المائدة
The Table Spread
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
yāayyuhā l-rasūlu lā yaḥzunka alladhīna yusāriʿūna fī l-kuf'ri mina alladhīna qālū āmannā bi-afwāhihim walam tu'min qulūbuhum wamina alladhīna hādū sammāʿūna lil'kadhibi sammāʿūna liqawmin ākharīna lam yatūka yuḥarrifūna l-kalima min baʿdi mawāḍiʿihi yaqūlūna in ūtītum hādhā fakhudhūhu wa-in lam tu'tawhu fa-iḥ'dharū waman yuridi l-lahu fit'natahu falan tamlika lahu mina l-lahi shayan ulāika alladhīna lam yuridi l-lahu an yuṭahhira qulūbahum lahum fī l-dun'yā khiz'yun walahum fī l-ākhirati ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmun
O Messenger, let them not grieve you who hasten into disbelief of those who say, "We believe" with their mouths, but their hearts believe not, and from among the Jews. [They are] avid listeners to falsehood, listening to another people who have not come to you. They distort words beyond their [proper] places [i.e., usages], saying, "If you are given this, take it; but if you are not given it, then beware." But he for whom Allāh intends fitnah - never will you possess [power to do] for him a thing against Allāh. Those are the ones for whom Allāh does not intend to purify their hearts. For them in this world is disgrace, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.
sammāʿūna lil'kadhibi akkālūna lilssuḥ'ti fa-in jāūka fa-uḥ'kum baynahum aw aʿriḍ ʿanhum wa-in tuʿ'riḍ ʿanhum falan yaḍurrūka shayan wa-in ḥakamta fa-uḥ'kum baynahum bil-qis'ṭi inna l-laha yuḥibbu l-muq'siṭīna
[They are] avid listeners to falsehood, devourers of [what is] unlawful. So if they come to you, [O Muḥammad], judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them - never will they harm you at all. And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly.
wakayfa yuḥakkimūnaka waʿindahumu l-tawrātu fīhā ḥuk'mu l-lahi thumma yatawallawna min baʿdi dhālika wamā ulāika bil-mu'minīna
But how is it that they come to you for judgement while they have the Torah, in which is the judgement of Allāh? Then they turn away, [even] after that; but those are not [in fact] believers.
innā anzalnā l-tawrāta fīhā hudan wanūrun yaḥkumu bihā l-nabiyūna alladhīna aslamū lilladhīna hādū wal-rabāniyūna wal-aḥbāru bimā us'tuḥ'fiẓū min kitābi l-lahi wakānū ʿalayhi shuhadāa falā takhshawū l-nāsa wa-ikh'shawni walā tashtarū biāyātī thamanan qalīlan waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-kāfirūna
Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allāh] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allāh, and they were witnesses thereto. So do not fear the people but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price [i.e., worldly gain]. And whoever does not judge by what Allāh has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers.
wakatabnā ʿalayhim fīhā anna l-nafsa bil-nafsi wal-ʿayna bil-ʿayni wal-anfa bil-anfi wal-udhuna bil-udhuni wal-sina bil-sini wal-jurūḥa qiṣāṣun faman taṣaddaqa bihi fahuwa kaffāratun lahu waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-ẓālimūna
And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives [up his right as] charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allāh has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers [i.e., the unjust].
waqaffaynā ʿalā āthārihim biʿīsā ib'ni maryama muṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-tawrāti waātaynāhu l-injīla fīhi hudan wanūrun wamuṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-tawrāti wahudan wamawʿiẓatan lil'muttaqīna
And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous.
walyaḥkum ahlu l-injīli bimā anzala l-lahu fīhi waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-fāsiqūna
And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allāh has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allāh has revealed - then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient.
wa-anzalnā ilayka l-kitāba bil-ḥaqi muṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-kitābi wamuhayminan ʿalayhi fa-uḥ'kum baynahum bimā anzala l-lahu walā tattabiʿ ahwāahum ʿammā jāaka mina l-ḥaqi likullin jaʿalnā minkum shir'ʿatan wamin'hājan walaw shāa l-lahu lajaʿalakum ummatan wāḥidatan walākin liyabluwakum fī mā ātākum fa-is'tabiqū l-khayrāti ilā l-lahi marjiʿukum jamīʿan fayunabbi-ukum bimā kuntum fīhi takhtalifūna
And We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allāh has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allāh willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allāh is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.
wa-ani uḥ'kum baynahum bimā anzala l-lahu walā tattabiʿ ahwāahum wa-iḥ'dharhum an yaftinūka ʿan baʿḍi mā anzala l-lahu ilayka fa-in tawallaw fa-iʿ'lam annamā yurīdu l-lahu an yuṣībahum bibaʿḍi dhunūbihim wa-inna kathīran mina l-nāsi lafāsiqūna
And judge, [O Muḥammad], between them by what Allāh has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allāh has revealed to you. And if they turn away - then know that Allāh only intends to afflict them with some of their [own] sins. And indeed, many among the people are defiantly disobedient.
afaḥuk'ma l-jāhiliyati yabghūna waman aḥsanu mina l-lahi ḥuk'man liqawmin yūqinūna
Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allāh in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā tattakhidhū l-yahūda wal-naṣārā awliyāa baʿḍuhum awliyāu baʿḍin waman yatawallahum minkum fa-innahu min'hum inna l-laha lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīna
O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allāh guides not the wrongdoing people.
fatarā alladhīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun yusāriʿūna fīhim yaqūlūna nakhshā an tuṣībanā dāiratun faʿasā l-lahu an yatiya bil-fatḥi aw amrin min ʿindihi fayuṣ'biḥū ʿalā mā asarrū fī anfusihim nādimīna
So you see those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] hastening into [association with] them, saying, "We are afraid a misfortune may strike us." But perhaps Allāh will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful.
wayaqūlu alladhīna āmanū ahāulāi alladhīna aqsamū bil-lahi jahda aymānihim innahum lamaʿakum ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum fa-aṣbaḥū khāsirīna
And those who believe will say, "Are these the ones who swore by Allāh their strongest oaths that indeed they were with you?" Their deeds have become worthless, and they have become losers.
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū man yartadda minkum ʿan dīnihi fasawfa yatī l-lahu biqawmin yuḥibbuhum wayuḥibbūnahu adhillatin ʿalā l-mu'minīna aʿizzatin ʿalā l-kāfirīna yujāhidūna fī sabīli l-lahi walā yakhāfūna lawmata lāimin dhālika faḍlu l-lahi yu'tīhi man yashāu wal-lahu wāsiʿun ʿalīmun
O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allāh will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, strong against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allāh and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allāh; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
innamā waliyyukumu l-lahu warasūluhu wa-alladhīna āmanū alladhīna yuqīmūna l-ṣalata wayu'tūna l-zakata wahum rākiʿūna
Your ally is none but Allāh and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give zakāh, and they bow [in worship].
waman yatawalla l-laha warasūlahu wa-alladhīna āmanū fa-inna ḥiz'ba l-lahi humu l-ghālibūna
And whoever is an ally of Allāh and His Messenger and those who have believed - indeed, the party of Allāh - they will be the predominant.
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā tattakhidhū alladhīna ittakhadhū dīnakum huzuwan walaʿiban mina alladhīna ūtū l-kitāba min qablikum wal-kufāra awliyāa wa-ittaqū l-laha in kuntum mu'minīna
O you who have believed, take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allāh, if you should [truly] be believers.
wa-idhā nādaytum ilā l-ṣalati ittakhadhūhā huzuwan walaʿiban dhālika bi-annahum qawmun lā yaʿqilūna
And when you call to prayer, they take it in ridicule and amusement. That is because they are a people who do not use reason.
qul yāahla l-kitābi hal tanqimūna minnā illā an āmannā bil-lahi wamā unzila ilaynā wamā unzila min qablu wa-anna aktharakum fāsiqūna
Say, "O People of the Scripture, do you resent us except [for the fact] that we have believed in Allāh and what was revealed to us and what was revealed before and because most of you are defiantly disobedient?"
qul hal unabbi-ukum bisharrin min dhālika mathūbatan ʿinda l-lahi man laʿanahu l-lahu waghaḍiba ʿalayhi wajaʿala min'humu l-qiradata wal-khanāzīra waʿabada l-ṭāghūta ulāika sharrun makānan wa-aḍallu ʿan sawāi l-sabīli
Say, "Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from Allāh? [It is that of] those whom Allāh has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of ṭāghūt. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way."