5. Sura Maida [Medina]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً ...

5:13. But because of their breach of their Covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard:

C712. Cursed them: that means that because of the breach of their Covenant, Allah withdrew His overflowing Grace from them.

The withdrawal of Grace made their hearts grow hard in two ways:

1. they were no longer protected from the assaults of evil, and

2. they became impervious even to the message of forgiveness and mercy which is open to all Allah's creatures.

... يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَنَسُواْ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ...

they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the Message that was sent them,

... وَلاَ تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَىَ خَآئِنَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنْهُمُ ...

nor wilt thou cease to find them, barring a few, ever bent on (new) deceits:

C713. Israel, when it lost Allah's grace as above, began to sin against truth and religion in three ways:

1. they began to misuse Scripture itself, by either taking words out of their right meaning, or applying them to things for which they were never meant;

2. in doing so, they conveniently forgot a part of the Message and purpose of Allah: and

3. they invented new deceits to support the old ones.

... فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْ ...

but forgive them and overlook (their misdeeds):

C714. Cf. 2:109 and n. 110, where I have explained the different shades of meaning in the words for "forgiveness."

... إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٣﴾

for Allah loveth those who are kind.

وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّا نَصَارَى أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَهُمْ ...

5: 14. From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a Covenant,

C715. The Christian Covenant may be taken to be the charge which Jesus gave to his disciples, and which the disciples accepted, to welcome Ahmad (56:6).

Glimpses of this are to be found in the Gospel of St. John even as it exists now (John 15:26. 16:7).

It is those who call themselves "Christians" who reject this. True Christians have accepted it. The enmity between those who call themselves Christians and the Jews will continue till the Last Day.

... فَنَسُواْ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ ...

but they forgot a good part of the Message that was sent them:

... فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاء إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ...

so We estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the Day of Judgment.

... وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللّهُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿١٤﴾

And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done.

C715a. The change from the First Person in the beginning of the verse to the Third Person here illustrates the change from the personal relationship of the Covenant, to the impersonal operation of Justice at Judgment.

Cf. 35:9.

Asad’s Version:

5: 13 Then, for having broken their solemn pledge, We rejected them and caused their hearts to harden – [so that now] they distort the meaning of the [revealed] words, taking them out of their context; they have forgotten much of what they had been told to bear in mind; and from all but a few of them you will always experience treachery. But pardon them, and forbear; verily, God loves the doers of good.

5:14…..for God loveth those who are kind .

5:13

Then, for having broken their solemn pledge,²⁴ We rejected them and caused their hearts to harden - [so that now] they distort the meaning of the [revealed] words, taking them out of their context;²⁵ and they have forgotten much of what they had been told to bear in mind; and from all but a few of them thou wilt always experience treachery. But pardon them, and forbear: verily, God loves the doers of good.

5:14

And [likewise,] from those who say, "Behold, we are Christians."²⁶ We have accepted a solemn
pledge: and they, too, have forgotten much of what they had been told to bear in mind -
wherefore We have given rise among them to enmity and hatred, [to last] until Resurrection
Day:²⁷ and in time God will cause them to understand what they have contrived.

[[Asad’s notes - 24 An allusion to their lack of trust in God and their persistent sinning.

25 See 4:46, where the same accusation is levelled against the children of Israel.

26 Thus the Qur'an elliptically rejects their claim of being true followers of Jesus: for, by wrongfully elevating him to the status of divinity they have denied the very essence of his message. ]]