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5. Al-Ma'idah (The Table)

Medinan, 120 verses

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1. You who believe, fulfill the agreements. Four-legged livestock are made lawful for you except what is read to you, and hunting is not being lawful while you are forbidden (during the Hajj). God orders what He wants.

2. You who believe, do not dismiss the sanctity of God's rituals, the prohibited month, the offering (of sacrifice), the collared offering, or those going to the sacred house (Ka’aba) looking for their Lord’s grace and pleasure. When you are allowed (after the Hajj) then you may hunt. And do not let the hatred of those who prevented you from the Sacred Mosque cause you to exceed the limits. And cooperate based on goodness and self control (against unlawful desires) and do not cooperate based on sin and enmity, and be cautious of God, as God is severe in punishment.

3. Forbidden to you (to eat) are dead (animals), blood, pig’s meat (pork), what is offered up for (sacrificed for) other than God, dead by strangulation, dead by beating, dead by a fall, dead by being gored, what the wild animal ate except what you slaughtered (before it dies), what is sacrificed on the stones (altars of idols), and what is divided by the lottery arrows. These are disobedience. Today those who disbelieve lost hope about your way of life (religion), so do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I completed your way of life (religion) for you and I finished my favor upon you and I chose the submission (Islam) as a way of life (religion) for you. If anyone is forced by hunger, not intending to sin, then God is forgiving and merciful.

4. They ask you about what is permitted for them (to eat). Say: “The good things are made lawful for you, and what you taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) according to what God taught you. So eat from what they catch for you and mention God’s name on it, and be cautious of God as God is quick in reckoning.”

5. Today, the good things are made lawful for you, and the food of those who were given the book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them, and the chaste among the believing women and the chaste among those who were given the book before you (are lawful) when you pay their compensations (marriage portions) for marriage and not for fornication (or prostitution) and not taking (them) as lovers. Whoever rejects the belief (in God), indeed his work becomes useless and he is among the losers in the Hereafter.

6. You who believe, when you intend to perform mandatory prayer, wash you faces and your hands to the elbows and wipe your head and (wipe/wash) your feet to the ankles, and if you had orgasm then clean yourself, and if you were sick or on a journey, or one of you came from toilet (bowel movement), or you had (sexual) contact with a woman and could not find water then perform dry ablution using clean soil (or stone) rubbing your faces and hands with it. God does not want to make it difficult for you, but He wants to make you clean and to finish His favor upon you, so you may be thankful.

7. And remember God’s favor upon you, and His commitment that He bound you with it when you said: “We hear and we obey.” And be cautious of God, as indeed God knows what is inside the chests/minds.

8. You who believe, be maintainers for God (and His commandments) and be witnesses with justice, and do not let the hatred of any group cause you not to be just, be just as it is closer to being cautious (of God), and be cautious of God as indeed God is well aware of what you do.

9. God has promised forgiveness and a great reward to those who believe and do good.

10. And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they will be inhabitants of the hellfire.

11. You who believe, remember God’s favor upon you when a group intended to stretch out their hands (to initiate an attack) against you, but He withheld their hands from you, and be cautious of God. And the believers should put their trust in God.

12. Indeed God took a commitment from the children of Israel and We raised twelve leaders among them, and God said: “I am with you, if you perform mandatory prayer and give to mandatory charity and believe in My messengers and assist them and lend God a good loan (do a good deed), then I shall remove your sins from you and shall admit you into gardens which rivers flow through them, and any one of you who disbelieves after that has indeed lost the right way.”

13. And because of breaking their commitment, We cursed them and We made their hearts hard. They change the words from their places (and context) and have forgotten a part of what they were reminded of it. You will always notice betrayal from them, except a few of them, but pardon them and overlook. God likes the good doers.

14. And from those who said we are Christians, We took their commitment, but they also forgot a part of what they were reminded of it, so We caused animosity and hatred among them until the Resurrection Day. And God will inform them about what they were doing.

15. People of the book, Our messenger has come to you to clarify for you much of what you were hiding from the book and to eliminate much of it. Indeed a light and a clear (and clarifying) book has come to you from God.

16. With it, God guides anyone who follows His pleasure to ways of peace (and well-being) and brings them out of the darkness into the light with His permission and guides them to a straight path.

17. Those who say that God is Christ, son of Mary, have certainly disbelieved. Say: “Who has any power against God if He wanted to wipe out Christ, son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on the earth? The rule of the skies and the earth and whatever in between them belongs to God, He creates what He wants, and He is capable of everything.”

18. Jews and Christians say: “We are children of God and His dear ones.” Say: “Then why does He punish you for your sins? Rather, you are human beings among what He created, He forgives anyone He wants and punishes anyone He wants. And the rule of the skies and the earth and whatever in between them belongs to God, and the final return is to Him.”

19. People of the book, Our messenger has come to you, after a period without any messengers, to clarify for you, so that you do not say: “No giver of good news and no warner has come to us.” So (now) a giver of good news and a warner has come to you. God is capable of everything.

20. And when Moses told his people: “My people, remember God’s favor upon you when He made prophets among you, and made you chiefs, and He gave you what He did not give any (other) among humankind.”

21. My people, enter the holy land which God prescribed for you and do not turn on your backs, as you become losers.

22. They said: “Moses, indeed there are tyrant people in there and we will never enter it until they go out of it, and when they go out of it then we will enter.”

23. Two men among those who feared (God) and God had favored upon both of them said: “Enter upon them through the gate, and when you enter it, you are winners, and put your trust in God if you are believers.”

24. They said: “Moses, we will never ever enter it as long as they are in it, so you and your Lord go and fight, we sit here.”

25. He (Moses) said: “My Lord, I do not control (anyone) except myself and my brother, so separate us from the disobedient people.”

26. He (God) said: “Then it is forbidden to them for forty years, they will wander on the earth, so do not be sad for the disobedient people.”

27. And read to them the true story of the two sons of Adam, when they both offered offering of sacrifice, then it was accepted from one of them and it was not accepted from the other. He said: “I shall kill you.” And (the other one) said: “God only accepts from those who are cautious (of Him).”

28. If you stretch out your hand toward me to kill me, I will not stretch out my hand toward you to kill you, I fear (the punishment of) God, the Lord of humankind.

29. I want you to bear my sin and your sin, so you will be among inhabitants of the fire, and that is the punishment of wrongdoers.

30. Then he allowed himself to kill his brother, so he killed him and became of the losers.

31. Then God sent a crow digging up the ground to show him how to cover up his brother’s dead body. He said: “Shame on me, am I unable to be like this crow to hide my brother’s corpse?” Then he became regretful.

32. Because of that, We prescribed to children of Israel that: “Anyone who kills a person, other than for (murdering) a person or for corruption on the earth, then it is like he has killed all the people, and anyone who saves it (a life) then it is like he has saved the life of all the people.” And Our messengers have certainly brought them clear evidences, then many of them were excessive on the earth after that.

33. The only punishment of those who wage war against God and His messenger and spread corruption in the land is to be killed or to be crucified or have their hands and feet cut off from the opposite side or be sent to exile from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and they have great punishment in the Hereafter,

34. except those who repent before you overpower them, and know that God is indeed forgiving and merciful.

35. You who believe, be cautious of God and look for the means toward Him and try hard in His way so you may be successful.

36. If those who disbelieved had all that is on the earth and the like of it with it, in order to ransom from the punishment of the Resurrection Day with it, it will not be accepted from them and they will have a painful punishment.

37. They want to get out of the fire but they will not get out of it, and they will have eternal punishment.

38. The male thief and the female thief, cut their hands as an exemplary punishment from God for what they did. God is powerful and wise.

39. But anyone who repents after his wrongdoing and corrects (the situation), then God accepts his repentance, God is indeed forgiving and merciful.

40. Did you not know that the rule of the skies and the earth belongs to God, punishing anyone He wants and forgiving anyone He wants? God is capable of everything.

41. Messenger, do not be sad by those who race to disbelief among those who said “We believe” with their lips but their hearts did not believe. And some of the Jews listen to lies, listening to other people who did not come to you, changing the words from their places (and context) saying: “If you are given this (the changed word) then accept it, and if you are not given it then stay away from it.” And whomever God wants to test, then you will never have any power for him against God. They are those whom God does not want to cleanse their hearts, they have disgrace in this world and they will have a great punishment in the Hereafter.

42. They listen to lies and they eat up illegal possessions. So if they come to you, then judge between them or stay away from them, and if you stay away from them, they will never harm you a bit. And if you judge, then judge between them with justice. God likes the just people.

43. How can they make you judge while they have the Torah with them which has God's instruction in it? Then they turn away (from your judgment) after that, they are not the believers.

44. We sent down the Torah, there is light and guidance in it. The prophets, those who submitted (to God), and the devoted ones and the religious scholars judge the Jews with it, because they were made guardians of God's book and they were witnesses to it, so do not fear people but fear Me, and do not trade my signs for a small price. And anyone who does not judge by what God has sent down, then they are the disbelievers.

45. And We prescribed for them in it, that life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, and tooth for tooth, and for the wounds is fair retaliation. And whoever donates it (as charity and gives up the retaliation) then that is an atonement for him (for his sins). And anyone who does not judge by what God has sent down, then they are the wrongdoers.

46. And after them, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming what was before him in the Torah, and We gave him the Gospel, in which there is guidance and light, and confirms what was there before it from the Torah, and a guide and an advice for those who are cautious (of God).

47. And people of the Gospel (Christians) should judge by what God has sent down in it. And anyone who does not judge by what God has sent down, then they are the disobedient ones.

48. And We sent down the book to you in truth, confirming what was before it from the book and a guardian over it, so judge between them by what God has sent down and do not follow their desires, away from what came to you of the truth. For each of you We made a statute and a procedure, and if God wanted, He would have made you a single community (of faith), but He shall test you with what He gave you, so compete in (doing) good. You all return to God, then He informs you about what you used to disagree about.

49. And judge between them by what God has sent down and do not follow their desires and beware of them that they do not tempt you away from some of what God sent down to you. And if they turn away, then know that God wants to make them suffer for some of their sins. And indeed most people are disobedient.

50. Are they looking for the judgment of (the times of) ignorance? Whose judgment is better than God for people who are certain?

51. You who believe, do not take Jews and Christians as your protectors as they are protectors of each other, and whoever among you takes them as protector then he is indeed one of them. God does not guide the wrongdoing people.

52. You see those who have disease in their hearts rush toward them saying: “We are afraid that a disaster happens to us.” But perhaps God brings the victory or a situation from Himself that they become regretful of what they hid in themselves.

53. And those who believe say: “Are these the ones who swore their most solemn oaths by God that they are with you?” Their works became useless and they became losers.

54. You who believe, anyone among you who turns back from his religion (is not important to God), so God will bring about people whom He likes and they love Him, (they are) humble toward the believers and powerful against the disbelievers, they try hard in God's way and are not afraid of blame of anyone who blames. That is God’s grace, He gives it to anyone He wants. God is bountiful and knowledgeable.

55. Your protectors/supporters are only God and His messenger and those who believe, those who perform mandatory prayer and they give to mandatory charity and/while they bow down (or while they are submissive).

56. And anyone who turns (for protection/support) to God and His messenger and those who believe, (should know that) indeed God’s party, they are the winners.

57. You who believe, do not take as friends those who take your way of life (religion) as a joke and a game, among those who were given the book before you and the disbelievers. And be cautious of God if you are believers.

58. And when you call for mandatory prayer they take it as a joke and a game, that is because they are a group who do not understand.

59. Say: “People of the book, do you resent us only because we believe in God and what was sent down to us and what was sent down in the past, while most of you are disobedient?”

60. Say: “Shall I inform you of worse than this as a penalty from God? Anyone whom God cursed and was angry at him, He made some of them into monkeys and pigs and servant of the rebellious ones, they are in a bad position and far lost from the right way.”

61. And when they come to you they say: “We believe.” But they have entered in disbelief and they have left with it, and God fully knows what they were hiding.

62. And you see many of them rush into sin and hostility and eating up illegal possessions. What they were doing was certainly miserable.

63. Why the devoted ones and the religious scholars do not prohibit them from their sinful talks and their eating up illegal possessions? What they were doing was certainly miserable.

64. And the Jews said: “God’s hand is tied.” Their hands are tied and they are cursed for what they said. But His hands are wide open, He spends as He wants. And what was sent down to you from your Lord shall increase rebellion and disbelief of many of them. And We placed the animosity and the hatred between them until the Resurrection Day. Every time they ignited a fire for the war, God extinguished it. They spread corruption on the earth, and God does not like the corruptors.

65. And if people of the book believe and be cautious (of God), We would remove their sins from them and admit them into gardens of delight.

66. And if they had carried out the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to them from their Lord, they would have certainly eaten from above them and from beneath their feet (as reward). Among them is a moderate group, while what most of them do is bad.

67. Messenger, deliver what was sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not do that, then you have not delivered His message. God defends you against the people. Indeed God does not guide the disbelieving people.

68. Say: “People of the book, you are on nothing until you carry out the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to you from your Lord.” And what was sent down to you (Muhammad) from your Lord shall increase rebellion and disbelief of many of them, so do not feel sorry for the disbelieving people.

69. Indeed those who believe (in Quran), the Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians, anyone who believes in God and the Last Day and does good then he has no fear and no sadness.

70. Indeed We took a commitment from children of Israel and We sent messengers to them, but every time a messenger brought them what they themselves did not like, then they denied some (of the messengers) and killed some others.

71. And they thought that there will not be a test, so they turned blind and deaf (to the truth), then God turned to them (and forgave them), but many of them turned blind and deaf, and God sees what they do.

72. Those who say: “Christ, son of Mary, is God” have certainly disbelieved, while Christ said: “Children of Israel, serve God, my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed whoever associates (any partner) with God, then God has forbidden the garden (paradise) to him and his housing will be the fire, and there will be no helper for the wrongdoers.

73. Those who say that God is one of three (in the Trinity) have certainly disbelieved. There is no god except the One god. And if they do not stop what they say, a painful punishment shall happen to those among them who disbelieve (and persist).

74. So why do they not repent to God and ask His forgiveness, as God is forgiving and merciful.

75. Christ, son of Mary, was only a messenger, the messengers had passed away before him, and his mother was truthful, they both used to eat food. Look how We make the signs clear to them, then look how they are deviated (from the truth).

76. Say: “Do you serve something besides God that does not have power of any harm or any benefit for you? While God hears all and knows all.”

77. Say: “People of the book, do not exaggerate unjustifiably in your religion (way of life), and do not follow the desires of people who had lost (the right path) in the past and they misguided many and lost the right way.

78. Those who disbelieved among children of Israel were cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary. That is because they disobeyed and they used to exceed the limits.

79. They were not stopping one another from the unacceptable (and wrong) which they did. What they were doing was certainly miserable.

80. You see many of them turn (for protection/support) to those who disbelieve. What their own selves have sent ahead for them (their deeds) is certainly miserable, making God angry with them, and they will remain in punishment forever.

81. And if they had believed in God and the prophet and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken them as protectors, but most of them are disobedient.

82. You shall find that the people with most animosity for those who believe are Jews and those who associated (partners with God), and you shall find nearest of them to friendship for those who believe are those who say we are Christians, that is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant.

83. And when they listen to what was sent down to the messenger, you see their eyes are full of tears because of what they recognize from the truth, they say: “Our Lord, we believe so write us with the witnesses,

84. and why should we not believe in God and what came to us from the truth, while we hope for our Lord to admit us with the righteous people?”

85. So because of what they said, God will give them gardens which rivers flow through them remaining in there forever, and that is reward of the good doers.

86. And those who disbelieve and deny our signs, they are inhabitants of the hellfire.

87. You who believe, do not make good things that God made lawful for you unlawful, and do not exceed the limits. God does not like those who exceed the limits.

88. And eat from lawful and good things that God has provided for you, and be cautious of God, the One you believe in Him.

89. God does not hold you responsible for your useless oaths, but He holds you responsible for your binding oaths. Then its atonement is to feed ten needy with the average of what you feed your family or to clothe them or to free a slave, and anyone who does not find then he should fast for three days. That is atonement for your oaths that you swore. And keep your oaths. That is how God clarifies His signs for you so you may be thankful.

90. You who believe, wine (and alcoholic beverages) and gambling and statues (of the idols) and fortune-telling arrows are only filthy work of Satan, avoid it so that you may be successful.

91. Satan only wants to create animosity and hatred among you with wine (and alcoholic beverages) and gambling, and to keep you away from God's remembrance and mandatory prayer, so will you stop it?

92. And obey God and obey the messenger and be careful. And if you turn away then know that Our messenger's responsibility is only delivering (the message) clearly.

93. There is no blame on those who believe and do good for what they ate (in the past), when they are cautious and believe and do good, then they are cautious and believe, then they are cautious and do good. And God likes the good doers.

94. You who believe, God shall test you with something of the hunt that is within the reach of your hands and your spears, so that God knows who fears Him secretly. So whoever exceeds the limits after this then he will have a painful punishment.

95. You who believe, do not kill the game (in hunting) while you are forbidden (during the Hajj). Any one of you who kills it intentionally, then his punishment is the livestock like what he killed, as judged by two just persons among you, as an offering to reach the Ka'aba, or atonement of feeding some needy or the equivalent of that in fasting, so he may taste the consequence of his action. God excuses what is passed, and anyone who returns (to such actions) then God will take revenge from him, and God is powerful and revengeful.

96. Hunting from the sea (fishing) and eating it was made lawful for you, as an enjoyment for you and for those who travel, while hunting in the land was forbidden to you as long as you are forbidden (during the Hajj). And be cautious of God, the One you will be gathered to Him.

97. God made the Ka’aba, the sacred house, a means of safety and support for people, and (also) the sacred months and the offering (of sacrifice) and the collared offerings. That is for you to know that God knows what is in the skies and what is on the earth, and God knows everything.

98. Know that God is severe in punishment, and that God is forgiving and merciful.

99. The responsibility of the messenger is only delivering (the message), and God knows what you disclose and what you hide.

100. Say: “The bad and the good are not equal even if abundance of the bad surprises you, so people of understanding (reasonable people) be cautious of God that you may be successful.”

101. You who believe, do not ask about things that if they are disclosed to you, they upset you, and if you ask about them when Quran is being sent down, they will be disclosed to you, God has excused them, and God is forgiving and patient.

102. A group (of people) before you have asked them, then they became disbelievers in them.

103. God did not make Bahirah or Sa'ibah or Wasilah or Hami (unlawful), but those who disbelieve attribute lies to God, and most of them do not understand.

104. And when they are told: “Come to what God has sent down and to the messenger” they say: “What we found our fathers on it, is enough for us” even though their fathers did not know anything and they were not guided.

105. You who believe, you are responsible for yourselves, whoever is misguided does not harm you when you are guided. You all return to God, then He informs you of what you were doing.

106. You who believe, when death approaches any of you, take two witnesses from just persons among yourselves during making the will, or from other than yourselves if you are traveling in the land and the tragedy of death hits you. If you have doubt, hold them after mandatory prayer so they swear by God that: “We will not trade it for any price even if it is for our relatives (or close ones), and we will not hide God’s testimony, in that case we will be among the sinners.”

107. And if it is discovered that they are guilty of sin (for lying or betrayal) then let two others stand in their place, from those who are more deserving than the previous two, and swear by God that: “Our testimony is truer than their testimony and we did not overstep (the truth), otherwise we are among the wrongdoers.”

108. It is more likely that they give the testimony in its true form or they fear that their oaths will be disproved after other oaths. And be cautious of God and listen. And God does not guide the disobedient people.

109. On a day that God gathers the messengers and says: “What have you been answered?” They say: “We do not know, indeed You are knower of the unseen.”

110. And when God said: “Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and your mother when I supported you with the Holy Spirit and you spoke with people in the cradle and in old age, and when I taught you the book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel, and when with My permission you made something from clay in the shape of a bird, then you blew into it and with My permission it became a (real) bird, and with My permission you healed the born blinds and the lepers, and when with My permission you brought back the dead (to life), and when I withheld children of Israel from you when you brought them clear evidences but the disbelievers among them said: “This is nothing but obvious magic.”

111. And when I revealed to the apostles to believe in Me and in My messenger, they said: “We believe, and be witness that we are submitted.”

112. When the apostles said: “Jesus, son of Mary, can your Lord send down a table (full of food) for us from the sky?” He (Jesus) said: “Be cautious of God if you are believers.”

113. They said: “We want to eat from it and to reassure our hearts and to know that you have told us the truth and to be among the witnesses for it.”

114. Jesus, son of Mary said: “God, our Lord, send down a table to us from the sky so it will be a feast for the first of us to the last of us and a sign from You, and provide for us as you are the best of providers.”

115. God said: “I will send it down to you, then anyone among you who disbelieves after that, I will punish him, a punishment that I have not punished anyone else among humankind.”

116. And when God said: “Jesus, son of Mary, did you tell the people: “Take me and my mother as two gods besides God?”” He (Jesus) said: “You are flawless (glory to You), it is not for me to say what I have no right, if I had said it You would have known that, You know what is in my mind, but I do not know what is in Your mind, indeed You are knower of the unseen.

117. I did not tell them except what you instructed me to it: “Serve God, my Lord and your Lord,” and I was a witness over them as long as I was among them, and when You took me back, You became the watcher over them, and You are witness to everything.

118. If You punish them, indeed they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, indeed You are the powerful and the wise.”

119. God will say: “This day the truthful benefit from their truthfulness, they will have gardens which rivers flow through them, remaining in there forever and ever.” God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. That is the great victory.

120. The rule of the skies and the earth and whatever is in them belongs to God, and He is capable of everything