Surah 5, Al-Ma'idah, Medina 112

The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَآئِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا...

5: 12. God did aforetime take a Covenant from the Children of Israel, and We appointed twelve captains among them,

... وَقَالَ اللّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ ...

and God said: "I am with you:

... لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ ...

- if ye (but) establish regular prayers,

- practice regular charity,

- believe in My apostles, honor and assist them and

... وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ...

- loan to God a beautiful loan,

... لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ ...

verily I will wipe out from you your evils, and admit you to gardens with rivers flowing beneath;

... فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ ﴿١٢﴾

but if any of you, after this, resisteth faith, he hath truly wandered from the path of rectitude."

Asad’s Translation:

5: 12 And, indeed, God accepted a [similar] solemn pledge from the children of Israel when We caused twelve of their leaders to be sent [to Canaam as spies].

And God said:

“Behold, I shall be with you! If you are constant in prayer,

and spend in charity,

and believe in My apostles and aid them,

and offer up unto God a goodly loan,

I will surely efface your bad deeds and bring you into gardens through which running waters flow.

But he from among you who, after this, denies the truth, will indeed have strayed from the right path!”

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Ali’s comments:

709. Cf. 2:63 and n. 78.

"Moses... called for the elders of the people... and all the people answered together and said. 'All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.'" (Exod. 19:7-8).

This was under the towering height of Mount Sinai. The chieftains or elders or leaders of the people were selected, one from each of the twelve tribes (see 2:60 and n. 73).

For census purposes the names of the elders of the tribes are given in Num. 1:4-16: they are called "everyone the head of the house of his fathers". Later, twelve other "heads of the Children of Israel" were selected to spy but the land of Canaan: their names are mentioned in Num. 13:1-16.

See also, below, 5:20-26 and notes.

C710. Cf. 2:245, n. 276.

The phrase means "spending in the cause of God".

Allah in His infinite grace looks upon this as a loan, for which He gives a recompense manifold.

711. The path of rectitude: or the even way:

see 2:108. n. 109.