5. Surah Al-Ma'idah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاذْكُرُواْ
نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ
عَلَيْكُمْ
وَمِيثَاقَهُ
الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُم
بِهِ...
5: 7. And call in remembrance the favor of Allah unto you, and His Covenant, which He ratified with you,
C705. There is a particular and a general meaning.
The particular meaning refers to the solemn Pledge and Covenant taken by two groups of people at 'Aqabah, a valley near Mina,
- the first about fourteen months before the Hijrah, and
- the second a little later.
These were Pledges of fealty to the Messenger of Allah, comparable to the Covenant under Mount Sinai taken in the time of Moses (See 2:63 and n. 78).
The general meaning has been explained in n. 682 to 5:1: man is under a spiritual obligation under an implied Covenant with Allah:
Allah has given man reason, judgment, the higher faculties of the soul, and even the position of vicegerent on earth (2:30), and man is bound to serve Allah faithfully-and obey His Will.
That obedience begins with cleanliness in bodily functions, food, etc. It goes on to cleanliness of mind and thought, and culminates in purity of motives in the inmost recesses of his heart and soul.
... إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا...
when ye said: "We hear and we obey":
... وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ ﴿٧﴾
and fear Allah, for Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.
وَمِنَ
الَّذِينَ
قَالُواْ إِنَّا
نَصَارَى أَخَذْنَا
مِيثَاقَهُمْ
...
5: 14. From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a Covenant,
C715. The Christian Covenant may be taken to be the charge which Jesus gave to his disciples, and which the disciples accepted, to welcome Ahmad (56:6).
Glimpses of this are to be found in the Gospel of St. John even as it exists now (John 15:26. 16:7).
It is those who call themselves "Christians" who reject this. True Christians have accepted it. The enmity between those who call themselves Christians and the Jews will continue till the Last Day.
... فَنَسُواْ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ ...
but they forgot a good part of the Message that was sent them:
... فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاء إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ...
so We estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the Day of Judgment.
... وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللّهُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done.
C715a. The change from the First Person in the beginning of the verse to the Third Person here illustrates the change from the personal relationship of the Covenant, to the impersonal operation of Justice at Judgment.
Cf. 35:9.
Other versions:
5: 7 [al-Maidah, Medina 112]
Asad And [always] remember the blessings which God has bestowed upon you, and the solemn pledge by which He bound you to Himself when you said,………….
Yusuf Ali And call in remembrance the favor of Allah unto you and His Covenant which He ratified with you when ye said: "We hear and we obey": and fear Allah for Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.
Pickthall Remember Allah's grace upon you and His covenant by which He bound you when ye said: We hear and we obey; and keep your duty to Allah. Allah knoweth what is in the breasts (of men).
Transliteration Wazkuru_ ni'matalla_hi 'alaikum wa mis_qahul lazi wa_saqakum bih(i), iz qultum sami'na_ wa ata'na_, wattaqulla_h(a), innalla_ 'alimum bi za_tis sudu_r(i).
[[ Ali’s note - 705 There is a particular and a general meaning. The particular meaning refers to the solemn Pledge and Covenant taken by two groups of people at 'Aqaba, a valley near Mina, the first about fourteen months before the Hijra, and the second a little later. These were Pledges of fealty to the Messenger of Allah, comparable to the Covenant under Mount Sinai taken in the time of Moses (See 0. ii. 63 and n. 78). The general meaning has been explained in n. 682 to v. 1: man is under a spiritual obligation under an implied Covenant with Allah: Allah has given man reason, judgment, the higher faculties of the soul, and even the position of vicegerent on earth (ii. 30), and man is bound to serve Allah faithfully-and obey His Will. That obedience begins with cleanliness in bodily functions, food, etc. It goes on to cleanliness of mind and thought, and culminates in purity of motives in the inmost recesses of his heart and soul. (5.7)]]
5: 14 [al-Maidah, Medina 112]
Yusuf Ali From those too who call themselves Christians We did take a Covenant but they forgot a good part of the Message that was sent them: so We estranged them with enmity and hatred between the one and the other to the Day of Judgment. And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done.
Pickthall And with those who say: "Lo! we are Christians," We made a covenant, but they forgot a part of that whereof they were admonished. Therefor We have stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will inform them of their handiwork.
Transliteration Wa minal lazina qa_lu_ inna_ nasa_ra_ akhazna_ misa_qahum fa nasu_ hazzam mimma_ zukkiru_ bih(i), fa agraina_ bainahumul 'ada_wata wal bagda_'a ila_ yaumil qiya_mah(ti), wa saufa yunabbi'uhumulla_hu bima_ ka_nu_ yasna'u_n(a).
[[ Ali’s notes - 715 The Christian Covenant may be taken to be the charge which Jesus gave to his disciples, and which the disciples accepted, to welcome Ahmad (Q. lxi. 6). Glimpses of this are to be found in the Gospel of St. John even as it exists now (John xv. 26. xvi. 7). It is those who call themselves "Christians" who reject this. True Christians have accepted it. The enmity between those who call themselves Christians and the Jews will continue till the Last Day. A) The change from the First Person in the beginning of the verse to the Third Person here illustrates the change from the personal relationship of the Covenant, to the impersonal operation of Justice at Judgment. Cf. xxxv. 9. (5.14) ]]
[[ Asad’s note 27 I.e., their going astray from the genuine teachings of Jesus – and thus from true faith in God – is the innermost cause of the enmity and hatred which has so often set the so-called Christian nations against one another and led to unceasing wars and mutual persecution.]]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
الَّذِينَ
يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ
اللّهِ وَلاَ
يِنقُضُونَ
الْمِيثَاقَ ﴿٢٠﴾
13: 20. Those who fulfil the Covenant of Allah and fail not in their plighted word;
Other versions:
[ Who has this insight or wisdom or understanding ? Answer follows ]
13: 20
Asad They who are true to their bond with God and never break their covenant;
Yusuf Ali Those who fulfil the Covenant of Allah and fail not in their plighted word;
Pickthall Such as keep the pact of Allah, and break not the covenant;
Transliteration Allazina yu_fu_na bi 'ahdilla_hi wa la_ yanqudu_nal misa_q(a),
[Asad note 42 The “covenant” is, in this context, a general term embracing the spiritual obligation arising from one’s faith in God and the moral and social obligations, resulting from that faith, towards one’s fellow-men (Zamakhshari)…..see 5:1..”ahd Allah” as “bond with God”, see sura 2, note 19. ]