Al-Ma'idah 5:103
The Table Spread · Juz 7 · Page 124
مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٖ وَلَا سَآئِبَةٖ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٖ وَلَا حَامٖ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡكَذِبَۖ وَأَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ ١٠٣
Allāh has not appointed [such innovations as] baḥīrah or sā’ibah or waṣīlah or ḥām.1 But those who disbelieve invent falsehood about Allāh, and most of them do not reason.
1 translator’s note
- Categories of particular camels which were dedicated to the idols and set free to pasture, liberated from the service of man. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 5:103
The Definition of Bahirah and Sa'ibah
The names Bahirah, Sa'ibah, WasiIah and Hami are connected with customs prevailing during the days of Jahiliyyah. Commentators differ in their exegesis. It is possible that all these words were applied each to a different situation. We limit ourselves to the explanation given by Sayyidna Said ibn al-Musaiyyib ؓ as it appears in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari:
BAHIRAH, an animal the milk from which was dedicated in the name of idols, and was not used by anyone personally.
SA'IBAH, an animal which was released in the name of idols, like a bull in some rural areas of our time.
HAMI, a male camel having copulated with a particular number, which was also released in the name of idols.
WASILAH, a she-camel giving birth to female offspring continuously, uninterrupted by the birth of a male, was also released in the name of idols.
In addition to doing what was Shirk, these people were challenging the right of benefiting from the meat of an animal, or its milk, or riding it, declared permissible by Almighty Allah, and placing their own restrictions on their being lawful or unlawful - as if the office of making Divine laws belonged to them! And the cruel joke was that they took these polytheistic customs of theirs to be the source of attaining the pleasure and nearness of Almighty Allah. The answer to this was: Almighty Allah had never appointed these customs. If their elders did it, they fabricated lies against Him, and the ignorant masses accepted them. In short, a two-pronged warning has been given here by saying that the way it is a crime to invite hardships in Divine injunctions by asking purposeless questions, similarly, it is much more serious a crime that one goes about proposing things as Halal or حَرَام haram based on one's personal opinions and desires without the will and command of the Law-Giver. (Tafsir Usmani )
Page 124
5:96
أُحِلَّ لَكُمۡ صَيۡدُ ٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَطَعَامُهُۥ مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِۖ وَحُرِّمَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ صَيۡدُ ٱلۡبَرِّ مَا دُمۡتُمۡ حُرُمٗاۗ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ ٩٦
Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers,1 but forbidden to you is game from the land as long as you are in the state of iḥrām. And fear Allāh to whom you will be gathered.
1 translator’s note
- Fishing and eating whatever is caught from the sea is permitted even during iḥrām. ↩
5:97
۞ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡكَعۡبَةَ ٱلۡبَيۡتَ ٱلۡحَرَامَ قِيَٰمٗا لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱلشَّهۡرَ ٱلۡحَرَامَ وَٱلۡهَدۡيَ وَٱلۡقَلَٰٓئِدَۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ ٩٧
Allāh has made the Kaʿbah, the Sacred House, standing1 for the people and [has sanctified] the sacred months and the sacrificial animals and the garlands [by which they are identified]. That is so you may know that Allāh knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and that Allāh is Knowing of all things.
1 translator’s note
- Conspicuously as a symbol of Allāh's religion. ↩
5:98
ٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٩٨
Know that Allāh is severe in penalty and that Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
5:99
مَّا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا تَكۡتُمُونَ ٩٩
Not upon the Messenger is [responsibility] except [for] notification. And Allāh knows whatever you reveal and whatever you conceal.
5:100
قُل لَّا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡخَبِيثُ وَٱلطَّيِّبُ وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَكَ كَثۡرَةُ ٱلۡخَبِيثِۚ فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَٰٓأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠٠
Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allāh, O you of understanding, that you may be successful.
5:101
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَسۡـَٔلُواْ عَنۡ أَشۡيَآءَ إِن تُبۡدَ لَكُمۡ تَسُؤۡكُمۡ وَإِن تَسۡـَٔلُواْ عَنۡهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ تُبۡدَ لَكُمۡ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٞ ١٠١
O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are shown to you, will distress you. But if you ask about them while the Qur’ān is being revealed, they will be shown to you. Allāh has pardoned it [i.e., that which is past]; and Allāh is Forgiving and Forbearing.
5:102
قَدۡ سَأَلَهَا قَوۡمٞ مِّن قَبۡلِكُمۡ ثُمَّ أَصۡبَحُواْ بِهَا كَٰفِرِينَ ١٠٢
A people asked such [questions] before you; then they became thereby disbelievers.1
1 translator’s note
- By their unwillingness to carry out what was commanded of them. ↩
5:103
مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٖ وَلَا سَآئِبَةٖ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٖ وَلَا حَامٖ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡكَذِبَۖ وَأَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ ١٠٣
Allāh has not appointed [such innovations as] baḥīrah or sā’ibah or waṣīlah or ḥām.1 But those who disbelieve invent falsehood about Allāh, and most of them do not reason.
1 translator’s note
- Categories of particular camels which were dedicated to the idols and set free to pasture, liberated from the service of man. ↩