Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali [ 1917-1996 ]
THIS SURAH IS KNOWN by two titles: al Maidah, meaning : The "table spread" and al- 'Uqu'd, meaning "the covenants." The second title reflects the surah's wide-ranging subject matter much more accurately. The first title comes from the request made by the Christians disciples to the prophrt Jesus to ask God to send them a meal from heaven for them to enjoy and celebrate, as evidence for his truthfulness. However, the story of this meal receives only a very brief mention towards the end of the surah, whereas the subject of covenants and obligations occupies almost the rest of it.
The main feature of this surah is the frequent use of declamatory,direct, and emphatic speech. Sixteen such statements are addressed specifically to Muslim believers:
O ye who believe! Fulfil your undertakings. The beast of cattle is made lawful unto you (for food) except that which is announced unto you (herein), game being unlawful when ye are on the pilgrimage. Lo! Allah ordaineth that which pleaseth Him. (1)
O ye who believe! Profane not Allah's monuments nor the Sacred Month ...........[2]
O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles.......[6]
O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do. (8)
O ye who believe! Remember Allah's favour unto you, how a people were minded to stretch out their hands against you but He withheld their hands from you; and keep your duty to Allah. In Allah let believers put their trust. (11)
O ye who believe! Be mindful of your duty to Allah, and seek the way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in order that ye may succeed. (35)
O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. (51)
O ye who believe! Whoso of you becometh a renegade from his religion, (know that in his stead) Allah will bring a people whom He loveth and who love Him, humble toward believers, stern toward disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and fearing not the blame of any blamer. Such is the grace of Allah which He giveth unto whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (54)
O Ye who believe! Choose not for friend such of those who received the Scripture before you, and of the disbelievers, as make a jest and sport of your religion. But keep your duty to Allah if ye are true believers. (57)
O ye who believe! Forbid not the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, and transgress not, Lo! Allah loveth not transgressors. (87)
O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed. (90)
O ye who believe! Allah will surely try you somewhat (in the matter) of the game which ye take with your hands and your spears, that Allah may know him who feareth Him in secret. Whoso transgresseth after this, for him there is a painful doom. (94)
O ye who believe! Kill no wild game while ye are on the pilgrimage. Whoso of you killeth it of set purpose he shall pay its forfeit in the equivalent of that which he hath killed, of domestic animals, the judge to be two men among you known for justice, (the forfeit) to be brought as an offering to the Ka'bah; or, for expiation, he shall feed poor persons, or the equivalent thereof in fasting, that he may taste the evil consequences of his deed. Allah forgiveth whatever (of this kind) may have happened in the past, but whoso relapseth, Allah will take retribution from him. Allah is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong). (95)
O ye who believe! Ask not of things which, if they were made known unto you, would trouble you; but if ye ask of them when the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made known unto you. Allah pardoneth this, for Allah is Forgiving, Clement. (101)
O ye who believe! Ye have charge of your own souls. He who erreth cannot injure you if ye are rightly guided. Unto Allah ye will all return; and then He will inform you of what ye used to do. (105)
O ye who believe! Let there be witnesses between you when death draweth nigh unto one of you, at the time of bequest - two witnesses, just men from among you, or two others from another tribe, in case ye are campaigning in the land and the calamity of death befall you. Ye shall empanel them both after the prayer, and, if ye doubt, they shall be made to swear by Allah (saying): We will not take a bribe, even though it were (on behalf of) a near kinsman nor will we hide the testimony of Allah, for then indeed we should be of the sinful. (106)
In two instances, the orders are addressed to Prophet Muhammad himself:
O Messenger! Let not them grieve thee who vie one with another in the race to disbelief, of such as say with their mouths: "We believe," but their hearts believe not, and of the Jews: listeners for the sake of falsehood, listeners on behalf of other folk who come not unto thee, changing words from their context and saying: If this be given unto you, receive it, but if this be not given unto you, then beware! He whom Allah doometh unto sin, thou (by thine efforts) wilt avail him naught against Allah. Those are they for whom the Will of Allah is that He cleanse not their hearts. Theirs in the world will be ignominy, and in the Hereafter an awful doom; (41)
O Messenger! Make known that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord, for if thou do it not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. Allah will protect thee from mankind. Lo! Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk. (67)
On five other occasions, the exhortations are addressed to the people if the Book:
O People of the Scripture! Now hath Our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which ye used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. Now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture, (15)
O People of the Scripture! Now hath Our messenger come unto you to make things plain unto you after an interval (of cessation) of the messengers, lest ye should say: There came not unto us a messenger of cheer nor any warner. Now hath a messenger of cheer and a warner come unto you. Allah is Able to do all things. (19)
Say: O People of the Scripture! Do ye blame us for aught else than that we believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed aforetime, and because most of you are evil-livers? (59)
Say O People of the Scripture! Ye have naught (of guidance) till ye observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed unto you from your Lord. That which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them. But grieve not for the disbelieving folk. (68)
Say: O People of the Scripture! Stress not in your religion other than the truth, and follow not the vain desires of folk who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road. (77)
Throughout, the tone is stern and solemn, fully conveying the seriousness and weight of the issues being discussed, while the declarations and statements are usually followed by explanations, elaborations, instructions, or specific factual information, which are necessary to inspire Muslims to build and organize their community life in accordance with the laws and teaching of Islam. All the time it is quite clear that this set of rules and proclamations is being presented by God in the form of binding obligations that must be fulfilled by Muslims. Among these, we find the call to wash in a certain manner before performing the prayers, as well as rules pertaining to prayer which is itself the first clause in God's covernant with the Israelites.
Having outlined a number of rules, duties, and responsibilities required for the establishment of a Muslim society, God says:
Remember Allah's grace upon you and His covenant by which He bound you when ye said: We hear and we obey; and keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah knoweth what is in the breasts (of men). (7)
Recitation by Shaykh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais and Saud Al-Shuraim:-
[ ayat 1 - ayat 18 ]
[ 0:00:00 - 0:15:20 ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1-Eykt2U4w
Reflection and commentary by the late Dr Israr Ahmed
Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGlsxKMcMZU&feature=relmfu
Part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwIfCK1b4e0&feature=relmfu
Part 6 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNmhjUvnnFg&feature=relmfu
Part 7 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=0aX0zdqT9oc&feature=endscreen
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Malaysian history from a ' Muslim ' oral perspective......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f12W3QgU8oQ
Part 7 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=0aX0zdqT9oc&feature=endscreen
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Malaysian history from a ' Muslim ' oral perspective......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f12W3QgU8oQ
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