5. Al-Ma'idah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ ...

5:48. To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety;

C759. After the corruption of the older revelations, the Quran comes with a twofold purpose:

1. to confirm the true and original Message, and

2. to guard it, or act as a check to its interpretation.

The Arabic word Muhaymin is very comprehensive in meaning. It means one who;

- safeguards,

- watches over,

- stands witness,

- preserves, and

- upholds.

The Quran safeguards "the Book", for it has preserved within it the teachings of all the former Books. It watches over these Books in the sense that it will not let their true teachings to be lost. It supports and upholds these Books in the sense that it corroborates the Word of Allah which has remained intact in them. It stands a witness because it bears testimony to the Word of Allah contained in these Books and helps to sort it out from the interpretations and commentaries of the people which were mixed with it: what is confirmed by the Quran is the Word of Allah and what is against it is that of the people. (R).

... فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ ...

so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the truth that hath come to thee.

... لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا...

To each among you have We prescribed a Law and an Open Way.

C760. Law: shirat, rules of practical conduct.

Open Way: Minhaj. The finer things which are above the law, but which are yet available to everyone, like a sort of open highway. The light in verses 44 and 46 though laws and rules may take different forms among different People.

... وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ...

If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people,

... وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَآ آتَاكُم فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ...

but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues.

C761. By origin mankind were a single people or nation: 4:1, and 2:213. That being so Allah could have kept us all alike, with one language, one kind of disposition, and one set of physical conditions (including climate) to live in. But in His wisdom, He gives us diversity in these things, not only at any given time, but in different periods and ages.

This tests our capacity for Unity (Wahdaniyat) still more, and accentuates the need of Unity and Islam.

... إِلَى الله مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾

The goal of you all is to Allah;

it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute.

C762. Men are wont to make conflicting claims regarding Allah, the ultimate destiny of man, and other questions of vital importance.

No matter how vehement and eloquent the proponents of false doctrines might be, their efforts will prove fruitless and it will be indisputably clear on the Day of Judgment as to who entertained false notions and who cherished the truth. (Eds).

Asad’s Version:

5:48 And unto you [O Prophet] have We vouchsafed this divine writ, setting forth the truth, confirming the truth of whatever there still remains of earlier revelations and determining what is true therein. Judge, then, between the followers of earlier revelation in accordance with what God has bestowed from on high, and do not follow their errant views, forsaking the truth that has come unto you.

Unto every one of you have We appoint a [different] law and way of life (note 66). And if God has so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but [He willed it otherwise} in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto you. Vie, then, with one another in doing good works! Unto God you all must return; and then He will make you truly understand all that on which you were wont to differ.

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