5. Surah al-Maidah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ إِنَّمَا
الْخَمْرُ
وَالْمَيْسِرُ
...
5: 90. O ye who believe!
- intoxicants and gambling,
C793. Cf. 2:219, and notes 240 and 241.
... وَالأَنصَابُ ...
- (dedication of) stones,
C794. Cf. 5:3.
The stones there referred to were stone altars or stone columns on which oil was poured for consecration, or slabs on which meat was sacrificed to idols. Any idolatrous or superstitious practices are here condemned.
The ansab were objects of worship, and were common in Arabia before Islam.
See Renan, "History of Israel", Chapter 6, and Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum. Part 1. p. 154: Illustrations Nos. 123 and 123 bis are Phoenician columns of that kind, found in Malta.
... وَالأَزْلاَمُ ...
- and (divination by) arrows,
C795. Cf. 5:3.
The arrows there referred to were used for the division of meat by a sort of lottery or rate.
But arrows were also used for divination, i.e., for ascertaining lucky or unlucky moments, or learning the wishes of the heathen gods, as to whether men should undertake certain actions or not. All superstitions are condemned.
... رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ...
are an abomination, of Satan's handiwork:
... فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٩٠﴾
eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.
إِنَّمَا
يُرِيدُ
الشَّيْطَانُ
أَن يُوقِعَ
بَيْنَكُمُ
الْعَدَاوَةَ
وَالْبَغْضَاء
فِي الْخَمْرِ
وَالْمَيْسِرِ...
5: 91. Satan's plan is (but) to
- excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling,
... وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاَةِ ...
- and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer:
... فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ ﴿٩١﴾
will ye not then abstain?
5: 90
Asad O you who have attained to faith! Intoxicants, and games of chance, and idolatrous practices, and the divining of the future are but a loathsome evil of Satan’s doing [note 105] shun it, then so that you might attain to a happy State!
Pickthall O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.
Transliteration Ya_ ayyuhal lazina a_manu_ innamal khamru wal maisiru wal ansa_bu wal azla_mu rijsum min 'amalisy syaita_ni fajtanibu_hu la'allakum tuflihu_n(a).
5: 91
Asad By means of intoxicants and games of chance Satan seeks only to sow enmity and hatred among you, and to turn you away form the remembrance of God and from prayer. Will you not, then, desist? [note 106]
Pickthall Satan seeketh only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance, and to turn you from remembrance of Allah and from (His) worship. Will ye then have done?
Transliteration Innama_ yuridusy syaita_nu ay yu_qi'a bainakumul 'ada_wata wal bagda_'a fil khamri wal maisiri wa yasuddakum 'an zikrilla_hi wa 'anis sala_ti fahal antum muntahu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 105 – According to all the lexicographers, the word ‘khamr’ (derived from the verb ‘khamara’, “he concealed” or “obscured”) denotes every substance the use of which obscures the intellect, i.e., intoxicates. Hence, the prohibition of intoxicants laid down in this verse comprises not merely alcoholic drinks, but also drugs which have a similar effect. The only exception from this total prohibition arises in case of “dire necessity” ……as stipulated in the last sentence of verse 3 of this surah: ………………..]]
[[ Ali’s notes - 793 Cf. ii. 219, and notes 240 and 241. (5.90)
794 Cf. v. 3. The stones there referred to were stone altars or stone columns on which oil was poured for consecration, or slabs on which meat was sacrificed to idols. Any idolatrous or superstitious practices are here condemned. The ‘ansab’ were objects of worship, and were common in Arabia before Islam. See Renan, "History of Israel", Chapter iv, and Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum. Part 1. p. 154: Illustrations Nos. 123 and 123 bis are Phoenician columns of that kind, found in Malta. (5.90)