• Fulfilment Of Covenants, Obligations Relating To Pilgrimage,

• Regulations Regarding Food, Perfection Of The Faith, Islam Chosen To Be The Religion,

• Dealings With The Non-Muslims.

Al-Ma’idah Verses 1 – 5

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ أُحِلَّتْ لَكُمْ بَهِيمَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ غَيْرَ مُحِلِّي الصَّيْدِ وَأَنْتُمْ حُرُمٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ

“O’ ye who believe! Fulfil the contracts1made (by you); lawful are made for you (the grass eating) quadrupeds except those which are recited unto you, not allowing the game while ye are under (the prescribed) pilgrimage restrictions, Verily, God commandeth whatever He intendeth2.” (5:1)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ وَلَا الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَانًا وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَنْ صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَنْ تَعْتَدُوا وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

“O3‘ ye who believe! violate not the (sanctity of) the Monuments4of God, nor the sacred month nor the offering nor the symbolic garlands5(wearing) nor those repairing6to the Sacred House7, seeking the Grace from their Lord, and (His) pleasure; and when ye are free from the (prescribed restrictions of the pilgrimage), then (ye may) hunt; and let not malice of a people, because they hindered you from the sacred Mosque, incite you to exceed the limits, and help8ye (one another) in righteousness and piety, and help ye not9(one another) in sin and aggression and take ye shelter in God (for). Verily, God is severe in punishment10.” (5:2)

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوا بِالْأَزْلَامِ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Forbidden11unto you is the Dead (that which dieth of itself) and blood, and flesh of swine, and what hath been (slaughtered) in the name of any other than that of Allah, and the strangled, and the beaten to death, and the killed by a fall, and the gored to death by a horn, and that which the wild beasts ate, except what ye slaughter (in accordance with the prescribed law)12and (also forbidden is to you) what is sacrificed on altar stones (unto idols), and that (which) ye divide by consulting13arrows, Al! these is abomination; This day are despaired those who disbelieve, against your (reverting from your) religion, so ye fear them not but fear Me14; This15day have I perfected for you, your religion, and have completed My favour on you, and chosen for you ISLAM (to be) the Religion; But whoever is helplessly forced by hunger, not inclining to sin then Verily, God is Oft-Forgiving, All-Merciful.16” (5:3)

يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُمْ مِنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللَّهُ فَكُلُوا مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

“They ask thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) what is made lawful for them (in food) Say: “Lawful have been made for you the good things, and (as to the prey of) what ye have taught from among the hunting beasts the dog and which17ye have trained them, ye teach them, even as God hath taught you, then eat ye of what they hold for you, and mention the name of Allah on the prey18(while ye leave the beast to catch it), and fear God; Verily, God is swift in reckoning”. (5:4)

الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

“This day have been made lawful for you (all) good things; and the food19of those who have been given the Book hath been made lawful to you, and your20food is lawful for them, and the chaste21(ones) from the believing women, and the chaste* (ones) from those who have been given the Book before you (are lawful for you) when ye have given them their wage (dower) with chaste intention (of a lawful wedlock) nor fornicating, nor taking them for paramours in secret; and he who denieth22faith, indeed, become vain all his deeds, and in the hereafter he shall be of the losers.” (5:5)

Commentary

Verse 1

‘Uqud’ meaning, covenants, contracts, agreements, engagements, promises, leagues, treaties; be that with man or God, or with any of His Apostles, or with each other. This ordinance makes it crystal clear what importance Islam gives to the welfare and a harmonious progress of the individual and the Society which is the foremost and the essential requisite for peace on earth. Islam is nothing but complete and an unconditional submission to the Universal Divine Will through an implicit obedience or a perfect surrender to every word of the Holy Prophet, the identity of whose ideals with the will of the Lord is given in:

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

“Nor he (the Holy Prophet) Speaketh out of (his own) inclination.” (53:3)

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

“It is naught but revelation that is revealed.” (53:4)

Thus, the believers have been given a sweeping and a general order unrestricted or conditioned by any proviso:

وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

“And whatever the Apostle (Muhammad) giveth, hold it fast. And from whatsoever he forbiddeth you, keep ye away and fear ye, God; Verily God is severe in retributing evil.” (59:7).

The force of one and the same kind of command of any Commander to his people will always naturally differ according to the object behind the order and the exigency of the demand for the move. The Ordinance to fulfil the covenants with God and the Holy Prophet about the prescribed food can never reasonably be aligned with the Lord’s will that has to be done under any circumstances. There are certain covenants which constitute the basis, the life and the soul of the faith which are the foremost and essential needs (viz. The belief in the Unity of God, the Apostles, the Last of the Apostles, the Divine Guidance, the Angels, the Scriptures, the Day of Judgment).

Every intelligent reader has to consider what position could have the covenant taken by the Holy Prophet from the believers in the huge historic assembly of the thousands of the devoted Pilgrims on the 8th of Dhu ‘l-Hajja 10 A.H. when he was under the Divine Command received from the Lord:

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ

“Convey thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad) that which hath already been sent down unto thee, and if thou conveyeth it not, then thou hath not conveyed (executed) the apostleship at all23.” (5:67).

The Holy Prophet had to at once halt and stop the huge caravan and declare to the world that it was his last year of life, it was his last pilgrimage, and he would no more return to Mecca.

At which was revealed the Final Word of the Holy Qur’an, Last Word of God24.

This Verse is applicable to the covenant which marks the perfection and the conclusion of the ministry or the ‘Risalat’ of the Last of the Apostles of God and at the same time inaugurates the Divine guidance through a serial of Twelve Divinely Inspired, Divinely Commissioned Guides, the Holy Imams, but for which the Islam-Original would have met the fate of the creeds of old and the Holy Qur’an today could not have been found intact anywhere in the world. This factor is borne out by the Last Hadith or the declaration of the Holy Prophet.

“Verily I leave behind me the Two very Important things - the Book of God and (my Ahl Al-Bayt)”

According to the version of the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt the pledges referred to in this Verse are those taken by the Holy Prophet at different times from the people about the Imamat, (i.e., the Divine Guidance immediately succeeding the ‘Risalat’, i.e., the Apostleship of Muhammad (B.H.). One of the ‘Uqud’ (i.e., the covenants) and the most important of all the covenants in this respect, is the one about the acknowledgement, of Ali as the first successor to the Holy Prophet.

As regards the prohibition of game during Haj (i.e., the prescribed pilgrimage) it is referred to in Section 13 of this Sura concerning the sanctuary of the Holy Ka’ba under which everything animate, even wild animals, are safe under the general amnesty during the period.

Verse 2

‘Sha’aair’, i.e., places of the performance of the service, or the Signs or the Monuments of God.

‘Hadya’-Qala’id’ - stand for the animals dedicated for the sacrifice. Since the animals, generally the camels which are taken to be sacrificed, were conventionally garlanded, hence they are referred to as the garlanded ones, i.e., the camels of sacrifice.

The latter part of the Verse impresses upon the believers, the importance and the sanctity of the places of worship, i.e., Mosques, the Holy Shrines of the Ahl Al-Bayt, particularly the Holy Ka’ba. Muslims are warned from committing any act of violence against the Holy city Mecca wherein the earliest Muslims had suffered the worst persecution and tortures aimed at their extermination - or to do nothing to cause the least hindrances to the pilgrims from reaching it25.

Verse 3

Prohibiting the eating of the animals slaughtered invoking any name other than Allah’s (God’s) gives a clear idea of the intensity with which polytheism is abhorred and loyalty or devotion to the One and the Only True God is insisted upon by Islam.

‘Illa-ma Zakkaitum’ - is derived from the root ‘Tazkiah’ meaning cleansing - here technically it means allowing the natural heat in the body to pass away, i.e., through the Islamic mode of slaughter.

This part of the Verse (i.e., from Alyaum to Islam Deena) was revealed towards the conclusion of the ministry of the Holy Prophet (n A.H.) at Ghadir Khumm after Verse 5:67 of this Sura. See the note under the Verse 5:67 about the historic event that was celebrated by the Holy Prophet at Ghadir Khumm on his return from Mecca after his last or the Parting Pilgrimage or the ‘Hajjat al-Wida’.’

“The very subject-matter of the Verse shows that it must have been revealed towards the close of the Holy Prophet’s life, and it is held by all authorities that no law-giving Verse was revealed after this. The Holy Prophet died eighty-one or eighty-two days after its revelation.” (R.Z.) (M.A.)

The fact that there is another factor of great importance and vital interest, is voluntarily and helplessly acknowledged by the Ahmadi commentator (M.A.) in his note explaining this Verse which goes a long way to disprove or contradict the Ahmadi claim at the very basis of it.

“This Verse is a clear testimony to the perfection of religion in Islam, no such claim being made by any other book or religion. Hence it was that Muhammad, (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), was the last of the Prophets, because religion being perfected no prophet was needed after him.” (M.A.)

When it is so openly acknowledged that Islam as a religion has been perfected, where does then remain any room for any other reformer? One has only to find out Islam-Original preached and practiced by the Holy Prophet, and not to find a new faith or a creed instead. And it has to be so helplessly acknowledged that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was the Last Prophet of God, where is the room for anyone to be a prophet or an apostle.

One of the four leading authorities of the Sunni School Imam Ahmad Ibn Hmabal, the founder of the Hambali sect, in his famous work ‘The Musnad’ relates of a Jew addressing ‘Umar Ibn Khattab, saying that if there were a similar declaration in the scripture, Pentateuch, the Jewish people as a whole would have made a great festival of “the day”. (BH. Vol. II).

All the leading Sunni authorities are unanimous that this terse was revealed at ‘Ghadir Khumm’ in 18.11.11 A.H. when the Holy Prophet declared Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib as his immediate successor as the ‘Maula’, ‘Lord’, ‘Master’ or the ‘Amir’, the Governor or Ruler.

This Verse having been revealed immediately following the proclamation of the Imamat of Ali immediately following his apostleship of the Holy Prophet, makes it quite obvious beyond all doubts that Islam needed only the general proclamation of Ali’s succeeding the Holy Prophet, to be completed as a perfect religion. The natural inference from this divine proclamation can he nothing but that without believing in Ali being the immediate successor to the Holy Prophet the faith is not perfect. The Final Word of God meant for humanity on earth for all times, was conveyed through the revelation of the Holy Qur’an to Muhammad, the Last of the Apostles of God.

Facing the orders of the natural incompetency of the people emerging from the lowest depth of idolatry, and passing the life under the swords of the enemies, and bearing cheerfully all the calamities which confronted him, the Holy Prophet presented the ideal Islamic life with perfect examples of the correct practice of the faith and had also given the necessary explanations to the Holy Qur’an, the Final Word of God. And the institution of the Imamat was to secure the. Word of God in its originality and with its correct interpretation, wherever necessary for the proper guidance of humanity to the last day of the life of the world about the correct belief and its faithful practice.

No companion of the Holy Prophet could ever have been vested with this responsibility, for they were all, more or less once corrupt and misled. The post needed some infallible and divinely conditioned ones like the Holy Prophet himself, to have never in their lives gone astray. Besides the holy personality of the Holy Prophet there was only one holy individual who could exclusively claim never to have bowed to any false god or gods, and that was Ali and Ali alone.

It is this unique distinction for which even the common masses of the Muslim world, mention Ali’s name with the suffix ‘Karrumullahu Wajhahu’ meaning ‘He whose face God has made graceful’, i.e., by preserving it against bowing to any false god. As regards Ali’s possessing the divinely inspired knowledge, the Muslim world as a whole knows and unanimously acknowledges that it was only about Ali and none else, that the Holy Prophet said: “O’ Ali! seest thou whatever I see and heareth thou what I do hear - save that there is no apostle to come after me” - “I am the City of knowledge and Ali is its Gate.”

The infidels most naturally have come to despair about the religion, Islam. The devils of the infidels specially the hypocrites were waiting for the Holy’ Prophet Muhammad to depart from the midst of the people, for it was only then it would be easy for them to delude the people and lead them astray. Now that the institution of Imamat has been divinely made to immediately follow the ‘Risalat’, all the premeditated plans were rendered hopeless.

Regarding the date of the revelation of this Chapter there is no clear evidence to the exact dates of its Verses. This is undoubtedly one of the latest chapters revealed. The context of the portion of the 3rd Verse (5:3) beginning from (this day are despaired those who disbelieve to this day have I perfected for you your religion) bears a clear testimony to its being the last Verse of Qur’an revealed, for, if anything, i.e., any part of the Qur’an had remained there, yet to be revealed, there would be no meaning or justification in the revelation of this Verse declaring the perfection of the faith, otherwise any subsequent Verses should not be the part of the faith.

And undoubtedly the context of Verse 5:67 of this chapter proves its revelation to be decidedly preceding this Verse and comparing these two Verses together, it clearly establishes that there must be an inter-relation between these two passages. The wording of Verse 5:67 is in emphatically imperative tone, saying to preach a certain thing, warning otherwise to have not fulfilled the role of apostleship at all. And the concluding clause of Verse 5:67 clearly indicate that in the implementation of the order there was the risk and danger for the Holy Prophet against which the assurance of God’s protection is given therein, as it is given here. The phrase ‘Maa Onzela’ in Verse 5:67 if taken to mean, as done by some commentators, “whatever or all that has been sent unto thee” would have been appropriate if it had been revealed in the start of the apostolic mission and to mean as such at the close of it, when everything had been revealed and conveyed, would be meaningless.

Therefore, irrespective of the sequence of this phrase in this Verse the arrangement of which is based on the considerations other than the order of revelation, it should be read as to follow Verse 5:67. Any statement or tradition contrary to this fact, particularly of Bhukari and Muslim saying that this Verse was revealed at Arafat, should be taken as the outcome of diplomacy and the prejudice against the historic declaration of the Holy Prophet at ‘Ghadir Khumm’ for purely political bias and consideration, especially in view’ of the fact that on the prohibitory matter of this Verse as well as the previous ones and also of the subsequent one had already been revealed and conveyed earlier before the revelation of this phrase and Verse 5:67.

This statement of ours here should not be mistaken to mean any misarrangement of the matter of Qur’an, for the present Qur’anic arrangement, though divine, is based not on chronological but other considerations vide note on ‘Thareef’ in the introduction.

The brief answer to the question as to why this passage has been placed here with the matter above it which is about the prohibitory matter and why this passage should precede Verse 5:67 in arrangement, is given in the preceding Verse:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ

“Verily God Commandeth whatever he intendeth.” (5:1)

The same would be the answer to the question about the intermingling of various subjects in this chapter. The Chapter begins dealing with the obligatory nature of the transactions and covenants and turns immediately to what is lawful and unlawful in food and then jumps to the hunting during pilgrimage. Coming back, it goes again to the various prohibitory meats and again turning to the most important question regarding the security of the faith against the ill-will of the infidels followed by the declaration of the completion of the faith another comes back to the exceptions to the prohibitory orders.

If these diversions and the changes in the topics was due to the misarrangement of the Qur’anic matter in the later period, there would be at least some evidence from the narrators to show the actual position of each part of this Verse and the position of each Verse in this Sura. The absence of any such evidence is a best proof of the divine nature of the arrangements by the Holy Prophet during his very lifetime. (A.P.)

The particle ‘Fa’ connects this clause to the prohibitory clauses, preceding the clause ‘Alyauma akmaltu...’ and made the two clauses of ‘Alyauma. . .’ parenthetical one. But in its ‘Taweeli’, i.e., esoterical significance, it may be connected with the immediately preceding clauses also to mean that Islam in its true and thorough form is that which was declared at ‘Ghadir Khumm’ under Verse 5:67 of this sura. This clause means that if any compulsive or forced circumstances imposed on a true believer, anything otherwise than the individual in the helplessness is excused provided, at heart he is not inclined to the imposed sin, and this is similar to the case of the use of the prohibited meat, in Verse 5:2 which is allowed in the inevitable circumstances. This Verse explains the situation under which ‘Taqiah’, i.e., concealing one’s faith to save his life or life-interest is justified. And this esoteric significance of the clause justifies its location after the two clauses of ‘Alyaum, in this Verse. (A.P.)

Verse 4

A game killed by the beasts or the birds of prey trained to hunt, is allowed provided when the beast or the bird is sent after the game, the name of Allah (God) is invoked.

‘Jawareh’ though meaning any hunting animal, beast or bird but the condition ‘Mimma amsakna’ restricts the animal to be that which is capable of holding the prey for its master, and the birds have no such quality. The adverb ‘Mukallibeen’ restricts the beast to dog only. This is what the Ahl Al-Bayt say, which means that the only prey allowed is what is held by trained hunting dogs (for details see ‘Fiqh’).

According to the Ahl Al-Bayt, God’s name should be mentioned while leaving the dog to catch the prey. (A.P.)

Verse 5

The Muslim Jurists have discussed about the Verse in many necessary details which deserve consideration by the true adherents of the faith 26.

As for the food declared unlawful by Islam, can never become if offered by any follower of the scriptures viz. the Jews or the Christians. Even about things definitely declared as lawful, for instance, the flesh of a fowl will not reasonably’ be lawful if offered by the Christians for when they slaughter a bird they usually strangle or kill it in their own ways prohibited by Islam. Besides they do not at all invoke the name of God upon it.

Moreover, by God the Trinitarian Christians mean something very different from God the Only Real Lord of the Universe, quite irreconcilable with the Islamic conception of God. The God of the Trinitarian Christian is a peculiar composition or mixture of three different beings, i.e., the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The name of such a mixed god or anything meant by it, can never at all, be considered as that of the Only True God. It is said that the Jews take the name of the Only God for their religion is based on Monotheism.

A thing in a certain condition lawful can be unlawful in another way viz. wine turned into vinegar becomes lawful, but if the wine was originally made or even touched by a polytheist it remains unclean, even if it is subsequently converted into vinegar. Besides the Trinitarian Christians do not scruple about things held as unclean in Islam. Hence even the lawful things cooked by the Christians cannot reliably be lawful for the Muslims, for the Christian ways of cleaning or purification, is quite different from the Islamic ways. Thus, the food prepared by Jews or Christians cannot be lawful for the Muslims.

The reasonability of Islam cannot but be acknowledged even by the enemies by the position it gives to the Christians and the Jews against the infidels for the Christians and the Jews believe in the prophets of God and the sacred scriptures, which were once current, whereas the infidels believe in the false and the fanciful gods and their own conjectures and superstitions.

The concluding words of the Verse ‘Wa man yakfur bil Iman’’ clearly lay down that mere good deeds cannot be of any avail for any one unless the individual satisfies the first and the foremost condition of his correctness and his stability in faith, and any disbelief in the truth makes the disbeliever forfeit all his claims to his own good deeds which automatically become null and void.

This refers to the facilities given to the Muslims regarding their food, feeding, and matrimony. Thus, the words ‘Wal-Mohsanat. . .’ should be taken as relating to i.e., temporary marriage which is free from the burden of the permanent marriage and saves the individual from the evil of adultery. The term ‘Ojoorahunna’ used here is the same as used in 4:24 regarding ‘Muta’. This passage gives the exception to 2:221 and does not abrogate it. (A.P.)

• 1. Covenant, Pacts, Agreements, Promises
• 2. Refer to Verses 2:177; 70:32; 3:92.
• 3. Refer to Verses 2:158, 22:36, 2:191, 5:8.
• 4. Motto, Symbol.
• 5. Token of sanctity.
• 6. This word ‘Aameen’ is not the one recited at the end of the Sura 1 by some people, meaning acceptance or response implored which has been used anywhere in the Qur’an. Thus the use of it in reciting the Sura 1 in prayer has neither any justification nor any sanction. (AP)
• 7. The ‘Ka’ba’.
• 8. Cooperate.
• 9. Cooperate not.
• 10. For the breakers of this law.
• 11. For any kind of personal use. Refer to Verse 2:173; 6:119; 6:121 6:146.
• 12. With the Conditions laid down in the ‘Fiqh’.
• 13. Ar. ‘Azlaam’ Lottery.
• 14. God. Refer to Verse 5:67.
• 15. This part of this Verse was revealed at ‘Ghadir Khumm’ immediately at the declaration of Ali Ibn Abi Talib as the ‘Mawla, Lord, Master, Commander, Governor - in the place of the Holy Prophet under Verse 5:67 of this same chapter. See note to Verse 5:67 also - along with the note to this Verse- in the Commentary.
• 16. Refer to Verse 2:173.
• 17. like the dogs of hunt
• 18. According to the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt one should mention the name of God ‘Allah’ while leaving the dog or the bird of prey to catch the prey (AP)
• 19. As per the sixth Holy Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As Sadiq the word ‘Ta’aam’ is restricted to which is made of grains and not of any meat, for what is slaughtered by them is not allowed in Islam. (AP)
• 20. i.e. feeding the people of the Book by the Muslims.
• 21. Protected
• 22. Those who deny to the Muslims the facilities granted by God.
• 23. See the note on Verses 5:3 and 5:67.
• 24. See notes on Verses 5:3, 5:67.
• 25. For details about ‘Sha’aairallah’, see Verses 2:158 and 22:36.
• 26. Refer to ‘Fiqh.’