5. Surah al-Maida, Medina 112
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
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.
يَا
أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ
قَدْ جَاءكُمْ
رَسُولُنَا...
5: 15. O People of the Book!
there hath come to you Our Messenger,
... يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ...
revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary):
... قَدْ جَاءكُم مِّنَ اللّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٥﴾
There hath come to you from Allah a (new) Light and a perspicuous Book.
C716. Mubin: I wish I could translate by a simpler word than "perspicuous". But "plain" may mean unadorned, the opposite of beautiful, and this Book is among the most beautiful that it is the privilege of mankind to read.
"Clear" would be right as far as it means "unambiguous, self-evident, not involved in mysteries of origin, history, or meaning, one which every one can understand as to the essentials necessary for him, without the intervention of priests or privileged persons".
Mubin has all these meanings, but it suggests, besides, some quality of a shining light, by which we are able to make things clear, to distinguish the true from the false. This I think is suggested better by "perspicuous" than by the word "clear". Besides it is hardly good idiom to speak of "a clear Book."
يَهْدِي
بِهِ اللّهُ
مَنِ اتَّبَعَ
رِضْوَانَهُ
سُبُلَ السَّلاَمِ
...
5: 16. Wherewith Allah guideth all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety,
... وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنِ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٦﴾
and leadeth them out of darkness, by His Will,
unto the light, guideth them to a Path that is Straight.
لَّقَدْ
كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ
قَآلُواْ إِنَّ
اللّهَ هُوَ
الْمَسِيحُ
ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ
...
5: 17. In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary.
... قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ مِنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا ...
Say:
"Who then hath the least power against Allah,
... إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ وَمَن فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ...
if His Will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all, everyone that is on the earth?
... وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا...
For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between.
... يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاء ...
He createth what He pleaseth.
C717. The most honoured of the prophets of Allah are but men.
All power belongs to Allah, and not to any man. Allah's creation may take many forms, but because in any particular form it is different from what we see daily around us, it does not cease to be Creation, or to be subject to the power of Allah. No creature can be God.
... وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿١٧﴾
For Allah hath power over all things."
وَقَالَتِ
الْيَهُودُ
وَالنَّصَارَى
نَحْنُ أَبْنَاء
اللّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ...
5: 18. (Both) the Jews and the Christians say: "We are sons of Allah, and His beloved."
C718. Sons of Allah:
Cf. Job, 38:7; "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."
In the 29th Psalm, 1st verse, the authorized Translation "O ye mighty" should apparently be "O ye sons of Elim". El being a name of God,
Cf. also Genesis, 6:2: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men." Beloved:
Cf. Psalms, 127:2: "He giveth his beloved sleep."
If used figuratively, these and like words refer to the love of Allah. Unfortunately, "son" used in a physical sense, or "beloved" in an exclusive sense as if Allah loved only the Jews, make a mockery of religion.
... قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ...
Say: "Why then doth He punish you for your sins?
Nay, ye are but men, of the men He hath created:
... يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء...
He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and He punisheth whom He pleaseth:
... وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ...
and to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between:
C719. This refrain in the last verse negatives the idea of sonship, and in this verse negatives the idea of an exclusive "Beloved".
In both cases it means that Allah is independent of physical relationship or exclusive partiality.
... وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٨﴾
and unto Him is the final goal (of all)."
يَا
أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ
قَدْ جَاءكُمْ
رَسُولُنَا
يُبَيِّنُ
لَكُمْ عَلَى
فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ
الرُّسُلِ ...
5: 19. O People of the Book!
now hath come unto you, making (things) clear unto you, Our Messenger, after the break in (the series of) Our messengers,
C720. The six hundred years (in round figures) between Christ and Muhammad were truly the dark ages of the world.
Religion was corrupted: the standard of morals fell low: many false systems and heresies arose; and there was a break in the succession of prophets until the advent of Muhammad.
... أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا جَاءنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلاَ نَذِيرٍ فَقَدْ جَاءكُم بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ ...
lest ye should say: there came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner (from evil): but now hath come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner (from evil):
... وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿١٩﴾
and Allah hath power over all things.
قُلْ
يَا أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
...
5: 68. Say:
"O People of the Book!
... لَسْتُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ حَتَّىَ تُقِيمُواْ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ...
ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord."
... وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم مَّا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا...
It is the revelation that cometh to thee from thy Lord, that increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy.
... فَلاَ تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٦٨﴾
But sorrow thou not over (these) people without Faith.
C778. In 5:26, Moses was told not to sorrow over a rebellious people. Here Muhammad is told not to sorrow over people without Faith.
The second situation is even more trying than the first. Rebellion may be a passing phase. Want of faith is an attitude of mind that is well-nigh hopeless. Yet the Prophet patiently reasoned with them and bore their taunts and insults.
If. the argument runs, you do not believe in anything, even in the things that you may be expected to believe in, how can you receive in Faith Allah's Message that has come in another form? In fact your jealousy adds to your obstinacy and unbelief.
Asad’s Version:
5: 14 And [likewise] from those who say, “Behold, we are Christians,” We have accepted a solemn pledge : and they, too have forgotten much of what had been told to bear in mind – wherefore We have given rise among them to enmity and hatred, until Resurrection Day: and in time God will cause them to understand what they have contrived.
5: 15, 5:16 : O followers of the Bible! Now there has come unto you Our Apostle, to make clear unto you much of what you have been concealing [from yourselves] of the Bible, and to pardon much. (See Asad note 28 )
Now there has come unto you from God a light, and a clear divine writ, through which God shows unto all that seek His goodly acceptance the paths leading to salvation and, by His grace, brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light and guides them onto a straight way.
5: 17 Indeed, the truth deny they who say, “Behold, God is the Christ, son of Mary.” Say:
“and who could have prevailed with God in any way had it been His will to destroy the Christ, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone who is on earth – all of them?
For, God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; He creates what He wills : and God has the power to will anything!”
5: 18 And the Jews and the Christians say, “We are God’s children, and His beloved ones,” Say: “Why, then, does He cause you to suffer for your sins? Nay, you are but human beings of His creating. He forgives whom He wills, and He causes to suffer whom He wills: for God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Him is all journeys’ end.”
5: 19 O followers of the Bible! Now, after a long time during which no apostles have appeared, there has come unto you [this] Our Apostle to make [the truth] clear to you, lest you say , “No bearer of glad tidings has come unto us, nor any warner” for now there has
come unto you a bearer of glad tidings and a warner – since God has the power to will anything.