Commentary:
A Lawful Hunting
Following the commandments stated in the previous couple of verses upon the lawful and unlawful sorts of meat, another part of that subject is referred to in this verse, and, as an answer to their question, the Divine revelation says:
" (O' Muhammad!) they ask you what has been made lawful for them. Say: ' Good things have been made lawful for you; ..."
This means that what Islam has ordained as unlawful are among malignant and impure things. Thus, never the Divine law prohibits a pure animal that have naturally been created for the usage and utility of human beings.
Then, the verse refers to the huntings when it says:
"...and such hunting creatures as you teach, training them as hounds, and teaching them of what Allah has taught you, ..."
Therefore, the animals that hunting-dogs bring for you should be killed according to the law of Islam when they are alive. But, if the hunts die before the dogs can reach them, they are lawful (halal), although they are not slaughtered.
At the end of the verse, it points to two other circumstances of the conditions of such hunt being lawful, saying:
"...then eat what they seize for you..."
Thus, if the hunting-dogs have accustoned themselves to eat a portion of their own hunt and leave another portion, such hunt is not lawful. In fact, such a dog has neither been trained, nor what it leaves can be as an aspect of the Qur'anic word /'alaykum/ (for you), for the dog has hunted for itself.
The second condition is:
"...and mention Allah's Name over it. ..."
Then, in conclusion, in order that all these godly commandments be observed, it says:
"... And be in awe of Allah; verily Allah is swift in reckoning."
(5) الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ لَّهُمْ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
5. " Today (all) good things have been made lawful for you, and (also) the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And (so are) the chaste women from the believers and the chaste women from those who have been given the Book before you (are lawful for you) when you give them their dowries taking them in marriage, not fornicating, nor taking them for paramours in secret. And whoever denies the faith, his work indeed is vain, and he will be of the losers in the Hereafter."
Commentary:
Consuming Food of the People of the Book and Marrying them:
In this verse, which is the supplementary of the former verses, the Qur'an says:
" Today (all) good things have been made lawful for you, and (also) the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. ..."
The objective meaning of the phraise: "...the food of those who have been given the Book..." is something other than the meat of animals slaughtered by them.
It is narrated in a tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) who, on commenting this verse, said: " The purpose of ' the food of those who have been given the Book ' is cereals and fruits, not their slaughtered (animals), since they do not recite the Name of Allah when they slaughter (them)."
Marring with Non-Muslim Women:
After referring the lawfulness of the food of the People of the Book, this verse speaks about the marriage of the immaculate women from among Muslims and the People of the Book. It says:
"... And (so are) the chaste women from the believers and the chaste women from those who have been given the Book before you (are lawful for you) when you give them their dowries taking them in marriage, ..."
Then the verse adds the statement:
"...taking (them) in marriage, not fornicating, nor taking them for paramours in secret. ..."
In fact, this part of the verse decreases also some restrictions which had existed before upon the marriage of Muslims with non-Muslims, and, thereby, it authorizes their marriage with the women of the People of the Book under some conditions. More details about this subject should be studied in the Islamic jurisprudent books.
This fact should also be said that: in this world of today that many of customs of the Age of Ignorance have been revived in different forms, this sort of thought has also come into being that: there is no objection for single men or women to take paramours. It has appeared not only in a hidden form, similar to that manner that existed in pre-Islamic era of Ignorance, but also manifestly.
The world of today, from the point of sexual libertinism, indeed, has gone beyond what had existed in the Age of Ignorance. At that time, they considered only taking paramours in secret permissible, while these recent people know its manifest form unobjective, too, so that, with ultimate impudence, they are even proud of it. This shimcful custom, which can be counted a manifest obscene act, is one of the inauspicious presents which has been brought from West to East and has proved to be the origin of many misfortunes and crimes.
In view of the fact that the above-mentioned facilities upon association with the People of the Book and marrying their women may be misused by some persons and, they knowingly or unknowingly, be driven towards them, at the end, the verse warns the Muslims, saying:
"... And whoever dinies the faith, his work indeed is vain, and he will be of the losers in the Hereafter."
This statement implies that these facilities, besides bringing some relief into your life, should work as a cause of influence and development of Islam among foreigners. It sould not cause, of course, that you be influenced by it and leave your own religion. If it happens, your chastisement will be very hard and heavy.
(6) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلوةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مَّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهَّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Section 2
Special cleanliness for Prayer - Equity enjoined
Prescribed cleanliness for prayer - Equity and piety enjoined to fear Allah alone and not the enemies.
6. " O'you who have Faith! when you stand up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe a part of your heads and your feet up to the ankles; and if you are polluted, then perform a total ablution; and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you comes from the privy, or you have touched the women and you can find no water (for ablution or major ritual ablution), then betake yourselves to clean soil and wipe a part of your faces and your hands with some of it. Allah does not intend to put on you any difficulty, but He intends to purify you, and to complete His favour upon you in order that you might be thankful."
Commentary:
In the former verses there were different statemests mentioned about: ' bodily purification and some material bounties '. This verse has pointed to the ' soul purification ' and what causes the purification of the self of Man. Here, a notable amount of the ordinances upon: ablution, major ritual ablution, and dry ablution have been referred to, the which are effective in soul purification. At first, it addresses the believeing people and states the ordinances of ablution as follows:
" O'you who have Faith! when you stand up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe a part of your heads and your feet up to the ankles; ..."
Thus, only that part of the hand, has been mentioned in the verse which must be washed. But its manner in the practice of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to us by Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.)denoting that the elbows must be washed down to the fingers.
Then, it pays to the ordinance of the major ritual ablution when it says:
"...and if you are polluted, then perform a total ablution; ..."
It is clear that the objective meaning of the phrase: ' then perform a total ablution ' is to wash the whole body thoroughly.
The Arabic term /junub/ philologically means ' something goes away'. So, a person in a state of ritual impurity is called /junub/ for the reason that the one must avoid doing actions such as: establishing prayer, staying in a mosque and the like of them while the person is in that state.
By the way, when the Holy Qur'an in this verse enjoins the persons in the state of ritual impurity to perform a major ritual ablution for establishing prayers, it is understood that major ritual ablution substitutes ablution.
Then, the verse continues its words referring to the statement of the ordinance of ' dry ablution ', for the person who gets up and intends to keep prayers. It says:
"...and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you comes from the privy, or you have touched the women and you can find no water (for ablution or major ritual ablution), then betake yourselves to clean soil ..."
Next to this statement, the style of performing dry ablution is shortly stated. It says:
"...and wipe a part of your faces and your hands with some of it. ..."
And, to make it clear that there has been no restriction in the previous commandments when all of them have been legitimated for the sake of some considerable expedences, at the end of the verse, it says:
"... Allah does not intend to put on you any difficulty, but He intends to purify you, and to complete His favour upon you in order that you might be thankful."
In deed, the statements mentioned in the holy verse once more emphasizes on this fact that all divine commandments and Islamic enjoinments are assigned for the sake of people and for the protection of their rights. There has been no aim other than that. By these instructions, Allah intends people provide both spiritual and bodily purification for themselves.
However, the final sentence of the holy verse states a general law. It denotes that the divine ordinances, in no aspect, are in the form of difficult proposals or onerous duties.
(7) وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُم بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
7. " And remember Allah's favour on you and His covenant with which He has bound you, when you said: ' We hard and we obeyed '. And be in awe of Allah, surely Allah is aware of what is in the breasts."
Commentary:
Divine Convictions:
In this verse, the Qur'an attracts the attention of the Muslims to the importance of the endless bounties of Allah, the most magnificent of which is faith and guidance. It says:
" And remember Allah's favour on you ..."
What favour is greater than that Muslims obtained all kinds of merits, honours and possibilities in the shade of Islam? Islam caused a group of people who had been before dispersed, ignorant, blood-thirsty immoral, and corrupter to change into a society who became: orgonized, united, and intelligent, with abundant material and spiritual merits and possibilities.
Then, the verse reminds them the covenant that they have conpacted with Allah, and says:
"...and His covenant with which He has bound you, when you said: ' We hard and we obeyed '. ..."
This verse can be a hint to all the genetic and divine covenants, (the covenants that Allah has bound Man through primordial nature, or those that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has bound Muslims with in different circumstances.
Basing on many Islamic traditions, the objective meaning of ' covenant ', mentioned in the verse under discussion, is the mastership of Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.). The covenant that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) took from them in Qadir-i-Khum, on the day of Farewell Pilgrimage, and they accepted it, too.(1)
To emphasize on this meaning, at the end of the verse, the Holy Qur'an says:
"...and be in awe of Allah, surely Allah is aware of what is in the breasts."
It is also narrated from Imam Baqir (a.s.) who said that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) stated both the prohibited things and the essentiality of mastership of Ali (a.s.) during Farewell Pilgrimage.(2)
(1) At-Tafsir-ul-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 454
(2) Tafsir-i-Jawami'-ul-Jami', vol. 2, p. 44
(8) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ لِلّهِ شُهَدَاء بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
8. " O' you who have Faith! be always uprite for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably. Act equitably, that is nearer to piety, and be in awe of Allah; verily Allah is Aware of what you do.
Commentary:
An Earnest Invitation unto Justice:
This verse invites to estalishment of justice. At first, it addresses the believers and says:
" O' you who have Faith! be always uprite for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, ..."
After that, the verse points to one of the factors of deviation from justice, and warns Muslims as such that tribal hatreds and hostilities, or personal accounts, should not stand as a barrier in the way of the execution of justice and should not cause transgression over the rights of others, because justice is something beyond all of them. It says:
"...and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably...
For the importance of the matter, it emphasizes on the subject of justice once more, and says:
"...Act equitably, that is nearer to piety, ..."
And, since justice is the most important element of piety and righteousness, for the third time, it adds as an emphasis that:
"... verily Allah is Aware of what you do."
(9) وَعَدَ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
(10) وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
9. " Allah has promised those who believe and do good deeds that they will have forgiveness and a great reward.
10. And (as for) those who disbelieve and deny Our Signs (revelations), these are the companions of Hell.
Commentary:
Allah's way of treatment is such that, in the Qur'an, next to the statement of some particular commandments, in order to emphasize and complete them, He points to some general laws and principals. So, here, in verse nine to emphasize on the subject of the excecution of justice and rightfully bearing witness, it says:
Allah has promised those who believe and do good deeds that they will have forgiveness and a great reward.
****
In contrast with the above-mentioned group, there are those who reject Allah and deny His Signs, i.e. the verses of the Qur'an. Such people will be in Hell. It says:
" And (as for) those who disbelieve and deny Our Signs (revelations), these are the companions of Hell."
It is worthy of attention that the phrases: ' forgiveness ' and ' a great reward ' are referred to in the verse as a promise of Allah (s.w.t.) where it says: " Allah has promised ...", while the ' retribution of Hell ' has been mentioned as a result of ' deeds '.
The verse implies that those who have deeds such as so and so, will have a fate so and so. In fact, this meaning is a hint to the grace and favour of Allah regarding the rewards in the Hereafter which will never be paralleled with the insignificant deeds of the mortals in this world. Also, the chastisements in the coming world have no aspect of vengeance, but they are the fruit of the evil deeds of human beings in the present world.
(11) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَن يَبْسُطُواْ إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
11. O' you who have Faith! remember Allah's favour on you when a (hostile) people were minded to stretch against you their hands, but He withheld their hands from you; and be in awe of Allah, and on Allah let the believers rely.
Commentary:
The opinions are divided that which happening this verse was revealed for. Yet, it can be considered for all the instances that Muslims have relied on Allah and have victoriously rescued when confronting the evil attempt or attack of the enemy.
Still, the remembrance of the bounties of Allah (s.w.t.) is a kind of thankgiving. It takes away pride and negligence from man and increases his love to the Lord.
" O' you who have Faith! remember Allah's favour on you when a (hostile) people were minded to stretch against you their hands, but He withheld their hands from you; and be in awe of Allah, and on Allah let the believers rely."
Explanations:
1- Repelling the harms of the enemy is among the most important favours of Allah.
2- Absorb the grace of Allah to yourself and repel the harm of the enemy through piety, Faith and relying on Him. (Similar to the condition that Allah leaves the enemy to prodominate over persons, because of their committing sins, the same is to attentive to Him that causes the harms of enemies to be removed.)
(12) وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَآئِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا وَقَالَ اللّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصّلوةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَوةَ وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ
Section 3
The covenants with the jews and the christians
The covenants with the jews - The covenants with the christians - The actual position of Jesus
12. " And certainly Allah made a covenant with the Children of Israel, and We raised among them twelve chiftains, and Allah said: ' Verily I am with you, if you keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and believe in My messengers and assist them and lend Allah a kindly loan, I will most certainly cover your evil deeds and I will certainly cause you to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow; but whoever among you disbelieves after that, has indeed strayed from the right path.
Commentary:
The chiefs of the Israelites were twelve persons. The ministers of Moses (a.s.) and the custodians of the tuelve tribes were from among them. It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) who, in a tradition, said: " The vicegerents after me are twelve. They are as many as the chiefs of the Israelites " (1) The attempt of the opponents of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) is in vain when they try to adapt this figure to Orthodox Caliphs, Umayyid Caliphs, and the Caliphs of Abbasids, though it adapts to neither of them. There are, of course, many traditions recorded which denote that the Prophet himself (p.b.u.h.) mentioned the names of these twelve persons. According to his statement recorded in a tradition (2) the first of them is Ali-ibn-Abitalib and their last one is Hadrat Mahdi (May Allah hasten his auspicious advent).
The Arabic phrase: /'azzartumuhum/ is derived from the word /'azzara/ which means: to assist with honour '. Therefore, the Arabic term /ta'zir/ refers to a kind of assistance to the sinner in abandoning the crime. That is why that Islamic punishments have the function of education rather than vengeance.
The Qur'anic phrase /sawa'-us-sabil/ means the middle way that swerving from which is going towards aberration and fall.
Explanations:
1- Allah is with us when we observe some conditions including: prayers, poor-rate, belief in Trugh, assisting prophets, and giving charity. So, if we leave them, the Grace of Allah will be ceased.
2- Prayer, poor-rate, and charity have existed in all the Divine religions. However, performing obligations alone is not enough, but following the totality of obligatory and recommended deeds, without approaching the prohibited things, is effective.
3- Prayer, poor-rate, and charity are meaningful when they are accompanied with leadership and mastership - with the acceptance of mastership of the whole prophets, not a part of them.
4- There is no room for the sinners in Heaven. Purification is first, and then being admitted to enter into it.
5- The only way to the forgiveness of Allah, is Faith and righteous deeds.
****
(1) Musnd Imam Ahmad-ibn-Hunbal, vol. 1, p. 398 and many other books
(2) Yanabi'-ul-Mawaddah. p. 117
