Surah Al Ma'idah Tafseer

Praising the Qur'an; the Command to Refer to the Qur'an for Judgment

Allah mentioned the Tawrah that He sent down to His Prophet Musa, the one whom He spoke directly to, praising it, commanding that it should be implemented, before it was abrogated.

Allah then mentioned the Injil, praised it and commanded its people to adhere to it and follow it, as we stated.

He next mentioned the Glorious Qur'an that He sent down to His honorable servant and Messenger.

Allah said,

وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ

And We have sent down to you the Book in truth...,

meaning, with the truth that, no doubt, is coming from Allah.

مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ

confirming the Scripture that came before it,

meaning, the Divinely Revealed Books that praised the Qur'an and mentioned that it would be sent down from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad.

The Qur'an was revealed as was foretold in the previous Scriptures. This fact increased faith in the previous Scriptures for the sincere who have knowledge of these Scriptures, those who adhered to Allah's commands and Laws and believed in His Messengers.

Allah said,

قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لَا تُوْمِنُواْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا

وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَأ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً

Say:"Believe in it or do not believe (in it). Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration." And they say:"Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled." (17:107-108),

meaning that they say, the promise of our Lord, concerning the coming of Muhammad by the words of His previous Messengers, will certainly be fulfilled.

Allah's statement,

وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ

and Muhayminan over it,

According to Sufyan Ath-Thawri who narrated it from Abu Ishaq from At-Tamimi from Ibn Abbas,

means entrusted over it.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"Muhaymin is, `the Trustworthy'.

Allah says that the Qur'an is trustworthy over every Divine Book that preceded it."

This was reported from Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Atiyah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ata' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd.

Ibn Jarir said,

"The Qur'an is trustworthy over the Books that preceded it. Therefore, whatever in these previous Books conforms to the Qur'an is true, and whatever disagrees with the Qur'an is false."

Al-Walibi said that Ibn Abbas said that;

Muhayminan means, `Witness'.

Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi said the same.

Al-Awfi said that Ibn Abbas said that;

Muhayminan means, `dominant over the previous Scriptures'.

These meanings are similar, as the word Muhaymin includes them all. Consequently, the Qur'an is trustworthy, a witness, and dominant over every Scripture that preceded it. This Glorious Book, which Allah revealed as the Last and Final Book, is the most encompassing, glorious and perfect Book of all times. The Qur'an includes all the good aspects of previous Scriptures and even more, which no previous Scripture ever contained. This is why Allah made it trustworthy, a witness and dominant over all Scriptures. Allah promised that He will protect the Qur'an and swore by His Most Honorable Self,

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ

Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). (15:9)

Allah said,

فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ

So judge between them by what Allah has revealed.

Ibn Jarir said,

The Ayah commands:O Muhammad! Rule between the people, Arabs and non-Arabs, lettered and unlettered, by what Allah has revealed to you in this Glorious Book and what it approves of for you from the Law of the previous Prophets.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"The Prophet had the choice to judge between them or to turn away from them and refer them to their own Law. Then this Ayah was revealed,

وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَأ أَنزَلَ اللّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ

(So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires...) (5:49) and he was commanded to judge between them by our Book."

Allah's statement

وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ

and follow not their vain desires...,

This means the ideas they promote, because of which they turned away from what Allah revealed to His Messengers.

This is why Allah said,

وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

And follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you.

The Ayah commands:Do not diverge from the truth that Allah has ordained for you, to the vain desires of these miserable, ignorant people.

Allah's statement,

لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا

To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way.

لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً

(To each among you, We have prescribed a law),

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Abbas,

Shir`at meaning, a clear path.

وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً

If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation.

This is a general proclamation to all nations informing them of Allah's mighty ability. If Allah wills, He would make all mankind follow one religion and one Law, that would never be abrogated. Allah decided that every Prophet would have his own distinct law that is later abrogated partially or totally with the law of a latter Prophet. Later on, all previous laws were abrogated by the Law that Allah sent with Muhammad, His servant and Messenger, whom Allah sent to the people of earth as the Final Prophet.

Allah said,

وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَأ اتَاكُم

If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation, but that (He) may test you in what He has given you.

This Ayah means, Allah has instituted different laws to test His servants' obedience to what He legislates for them, thus, He rewards or punishes them according to their actions and what they intend.

Abdullah bin Kathir said that the Ayah,

فِي مَأ اتَاكُم

(In what He has given you),

means, of the Book.

Next, Allah encouraged rushing to perform good deeds,

فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ

so strive as in a race in good deeds.

which are obedience to Allah, following His Law that abrogated the laws that came before it, and believing in His Book, the Qur'an, which is the Final Book that He revealed.

Allah said next,

إِلَى الله مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا

The return of you (all) is to Allah;

Therefore, O people, your return and final destination is to Allah on the Day of Resurrection,

فَيُنَبِّيُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ.

Allah will inform you about the truth in which you used to differ and will reward the sincere, as compensation for their sincerity, and will punish the disbelieving, rebellious people who rejected the truth and deviated from it to other paths, without proof or evidence to justify their actions. Rather, they have rejected the clear evidences, unequivocal proofs and established signs.

Ad-Dahhak said that,

فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ

(So strive as in a race in good deeds),

is directed at the Ummah of Muhammad, but the first view is more apparent.

Allah's statement