• Prescribed Cleanliness For Prayer

• Equity And Piety Enjoined

• To Fear God Alone And Not The Enemies

Al-Maida Verses 6 – 11

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَٰكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! when ye get ready unto prayers, wash ye your faces and your hands1with the elbows, and wipe a part of your heads and a part of your feet to the ankles; and if ye be polluted then ye cleanse yourselves; and if ye be sick or on a journey, or cometh one of you from the privy (after answering a call of nature), or ye have touched the women, then find ye not water, then betake ye lo pure earth2and wipe ye a part of your faces and a part of your hands with it; intendeth not God that He layeth on you a difficulty, but intendeth He that He purifieth3you so that He may complete His favour on you, that happly ye may be grateful.” (5:6)

وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُمْ بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

“And remember ye the bounties of God on you, and His covenant He hath bound you with, when ye said “We have heard (Thy Commandment) and we have obeyed (it sincerely)-,” And fear ye God; Verily, God knoweth whatever is (hidden) in your breasts (hearts)4.” (5:7)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! be always upright for God, bearing witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; Act ye equitably that is nearer to piety5, Fear ye God; Verily God is (fully) Aware of what (all) ye do6.” (5:8)

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

“God hath promised those who believe and do good deeds, (that there is) for them pardon and great recompense.” (5:9)

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ

“And (as far) those who disbelieve and belie Our signs7, these are the companions of the Hell-fire.” (5:10)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! remember ye God’s bounties on you, when a people had determined to stretch forth their hands towards8you, but He withheld their hands from you; So fear God; and upon God let the faithful rely.” (5:11)

Commentary

Verse 6

The prescribed cleanliness is laid down in this Verse.

The latter part of the Verse prescribes ‘Tayammum’, i.e., a minor (symbolic) ablution when water is not available or when it cannot be used for fear of its doing any harm. ‘Falam Tajidoo’, i.e., if ye find not - or if it be not available for your use means both the conditions:

“Caliph ‘Umar sought to modify this Verse also. He said he would rather not pray at all rather than do this, even though it be for a month. But here his opinion was not accepted. Ammar reminding him of the Prophet’s direction said, ‘fear God’, though he allowed his telling it to others (Bokhari etc.) (B.H.)

Those who wipe the whole head, do not take into consideration what is implied by the alphabet ‘Ba’ in ‘Baro’oosakum’ and washing the feet instead of wiping them, is to discard God’s Commandment in this passage.

Regarding the ‘Tayammum’, on account of the possessive particle the alphabet ‘Ba’ used here, only a portion of the face and the hands, is to be wiped. In ‘Tayammum’, only the parts which have to be washed in ‘Wozo’ (i.e., Ablution) have only to be wiped, i.e., the face and the hands; and the parts which have to be wiped in ‘Wozo’ (Ablution) i.e., the head and the feet are dropped totally. (A.P.)

To purify - The will and the intention of God to purify and to complete the bounties mentioned here, is legislative, i.e., whoever submits his will to God’s will, will get His blessings but the mil and the intention in 33:33 which is emphatically and exclusively about His own selected individuals, the Ahl Al-Bayt, is creative, which means ‘Be’ and it ‘Is’. Otherwise, the whole emphasis and exclusion used in the Verse 33:33 will be meaningless. (A.P.)

Verse 7

The reference to the covenant here is generally interpreted as to the oath of fidelity taken at ‘Aqabah’ or the swearing of the allegiance at ‘Hudaibiyah.’ But the event must be more recent than the reference made in Verses 48:10; 48:18. But the oath of fidelity taken by the early converts to Islam was only by a few men only to protect the Holy Prophet against the attacks of the Meccans which was fulfilled at Badr. Moreover, the pledge was volunteered by the people themselves of their own goodwill; the covenant referred to here is said to be the bounty of God upon the people. The covenant must naturally be a blessing to the believer not only of the time but all those who may belong to the fold until the Day of Resurrection. It must be something worth mentioning by His blessings to every believer in the truth. It is the covenant about Ali taken by God through His Apostle Muhammad at ‘Ghadir Khumm’ by which the door of divine guidance was declared open at me conclusion of ‘Risalat’ or the apostleship which was undoubtedly the greatest blessing of God to mankind.

The address is to the Muslims and the bounties referred to here are with reference to what is mentioned in the last clause of Verse 5:3 (see note to it), and the covenant with which the Muslims were bound, it the last covenant taken from them at Ghadir Khumm by the Holy Prophet in compliance to the commandment of the Lord in Verse 67 for Ali Ibn Abi Talib.

And ‘when ye said…’ refers to the wording of the response from the audience to the declaration of the ‘Wilayat’ (Lordship) of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, by the Holy Prophet on the 18th of Dhu ‘l-Hajja 10 A.H. at ‘Ghadir Khumm’ which has been recorded by almost all the historians and the traditionists, with all the details about what took place on the spot on that historic day. Only a few of the most prominent of the historians of the Sunni School who have recorded the event in all its details are: -

1. Muhammad Ibn Jareer-e-Tabari - in his Kitabul Vilaya.

2. Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Tabari - in his Kitabul Manaqib Ali Ibn Abi Talib.

3. Maulvi Naliullah Lucknavi - in his Mir’aatul Momineen.

4. Raudhatus Safa.

5. Habibus Siyar.

6. The response of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar Ibn Khattab and particularly of ‘Umar mentioned: by Hafiz Ibn Abi Shaiba d. 235 A H.

7. Ahmad Ibn Hambal d. 241 A.H. - in his Musnad.

8. Hafiz Abul Abbas Shaibani d. 303 A.H.

9. Hafiz Abu Yala e Moosali d. 307 A.H.

10. Hafiz Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Jareer e Tabari d. 310 - in his Tafeeer.

11. Hafiz Ahmad Ibn Oqda e Koofi d. 333 A.H. - in his Kitabul Wilayat. He records the event of Ghadir Khumm on the authority of 300 Sahabees (companions) of the Holy Prophet.

12. Hafiz Abu Abdullah-e-Marzabani-e-Baghdadi d. 385 A.H.

13. Ibn Hajar-e-Macci - in his Sawaaiq.

14. Hafiz Ibn Botta-e-Hambali d. 387 A.H.

15. Hafiz Abu Sayeed-e-Khargooshi d. 407 A.H. - in his Book ‘Sharaful Mustafa.’

16. Qazi Abu Bakar Baqilani d. 403.

17. Hafiz Ahmad Ibn Mardwaih-e-Ispahani d. 416 A.H. - in his commentary.

18. Abu Is’haaq-e-Tha’labi d. 427 A.H. - in his commentary on Qur’an.

19. Hafiz Ibn Sammane Razi d. 445 A.H.

20. Mujeebudden-e-Tabari - in his Riadhun Nadhara.

The Al-Ghadir of Amini gives all the details of the event at Ghadir Khumm on the authority of sixty divines of the Sunni School who for generation after generation have recorded the event in alt its details9.

There is a huge multitude of historians, traditionists and commentators who have reported the proceedings of the historic assembly at Ghadir Khumm, to mention the names of all of them will need pages together.

And the last clause of this Verse refers to the hidden spirit of enmity and revolt which disclosed itself at the eve of the departure of the Holy Prophet and the ‘Saqeefa e bani Sa’ada’ and before his burial, as a poet says: -

Chun Sahaba hobbe dunya dashtand

Mustafa ra bekafan bogzashtand -

Since the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) were maddened with the love of this world, they deserted the Mustafa (the Holy Prophet) (even) unshrouded. (A.P.)

Verse 8

The insistence on being just and impartial without any consideration at all of any love for or enmity against, any group or community is one of the unique characteristics of Islam. Fairness and equity in dealings even with those who hate us and are inimical or hostile to us should never be neglected. This is piety

Verse 11

The attempts of the enemies to kill the Holy Prophet and to wipe the Muslim community out of existence are too many to be recorded here. Commentators generally think that the reference is to the attempt made by ‘Bani Nazir’ to put an end to the life of the Holy Prophet.

The concluding words clearly declare that depending upon God is the quality of a true believer and the true believers depend upon none else but God.

Once when the Holy Prophet was seated alone under a tree a man from the hostile tribe of Ghatfan with an intention to kill the Holy Prophet suddenly appeared with a sword in his hand and asked. ‘O’ Muhammad who would save thee non?’ The Holy Prophet without being disturbed in the least, confidently replied: ‘God.’ The man fell upon his knees and embraced Islam. (M.S., F.A.).

• 1. Including the word Ar. ‘ila’ meaning with as used and meant in Verse 4:2.
• 2. Or dust.
• 3. (To purity) Note: - The will and the intention of God to purify and to complete the bounties is legislative i.e. whoever submit his will to God’s will, will get these blessings but the will and intention in 33:33 is emphatically and exclusively to His own selected individuals, the Ahl Al-Bayt, is creative which mean “Be and it Is”. Otherwise, the whole emphasis and exclusion get meaningless.
• 4. See note to the last clause of Verse 5:3. Refer to Verses 48:10; 48:18.
• 5. This makes obvious the importance of piety.
• 6. Refer to Verses 4:135, 2:190, 5:2, 3:17.
• 7. Reference to disbelief in any apostle or any of the Holy Imams of the Ahl Al-Bayt and the miracles wrought by the holy ones - and in the heavenly Scriptures - as the Word of God.
• 8. Against or to hurt.
• 9. See note to Verse 5:3 and Verse 5:67.