Surah Al-Ma'idah by Muqsit Buchh
Date: 06-21-2015
Assalamu Alaikum respected brothers and sisters
InshaAllah during our Taraweeh prayer today we will be reciting Surah Al-Ma’Idah from the beginning to the end. But first I would like to give some background information on this surah.
This Surah was revealed in Medina, and has 120 ayat, verses, which cover about one juz. This surah appears to have been revealed after the treaty of Hudaibiyah at the end of the 6th or the beginning of the 7th year after hijrah. This was time when the last effort of the Quraish to suppress Islam had been crushed in the battle of the trench. At this point it had become quite obvious to the Arabs of prophet Muhammad (swh)’s time that no power could stop the Islamic movement.
This Surah is known by two titles: the more common is al-Maidah, meaning "the table" and the other is al-Uqud, meaning "the covenants". The former title comes from the request made by the Christian disciples to the prophet Jesus (Esa) to ask God to send them a meal from heaven for them to enjoy and celebrate, as evidence of 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. For this reason, the second title, al-Uqud, reflects the surah's wide ranging subject matter much more accurately.
The main feature of this surah is the frequent use of direct rhetorical, emphatic speech of Allah (swh) to address the believers "Ya ayyu halladhina Amanoo" O you who believe! This style of speech is used 16 times in which Muslims are commanded to many obligations. For example, in this surah Allah states:
O believers, be true to your obligations...
O Believers, when you intend to pray, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows
O Believers, fulfill your duties to Allah and bear true witness over others
O Believers, remember the favors which Allah bestowed upon you ...
O Believers, have fear of Allah and seek the right path to Him ....
O Believers, do not take as mentors and protectors the infidels and those who were given the Book before you, who have mocked your religion and taken it in vain ....
O Believers,do not forbid the wholesome things which have been made lawful to you
And O Believers, wine and gambling, idols and lottery, are abominations devised by Shaytan
Throughout surah al-Maidah, the tone is stern and solemn, fully conveying the seriousness and weight of the issues being discussed. The declarations are usually followed by explanations and motivations to inspire Muslims to build and organize their community life in accordance with the laws and teachings of Islam.
This surah also discusses the story of prophet Adam (alayhissalam)'s two sons Habil and Qabil, or Cain and Abel. When Qabil murdered his brother Habil in cold blood out of jealousy and spite, he was at a loss to what to do with his body. This surah picks up the story:
"Then Allah (swh) sent a crow which started digging into the earth to show him how to bury his brother's body. "Alas!" he cried, "Am I not as able as this crow that I cannot dispose of my brother's body?" He became full of remorse.
This retold story shows that Cain's attitude is symptomatic of human behavior. Killers are always under the illusion that they somehow benefit from the murder of their victims. However, the cold-blooded destruction of one soul can in no way be an enhancement for another. To build, promote, and reform human life is a positive deliberate act of virtue that is likely to invoke Allah's pleasure and favor. Allah deems the murder of one human being to be a crime against the whole of humanity.
We pray to Allah to guide such killers onto the straight path whether they carry Muslim, Christian, or Jewish names; from Nidal Hassan to Dylann Roof to Adam Lynza. They are all cold-blooded murderers and terrorists who must be reminded of good and evil, of right and wrong. It is not that all Muslim killers are terrorists, it is not that all black shooters are thugs as a result of gang violence, and it is not that all white Christian murderers are mentally sick, lonely acting hateful persons. They are all equally murderers and they are all committing a similar and heinous crime against both their religion and humanity. May Allah (swh) give support and patience to the families of the victims who were killed last Wednesday in the church during a bible study in Charleston, South Carolina, and may Allah (swh) allow us all to study, recite, and learn from surah al Ma-idah. Ameen!