` Umrah to which they were entitled on all counts, as permissible and justified. Why, they thought, should they now allow their Hajj and 'Umrah, on any count which were all impermissible and unjustified? Why not attack them, take their animals and finish them off?

These events have been narrated by Ibn Jarir on the authority of ` Ikrimah and al-Suddi. It was on the basis of some of these events that the present verse was revealed. Through it, Muslims were told that holding the signs of Allah in esteem was their own bounden duty. Malice and hostility against an enemy was no reason to disturb this standing rule. This was absolutely impermissible. Even fighting during the sacred months was not permissible. Also not permissible was stopping sacrificial animals from reaching the Haram or taking them away forcibly. As for the disbelievers who have donned the Ihram garments and who, in their estimation, have embarked on their pilgrimage to seek the good pleasure of Allah Almighty (though, because of their disbelief, this is a mistaken notion, yet) the sanctity of the signs of Allah demands that they should not be confronted in any way. Then there was the case of people who had stopped their ` Umrah. Any effort to avenge their past hostility against Muslims in the form of Muslims stopping Muslims from performing their rites of Ha them was not permissible. This is so because this amounts to Muslims doing an injustice in return for an injustice to them which was not permissible in Islam. We can now go to a detailed explanation of the verse.

Commentary

The first sentence of the Verse says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ (0 those who believe, do not violate [ the sanctity on the Marks of Allah). Here the word, شَعَائِرَ‌ Sha` a'ir has been translated as ` Marks.' This is the plural form of Sha'irah which means mark, sign or symbol. Therefore, Sha` air and Sha'irah signify things perceptible through the senses which symbolize something. As such the Marks (Sha` a'ir) of Islam would be deeds and actions recognized as symbolic of one's being Muslim in faith. These are quite common such as Salah, Adhan, Hajj, Circumcision and Beard in accordance with the Sunnah. The Tafslr or explanation of the Qur’ anic expression شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ (Sha` a'irullah: The Marks of Allah) as it appears in this verse has been reported in varying words. But, the clearest of them is what has been reported from Hasan al-Basri (رح) and 'Ata' on whom both be the mercy of Allah. Imam al-Jassas finds their statement as a compendium of all explanations. According to this statement, "Sha'a'irullah" means all obligations the limits of which have been set forth by the Shari'ah of Islam. In this verse, the essence of the meaning is that one should not violate the sanctity of the marks of Allah. One form of such violation could be a total dismissal of what one has been obligated with. Under the second form, one may act in accordance with these obligations by electing to obey some injunctions and leave out others ending up with a compliance which remains incomplete. A third form could be that one starts transgressing the appointed limits and keeps going farther beyond. The Qur'anic statement: لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ (do not violate [ the sanctity on the Marks of Allah) forbids all these three forms.

The Holy Qur'an gives the same instruction elsewhere in a different mode as follows:

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

And whoever exalts the Marks of Allah, then this is from the fear of Allah in hearts. (22:32)

The part of the sentence which follows in the verse under study gives details of a particular kind of the Marks of Allah, that is, the Marks that concern the rites of Hajj.

The text says:

وَلَا الشَّهْرَ‌ الْحَرَ‌امَ وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَ‌امَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّهِمْ وَرِ‌ضْوَانًا

It means: Do not violate its sanctity by fighting and killing during the months in which it is prohibited. This refers to the four months during which mutual fighting was legally prohibited. They are Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. Later on, this injunction was abrogated as agreed under the overwhelming consensus of ` Ulama'. In addition to this, command was given that there should be no violation of the sanctity of sacrificial animals within the Haram of Makkah, specially of the band round their necks placed there as a symbol of sacrifice. One form of violating the sanctity of these animals could be that they are stopped from reaching the Haram or are snatched away. The second form could be that of using the animals for a purpose other than sacrifice, such as using them to ride or milk. The verse has declared all these form as impermissible.

The text then prohibits the violation of the sanctity of those who have left their homes to embark on a journey to al-Masjid al-Haram with the intention of performing Hajj - for their purpose on this journey is to seek the blessing and pleasure of their Lord. Not violating the sanctity of such people means that they should neither be stopped during their journey nor should any pain be caused to them.

After that it was said: وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا . It means: And when you get released from the Ihram, you may hunt. In other words, the limit of the prohibition of hunting during the state of Ihram appearing in the first verse has been declared by saying that your release from the Ihram neutralizes the in-Ihram prohibition of hunting which has now become permissible.

Being delineated in the verse under reference is a particular part of the contract which is operative between every human being and the Lord of all the worlds. Some of it has already been identified upto this point. The first out of these is the instruction to uphold the inviolable dignity of the Marks of Allah as sacrosanct and to guard against any chances of their being desecrated. Then come some details concerning the Marks of Allah which belong to Hajj. Here, the instruction given is that nothing should be done to stop them and that effort should be made to stay away from any action which desecrates them.

The statement which follows after that takes up the second part of the contract in the following words: وَلَا يَجْرِ‌مَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا . It means: There were those people who had stopped you from entering Makkah and performing your ` Umrah and after that event at Hudaybiyah, you were returning all sad and angered. Now that you have power in your hands, let things not turn in a way that you start taking revenge for what happened in the past by stopping them from entering the House of Allah and the Sacred Mosque and performing their Hajj - because this is injustice and Islam does not favour avenging injustice by inflicting counter injustice. Instead of that, it teaches the doing of justice in return for injustice done and upholding it under all odds. It is true that those people, under the sway of their power_ and position at that time, had stopped Muslims from entering the Sacred Mosque and performing ` Umrah, quite unjustly indeed. But, the retaliation for this injustice can hardly be that Muslims now go about using their power to stop them from carrying out their Hajj rites.

The Qur'an teaches that friend and foe should be treated equally on the scale of justice. It commands Muslims to do nothing but justice as a matter of obligation, no matter how deadly the enemy and no matter how serious the pain inflicted. That Islam guards the rights of enemies is certainly one of the peculiar qualities of Islam which does not answer one injustice by another, rather elects to do justice in return.

The Qur'anic Principle of Mutual Cooperation and Assistance

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ‌ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

And help each other in righteousness and piety, and do not help each other in sin and aggression. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is severe at punishment.

This is the last sentence of the second verse of Surah al-Ma'idah. Here, the Holy Qur'an has given such a wise verdict on an elemental question of human life that it can be confidently taken as the moving spirit behind any reliable world order on which depends the prosperity and survival of all human beings. As such, acting in accordance with the Qur'anic principle of Mutual Cooperation and Assistance is the only way to the betterment of the human beings. Every sensible per-son already realizes that things get done in our world through the cooperative efforts of all human beings. This is how the system keeps running. A solitary person, no matter how smart, powerful or rich, cannot procure what he needs to sustain his life single-handedly. One lone person cannot go through all the stages of growing and processing his ready-to-eat food, nor can he cope up with the countless steps required in growing cotton, manufacturing cloth and having a dress pre-pared to fit his measurements, nor can he move his things from one place to the other. Thus, it is not difficult to see that every human being needs hundreds and thousands of others to run his life. This mutual cooperation of theirs is what keeps the whole system going. Incidentally, this cooperation is not limited to the life of the world of our experience, it is also needed in the stages from death to burial – even beyond, when one remains depending upon those he left behind and who may pray for his forgiveness and do things the reward of which keeps reaching him after his death.

Great is the majesty of Allah who, in His perfect wisdom and power, set up such a formidable system of this world, a system where every human being needs the other. The poor man needs the rich while the richest of the rich need the poor worker to handle jobs with labour and skill. The traders need consumers and consumers need traders. The home owner needs a team of technicians having expertise in many areas in order to build a house and they, in turn, need him. If this universal element of need was not there and mutual assistance remained dependant on moral superiority of persons and parties, just imagine who would have been working for whom. The whole thing would have fallen flat for we have been seeing what has happened to common moral virtues and ethical values in this world of ours. Even if this division of labour could have been enforced as some law made by some government or international organization, the fate it would have met would have been no different than the fate of all sorts of laws proliferating the many national and international forums of the world where the law rests at peace in acts while the bazars and offices are run by shadow laws of bribery, nepotism, neglect of duty and apathy of application. We have to salute the framework of doing things given to us by the wisest of the wise, the power of the powers, who placed in the hearts of people of different inclinations to have the ability and desire to run their lives with a particular line of work as its pivot. Had it been otherwise and some international organization or a government chose to assign fields of work among people making someone a carpenter, others iron-mongers or janitors or managers of water and food supplies, who would have become so obedient to such commands from governments and institutions as to sacrifice all personal considerations and jump right into the line of work chosen for them?

So, it is Allah Almighty who has put into man's heart the inclination towards and liking for whatever work or role for which He has created him. Now he takes the service he is doing as his lifework without any legal compulsion and it is through this that he earns his living. The end product of this firmly established system is that all human needs are easily satisfied at the cost of small cash. It may be ready-to-eat food or ready-to-wear clothes or ready-to-use furniture or a turn-key home - one can buy all this at some affordable price. Without the benefit of this system, even a billionaire would have failed to acquire a single grain of wheat despite being ready to stake all his wealth. In order to visualize the outcome of this natural system, think of one of your stays in a hotel where you enjoy the benefit of so many things without blinking. Only if you were to analyze how this works, you will notice that the food you eat there is comprised of courses featuring eatables and seasonings from many countries, china and cutlery and furniture from many more, and managers, chefs and stewards from still others. The tiny morsel of food which reaches your mouth is the result of the combined contribution of millions of machines, animals and human beings - and it is only after that, that you have been able to pamper your palate. Take another example. You come out of the house to go to some place a few miles away. You may either cannot walk all that distance or you do not have the time to do so. You find a taxi cab or a bus nearby without realizing that these vehicles have been assembled with components from many parts of the world and with drivers and conductors from as many. What things and what people stand there to wait on you and serve you! Just pay the fare and be on your way! No government has forced them to provide these for you. Working behind this scheme of things is the natural law ingrained into the human heart as a creational imperative by none but the great master of all hearts Himself.

Not far is the example of what the socialist countries did when they did away with this natural arrangement by taking over the function of telling people what they will do in their lives. In order to do this, they had to, first of all, do away with human freedom through co-ercion and injustice resulting in the killing and imprisonment of thou-sands and thousands of people. Those who remained behind were coerced into working like the parts of a machine, as a result of which, it can be conceded that production did increase at some places, but it must also be granted at the same time that this increase came at the cost of a gross demolition of the free choice of human beings. Thus, the deal did not turn out to be economical. Look at the natural arrangement in contrast. Here, everyone is free and restricted at the same time - restricted in the sense of being devoted to particular jobs and roles on the basis of natural dispension of dispositions. Since this restriction or compulsion comes from nowhere but from natural disposition, nobody feels being coerced. People who would themselves come forward to do the toughest labour or the most menial job, people who would even make efforts to get such jobs, are found everywhere during all times. The same people would, if a government started forcing them to do these jobs, just start running away from it en masse.

In a nutshell, the universal world order revolves round mutual cooperation. But, let us not forget the other side of the picture which is very much there. For example, if this mutual cooperation were to be seriously practiced to carry out activities of crime, theft, robbery, kill-ing and vandalization resulting in big, powerful and organized associations of thieves and robbers, then, this very mutual cooperation can destroy the whole system. This tells us that mutual cooperation is a two-edged sword which cannot only hurt you but it can also knock out the universal order of things. Since the world we live in a mix of good and bad, it was not unlikely that people would start using the power of mutual cooperation to infest human society with crimes, killings, destruction and general loss. Incidentally, this is no more a matter of likelihood, instead, it is an open fact of life for the whole world to see. Thus, it was as a reaction to this situation that theorists of the world laid the foundation of groups and nations based on different ideologies in order to have security for themselves. The idea was to use the power of mutual cooperation in favour of a particular group or people by offering an allied defence against another group or people who attacked them.

The Formation of Separate Nations

According to ` Abd al-Karim al-Shahristani in Al-Milal-wa-al-Nihal, in the beginning when human population was not much, four nations came into being in terms of East, West, North and South. People living in each of these directions started taking themselves as one nation while taking others as other nations. And it was on this basis that they established their mutual cooperation. Later, when the population of the world became larger, the idea of nationalism and multilaterism on the basis of genealogy, family ties and tribal affiliations became a working principle among peoples of all directions. The whole system of Arabia rested on the basis of such tribal and genealogical affinities, so much so that these were sufficient grounds to go to wars against each other. Banu Hashim was one nation, Banu Tamim was another and Banu Khuza` ah still another. Among the Hindus in India, this di-vision on the basis of the high caste and the low caste still persists unchanged.

The modern period of European nations did nothing to retain their genealogical distinction, nor did they give any credence to the genealogical peculiarities of the rest of the world. When they gained ascendency in the world, all genealogical and tribal groupings were eliminated, separate nations were raised on the basis of regions, provinces, homelands and languages - almost by placing a piece of humanity on each such altar. The fact is that this is the form that prevails in most parts of the world. The limit is that Muslims too - of all the peoples the least likely - fell a victim to this modern voodoo of community organization. As if the division as Arabs, Turks, Iraqis and Sindhis were not enough, they went on dividing and sub-dividing themselves into Egyptians, Syrians, Hijazis, Najdis, Panjabis, Bangalis, and so many others who started identifying themselves as separate nations or nationalities or peoples. Since all affairs of their governments were run on this basis, regional or provincial prejudice went deep into their response patterns and peoples of all regions or provinces began relating to each other on this basis - that became their idea of mutual cooperation.

The Teaching of the Qur'an about Nationalism and Universalism

Then came the Holy Qur'an reminding human beings of the lesson they had forgotten. The initial verses of Surah al-Nis-a' clearly declared that all human beings are the children of one father and mother. The noble Prophet, Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ made this all the more clear when he publicly announced during the famous address of his last Hajj that no Arab is superior to a non-Arab nor a white to a black. Superiority depends on nothing but Taqwa, on the fear of Allah and obedience to Him. It was this teaching of the Qur'an which gave the call of "إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ " (Believers are brothers - 49:10) and it was in one stroke that the jet blacks of Ethiopia were related to the reds of Turkey and Byzantium and the lineally less endowed non-Arabs to the Qurayshi and Hashmi Arabs as brothers to each other. The concept of nation and brotherhood was established on the basis that those who believe in Allah and His Rasul are one nation and those who do not so believe are the other. It was this foundation which cut asunder the family ties of Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab from the noble Prophet ﷺ while joining it with Sayyidna Bilal ؓ from Ethiopia and Sayyidna Suhayb ؓ from Byzantium. Finally, came the proclamation of the Qur'an: خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ‌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ (64:2). It means that Allah created all human beings, then, they split in two groups - some became disbelievers and some others became believers. A practical demonstration of this Qur'anic classification was visible during the battles of Badr, Uhud, Ahzab and Hunayn when a blood brother who elected to stay away from the obedience of Allah and His Rasul found that his bond of mutual coopera-tion with his believing brother stood severed and he could no longer escape the stroke of his believing brother's sword.

Stated in the verse of the Qur'an cited above: وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ‌ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ is this very principle of mutual cooperation and assistance. Being so reasonable and correct, it exhorts people to cooperate in deeds which are righteous and matters which are motivated by the fear of Allah and forbids them from extending their cooperation to anything sinful and aggressive. Just consider that the noble Qur'an has not suggested here that one should cooperate with Muslim brothers and not with non-Muslims. Instead of that, it declares that righteousness and the fear of Allah are the bases on which cooperation is to be extended for this is the real foundation on which rests any cooperation among Muslims themselves. It clearly means that no help is to be ex-tended even to a Muslim brother if he is acting contrary to truth or is advancing towards injustice and aggression. Rather than help him in what is false and unjust, effort should be made to hold his hands against indulging in the false and the unjust for this, in reality, is helping him at its best - so that his present life as well as his life in the Hereafter is not ruined.

According to a narration from Sayyidna Anas appearing in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: اں صراخاک ظالماً او مظلوماً (That is: Help your brother, just or unjust). His Companions ؓ who were soaked in the teaching of the Qur'an were surprised. They asked: ` Ya Rasul Allah (0 Messenger of Allah) as for helping the oppressed brother, that we understand. But, what does helping the oppressor mean? He said: Stop him from doing injustice - this is helping him.

This teaching of the Qur'an helped establish that righteousness بِرّ (birr) and the fear of Allah (Taqwa) are the real criterions on which it raised the edifice of Muslim nationalism and to which it invited the peoples of the world as the common denominator of mutual cooperation and assistance. Contrary to this were sin and aggression (ithm اِثم and عُدوان ` udwan) which were declared to be serious crimes and cooperation in these was prohibited. To describe the positive criterions, two separate words of Birr and Taqwa were used. According, to a consensus of commentators, the word, Birr at this place means the doing of deeds which are good. This has been translated here as righteousness. The word, Taqwa means abstinence from what is evil. The word, ithm اِثم has been used here in an absolute sense meaning sin and disobedience, whether it relates to rights or acts of worship. As for ` Udwan, it lexically means the crossing of limits, that is, injustice and aggression.

About cooperating in what is righteousness and the fear of Allah, the Holy Prophet ؓ said: الدلال علی الخیر کفاعلی which means: The reward of the person who shows someone the path of righteousness is very much the same as if it was taken personally. Ibn Kathir has re-ported this hadith with reference to al-Bazzar. In addition to that, it appears in the Sahib of al-Bukhari that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said that whoever invites people to true guidance and righteous conduct shall receive a reward equal to all those who would heed to the call and act right - without the least cut from the reward of such people. As for the one who invites people to the path of error or sin, he or she will be earning the same amount of sin fully equal to the sins of all those who got involved with the filth of sin because of the inviter to sin - without any decrease in the count of such sins.

Citing Tabarani, reports Ibn Kathir: The Holy Prophet ﷺ said that anyone who joins up with an unjust person to assist him goes out of the fold of Islam. It is on the basis of this guidance that the righteous elders of the community have strictly abstained from accepting any office or service in the courts of unjust rulers - for this amounts to assisting them in their acts of injustice. Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, while explaining the noble verse: فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرً‌ا لِّلْمُجْرِ‌مِينَ ' I will never be a helper for the criminals - 28:17', has reported a hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that a call will go forth on the Day of Judgment citing the oppressors and the unjust and their helpers, so much so that all those who have handled chores even as insignificant as setting up the pens and inkpots of the unjust and the oppressive will all be rammed into a steel coffin and thrown into the Hell.

This is the teaching of the Qur'an and Sunnah which aimed at spreading the virtues of righteousness, justice, sympathy and good mannerliness throughout the world by presenting every single individual of the community as a living herald and model of the truth. And conversely, in order to eradicate crimes, injustices and oppressions, the same teaching had converted every member of the community into a kind of soldier who was bound to do his duty under all circumstances, whether watched or unwatched - because of the fear of Allah in his heart. The whole world saw the outcome of this wise teaching and grooming during the blessed period of the noble Companions ؓ and their Successors. Even in our day, when war threatens a certain country, departments of civil defence are established which impart some level of training for all its citizens. But, nothing of the sort gets done when it comes to the eradication of crimes, to making people promoters of good and blockers of evil. It is obvious that an objective like this can-not be achieved by military parades or civil defence exercises. This is the ultimate art of living which can only be learnt and practiced in educational institutions which, unfortunately, seem to have become strangers to spiritual and social refinements. This is very much true about the great qualities of righteousness and the fear of Allah which seem to be all banned in modern day educational institutions while the admittance of sin and high-handedness is all too open. What can the police do when a whole people throw away the concerns of the law-ful and the unlawful and the right and the wrong on their backs and turn crime-oriented? Today we see the graph of crime rising high - theft, robbery, sexual offences, killings and destructions are taking place everywhere. That the legal machinery can do nothing to root out these crimes is because of their failure to take advantage of the Qur'anic solution suggested above, that is, the governments are far removed from this Qur'anic system, and that they, particularly those who hold power into their hands, demur from adopting the principle of righteousness and the fear of Allah as the aim of their life - even though they have to face a thousand other hardships as a result of such avoidance. It may be interesting if such deviationists would swallow their pride at least for once, even if this be on a trial basis. Let them, then, witness the spectacle of the power of Allah and how it blesses them and their people with good life filled with the best of peace and comfort.

On the other side, there were the masses of people who took it for granted that the eradication of crimes is the exclusive responsibility of the government. In fact, they have become used to keeping crimes covered up. The idea of coming up with true witnesses to confirm truth and eliminate crime is no more a favoured practice among them. Such people must understand that covering up the crime of the criminal and avoiding to put their witness on record is an, abetment of crime which, according to the Holy Qur'an, is Haram (unlawful) and a grave sin in-deed. Furthermore, it is also a flagrant disobedience of the Divine command: وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ (And help each other in righteousness and piety, and do not help each other in sin and aggression) (5:2).

(O ye who believe! Profane not Allah�s monuments�) [5:2]. Said Ibn �Abbas: �This was revealed about al-Hutam whose full name is Sharih ibn Dubay�ah al-Kindi. This man went from al-Yamamah to Medina to see the Prophet, Allah bless him and his Household and give him peace. When he arrived at Medina, he went in alone to speak with the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. He said: �What do you call people for?� he said: �To testify that there is no god but Allah, to establish the prayer and to pay the poor due�. The man said: �This is good, except that I have chiefs without whose consultation I cannot take any decision. It may be that I embrace Islam and bring them with me�. And then he left. Before this, the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, had said to his Companions: �A man will enter in on you and will speak with the tongue of the devil�. When the man left, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: �He has come in with a disbeliever�s countenance and retreated with the steps of a treacherous one. The man is no Muslim�. The man passed by the camels of Medina which graze freely and led them away with him. People went after him but could not find him. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace went to perform the pilgrimage in the year of Hudaybiyyah, he heard the chanting �Labbayk� from the pilgrims of al-Yamamah. He said to his Companions: �Here is al-Hutam and his followers!� This man had put garlands on the camels he stole from Medina and offered them to the Ka�bah. When the Muslims wanted to get him, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (O ye who believe! Profane not Allah�s monuments�), by monuments here is meant that which is offered for Allah, even if those who offer it profess a religion other than Islam�. Said Zayd ibn Aslam: �The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and his Household and give him peace, and his Companions were in Hudaybiyyah when the idolaters barred them from entering the Sacred House. The Muslims were devastated. Then, a group of idolaters passed by them, they were in their way to perform the lesser pilgrimage. Some of the Companions of the Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: �Let us bar these people as their friends have barred us. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (O ye who believe! Profane not Allah�s monuments nor the Sacred Month nor the offerings nor the garlands, nor those repairing to the Sacred House)�, i.e. do not transgress against these pilgrims because their friends have barred you from entering the Sacred House�.