Juz 7
al-Maidah (83-120)
- Do not forbid yourself the good Allah made permissible, neither exceed the limits (88) , nor take oaths in vain (89)
- Realize that intoxicants and gambling are pathways to evil, avoid them completely (90).
- Rules regarding hunting/ sayd (94), sanctity of Ka'bah and its role as a sacred place established qiyam-al lin-naas /for performace of prayer, enhancement of integrity and the empowerment of humankind (97),
- Be cognizant of the fact that evil good can never be equal though the preponderance of evil may be overwhelmingly dazzling (100)
- The responsibility of making bequests/ wasiyyah and its regulations explained (106-108).
- All prophets gathered with their peoples and state that their message was in essence the same (109-118).
- The surah began with call to fulfill spiritual and social obligations and to adhere to Allah's guidelines; it ends with reminder of Allah's glory and human dependence on Him. Those who abide by truth, and are pleased with what pleases Allah deserve the ridaa' /pleasure of Allah and attainment of fawz-ul-?¢‚ǨÀúazim / ultimate success (119)
This Makkan revelation is believed to have been revealed as a complete revelation at once and is unique in its recurring affirmation of commands and constant instruction to humanity through Prophet Muhammad using the directive word qul / ?¢‚Ǩ?ìsay?¢‚Ǩ¬ù [40 times in its 165 verses].
- The surah begins with the praise of Allah, the Creator of heavens and earth, of darkness and light. Deniers of this reality equate others with Allah and assume that darkness (evil) and light (goodness) are two divine-like forces contending with each other. (1)
- Allah has made mercy incumbent upon himself (12)
- Skeptics raise doubts regarding the Divine revelation (20) demanding miracles (7), but if Allah were to send even an angel they would still find cause to be unbelieving (8), realizing not that denial of the Messenger of Allah is in fact denial of the Message of Allah (34)
- Every creature walking on earth, crawling/sliding on the ground, swimming in the ocean or flying in the sky are part of structured communities developed proportionately consistent with their level of existence (29), so don't be blind nor deaf to the signs of Allah (31), nor be like those who were tested with trials and tribulations and became hard-hearted (42-43)
- Messengers were sent as mubashshirin / bearers of good tidings and munthirin / warners (48), they were neither owners of vast treasures, nor angels, but divinely-guided human beings who make us reflect upon reality so as to distinguish ignorance from guidance (50); aware that the ultimate hukm /decision/command of all matters is with Allah, yaquss-ul-haqq /expounder of the ultimate truth and best of fasilin /judges (57), Knower of most hidden secrets and of the minutest of detailed information (59)
- Do not be intimate with those who take religion as idiotic/sport nor be beguiled by the materialism of the world (70)
- A detailed account of Prophet Ibrahim /Abraham's analysis of divinity, impressing upon idol, sun and moon worshippers the unsound foundation of their beliefs and the absurdity of their logic (74-81), culminating in Abraham's commitment to be oriented towards and dedicated to Allah (79).
- The rightly-guided who shall attain ?¢‚ǨÀúamn /peace/security are those who are genuine in their faith and do not contaminate faith with injustice (82)
- The message of Prophet Muhammad is of the same essence as that of Prophet Abraham and the same as that conveyed by Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Hud, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Zachariah, John, Jesus, Elias, Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, Lot ?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ and all of them were righteous and virtuous. (83-90)
- Allah, Originator of Heavens and earth set the whole of nature into operation, birth and decay, life and death, morning and night, sun and moon, stars and celestial bodies, rain and vegetation ?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ such is Allah, Creator of everything, so worship Him; we can not perceive Him though He perceives everything, Gracious, All-Aware (95-105)