Jump to content

Draft:Verse 5 of Sura al-Ma'ida

Add links
From wikishia
Verse 5 of Sura al-Ma'ida
Verse's Information
Suraal-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5)
Verse5
Juz'6
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicSocializing with the Ahl al-Kitab


Qur'an 5:5 grants permission to Muslims to consume food prepared by the People of the Book and authorizes marriage with chaste women from among them. Exegetes interpret this verse as an enactment lifting prior restrictions on social interaction with the People of the Book.

The majority of Shi'a commentators interpret the term ṭaʿām (food) in this verse as referring exclusively to grains and produce; consequently, they regard only the non-meat foodstuffs of the People of the Book as Halal for Muslims. However, certain Shi'a jurists maintain that if the People of the Book adhere to the conditions of Shar'i Slaughtering, the meat of permissible animals slaughtered by them is lawful for consumption. Most Sunni commentators, conversely, include meat within the scope of permissible ṭaʿām in this verse.

Concerning marriage with women of the People of the Book, the prevailing view among Shi'a scholars is that only Temporary Marriage is sanctioned, and that the verse does not validate permanent wedlock. In contrast, a faction of Shi'a jurists and the generality of Sunni scholars have deemed permanent marriage with women of the People of the Book permissible.

Introduction of the Verse

Verse 5 of Sura al-Ma'ida designates food prepared by the People of the Book as Halal for Muslims[1] and permits marriage with chaste women from among both Muslims and the People of the Book, provided the Mahr (dowry) is paid.[2] While legitimizing such unions, the verse explicitly forbids secret trysts and adultery.[3]

Scholarly opinion differs regarding the referent of al-Yawm (Today) in the verse: some identify it as the Day of 'Arafa,[4] others as the period following the Battle of Khaybar, and some as the day of Ghadir Khumm.[5] According to commentators, the declaration regarding the permissibility of the food of the People of the Book[6]—which was arguably already lawful[7]—serves as a preamble to the broader removal of restrictions on social interaction.[8]

This verse functions to alleviate the obligations of Muslims[9] and abolish previous restrictions,[10] thereby facilitating social engagement with the People of the Book and the propagation of Islamic teachings among them.[11] Some commentators cite this verse as evidence for the ritual purity (ṭahāra) of the People of the Book.[12]

The concluding clause of Qur'an 5:5 warns that social integration with the People of the Book must not lead Muslims astray; it further admonishes that rejection of the rulings regarding the permissibility of their food and marriage may result in the nullification of a Muslim's deeds.[13]

The Meaning of the Food of the People of the Book

Exegetes differ regarding the precise definition of the "food" of the People of the Book that is declared Halal in Qur'an 5:5.[14] Most Shi'a commentators hold that "food" (ṭaʿām) refers exclusively to wheat, grains, fruits, and foodstuffs not requiring ritual slaughter,[15] citing the failure of the People of the Book to adhere to the conditions of Islamic slaughtering.[16] Consequently, forbidden meats such as pork, animals not subject to ritual purification (tadhkiya), and meat not slaughtered in the name of God are excluded from this permission.[17]

Numerous traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt (a) interpret the food of the People of the Book as grains and fruits rather than slaughtered animals,[18] primarily because the name of God is not invoked during their slaughter.[19] However, some Shi'a scholars[20] argue that permissible animals slaughtered by the People of the Book are indeed Halal.[21] Muhammad Jawad Mughniyya contends that restricting "food" to grains contradicts the eloquence of the Qur'an, asserting that animals slaughtered by the People of the Book are Halal provided the conditions of Shar'i slaughter are met.[22] Similarly, Jawadi Amoli interprets "food" to encompass both the slaughtered meat and the cooked dishes of the People of the Book.[23]

Certain exegeses note that Imam Ali (a) regarded the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book as Halal, with the exception of the Banū Taghlib tribe.[24] The majority of Sunni commentators likewise classify meat slaughtered by the People of the Book as permissible food.[25]

Permanent or Temporary Marriage with Women of the People of the Book

Interpretations of Qur'an 5:5 vary regarding whether the authorization for marriage with women of the People of the Book extends to permanent marriage or is limited to Temporary Marriage.[26] While Sunni jurists universally consider permanent marriage with such women to be permissible,[27] the majority of Shi'a jurists restrict this permission to temporary marriage, viewing permanent unions as haram.[28] This position is grounded in specific traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt (a)[29] and the verse's use of the term "ujūrahunna" (their dowries/wages), a term frequently associated with the Mahr in temporary marriage.[30]

Conversely, a group of Shi'a jurists permits marriage with women of the People of the Book without restriction (both permanent and temporary),[31] rejecting the notion that the verse is specific to one form.[32] They rely on Mutawatir-like traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt (a) that explicitly deem permanent marriage with the People of the Book permissible.[33]

Notes

  1. ↑ Qirāʾatī, Tafsīr-i Nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 2, p. 242.
  2. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 281.
  3. ↑ Mughniyya, Tafsīr al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 3, pp. 18-19; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 281.
  4. ↑ Maybudī, Kashf al-Asrār, 1371 Sh, vol. 3, p. 34.
  5. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 277.
  6. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Tafsīr Jawāmi' al-Jāmi', 1412 AH, vol. 1, p. 314.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 277.
  8. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 280.
  9. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 5, p. 205.
  10. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 279.
  11. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i Jāvīd, Qom, vol. 8, p. 524.
  12. ↑ Kūshā, "Tawḍīḥāt-i Pānivīs", p. 107.
  13. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 283.
  14. ↑ Mughniyya, Tafsīr al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 3, p. 18.
  15. ↑ Abū al-Futūḥ Rāzī, Rawḍ al-Jinān, 1408 AH, vol. 6, p. 260; Ashkavarī, Tafsīr Sharīf Lāhījī, 1373 Sh, vol. 1, p. 613; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 277.
  16. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 278.
  17. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 5, p. 204.
  18. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 277.
  19. ↑ Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, Qom, vol. 24, p. 66.
  20. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majma' al-Bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 3, p. 251.
  21. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 277.
  22. ↑ Mughniyya, Tafsīr al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 3, pp. 18-19.
  23. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1389 Sh, vol. 22, p. 52.
  24. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majma' al-Bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 3, p. 251; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-Tanzīl, 1418 AH, vol. 2, p. 116; Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 11, p. 293.
  25. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majma' al-Bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 3, p. 251; Maybudī, Kashf al-Asrār, 1371 Sh, vol. 3, p. 34; Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 11, pp. 293-294.
  26. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 281.
  27. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 281.
  28. ↑ Mughniyya, Tafsīr al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 3, p. 20; Qurashī Binābī, Tafsīr-i Ahsan al-Hadīth, 1375 Sh, vol. 3, p. 22.
  29. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 281.
  30. ↑ Qirāʾatī, Tafsīr-i Nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 2, p. 244.
  31. ↑ Mughniyya, al-Fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al-khamsa, 1402 AH, p. 315; Qurashī Binābī, Tafsīr-i Ahsan al-Hadīth, 1375 Sh, vol. 3, p. 22.
  32. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Namūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 282.
  33. ↑ Mughniyya, Tafsīr al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 3, p. 20.

References

  • Ashkavarī, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, Tafsīr Sharīf Lāhījī, Tehran, Daftar-i Nashr-i Dād, 1373 Sh.
  • Abū al-Futūḥ Rāzī, Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī, Rawḍ al-Jinān wa Rawḥ al-Jinān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Mashhad, Astan Quds Razavi, Bunyād-i Pazhūhish-hā-yi Islāmī, 1408 AH.
  • Bayḍāwī, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar, Anwār al-Tanzīl wa Asrār al-Taʾwīl, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1418 AH.
  • Javādī Āmulī, ʿAbd Allāh, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, research by Husayn Shafi'i and Muhammad Farahani, Qom, Isra, 1st ed., 1389 Sh.
  • Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan, Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, Qom, Muʾassisat Āl al-Bayt ʿalayhim al-salām li-Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth, n.d.
  • Subḥānī, Jaʿfar, Manshūr-i Jāvīd, Qom, Muʾassisat al-Imām al-Ṣādiq (ʿa), n.d.
  • Sharʿiyātī, Fāṭima, and Sayyid Muḥammad ʿAlī Ayāzī, "Jāygāh-i Imām Ṣādiq (ʿa) dar Tafsīr-i Qurʾān bā tavajjuh bih rivāyāt-i tafsīrī-yi īshān", ʿUlūm-i Ḥadīth, no. 1 (serial 77), vol. 19, 1393 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Muʾassisat al-Aʿlamī lil-Maṭbūʿāt, 1390 AH.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan, Jawāmi' al-Jāmi', Qom, Hawza 'Ilmiyya Qom, 1412 AH.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan, Majma' al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Nasir Khusraw, 1372 Sh.
  • Fakhr al-Rāzī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar, al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr (Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb), Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1420 AH.
  • Qirāʾatī, Muḥsin, Tafsīr-i Nūr, Tehran, Markaz-i Farhangī-yi Dars-hā-yī az Qurʾān, 1388 Sh.
  • Qurashī Binābī, ʿAlī Akbar, Tafsīr-i Ahsan al-Hadīth, Tehran, Bi'that, 1375 Sh.
  • Kūshā, Muḥammad ʿAlī, "Tarjuma va tavḍīḥāt dar pānivīs", The Holy Quran, Tehran, Ney, 1403 Sh.
  • Mughniyya, Muḥammad Jawād, al-Fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al-khamsa, n.p., n.p., 1402 AH.
  • Mughniyya, Muḥammad Jawād, al-Kāshif, Qom, Dār al-Kitāb al-Islāmī, 1424 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i Namūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1371 Sh.
  • Maybudī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, Kashf al-Asrār va ʿUddat al-Abrār, Tehran, Amirkabir, 1371 Sh.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Verse_5_of_Sura_al-Ma%27ida&oldid=205194"