43 For further explanation see Surah al-Baqarah 2: 62, n. 26 above.
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 73–6
(73) Those who said: “Allah is one of the Three,” certainly they disbelieved, for there is no god save the One God. And if they do not give up this claim, all who have disbelieved among them shall be subjected to painful chastisement. (74) Will they not, then, turn to Allah in repentance, and ask for His forgiveness? Allah is All- Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
(75) The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger, before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!44
(76) Say: “Do you serve, instead of Allah, that which has no power either to harm or benefit you, ▶
44 In these few words the Christian doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus Christ is repudiated. The true nature of the Messiah is clear from the indications given here: he was merely a human being, he was one born from the womb of a woman, who had a known genealogy, who possessed a physical body, who was subject to all the limitations of a human being and had all the attributes characteristic of human beings. Jesus slept, ate, felt the discomfort of heat and cold and was so human that he was even tested by Satan. How could any reasonable person believe that such a being was either God or a partner or associate of God in His Godhead?
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 77–80
whereas Allah alone is All- Hearing, All-Knowing?” (77) Say: “People of the Book! Do not exceed the proper limits in your religion at the cost of Truth, and do not follow the caprices of the people who strayed before, and caused others to go astray, and strayed far away from the Right Path.”
(78) Those of the Children of Israel who took to unbelief have been cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, the son of Mary, for they rebelled and exceeded the bounds of right. (79) They did not forbid each other from committing the abominable deeds they committed.45 Evil indeed was what they did. (80) And now you can see many of them taking the unbelievers (instead of the believers) for their allies. Indeed they have sent forth evil for themselves. Allah is angry with them, and they shall abide in chastisement. ▶
45 The corruption of any nation begins with the corruption of a few individuals. If the collective conscience of that nation is alive, the pressure of public opinion keeps the people in check and prevents the nation as a whole from becoming corrupted. But if instead of censuring such individuals, the nation leaves them free to behave corruptly, the corruption that was originally confined to a few persons continues to spread till it engulfs the whole nation. It was this which ultimately caused the degeneration of Israel.
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 81–4
(81) For had they truly believed in Allah and the Messenger and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken the unbelievers (instead of believers) for their allies. But many of them have altogether rebelled against Allah.
(82) Of all people you will find the Jews and those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity to be the most hostile to those who believe; and you will surely find that of all people they who say: “We are Christians,” are closest to feeling affection for those who believe. This because there are worshipful priests and monks among them, and because they are not arrogant. (83) And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger you see that their eyes overflow with tears because of the Truth that they recognize and they say: “Our Lord! We do believe; write us down, therefore, with those who bear witness (to the Truth). (84) And why should we not believe in Allah and the Truth which has come down to us when we do fervently desire that our Lord should include us among the righteous?” ▶
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 85–9
(85) So Allah rewarded them for these words with the Gardens beneath which rivers flow so that they would abide there forever. Such is the reward of the people who do good. (86) Those who disbelieved and gave the lie to Our Signs are rightfully the inmates of the Blazing Flame.
(87) Believers! Do not hold as unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful to you,46 and do not exceed the bounds of right. Allah does not love those who transgress the bounds of right. (88) And partake of the lawful, good things which Allah has pro- vided you as sustenance, and refrain from disobeying Allah in Whom you believe.
(89) Allah does not take you to task for the oaths you utter vainly, but He will certainly take you to task for the oaths you have sworn in earnest. ▶
46 This verse embodies two directives. The first is that man should not arrogate to himself the authority to proclaim things either lawful or unlawful according to his own wishes. Only that which God has held to be lawful is lawful, and only that which God has declared unlawful is unlawful. If human beings were to declare certain things either lawful or unlawful on their own authority, they would not be following the law of God but their own laws. The second directive is that they should not adopt the course of world-renunciation and abstention from worldly pleasures as the Christian monks, Hindu mendicants, Buddhist bhikshus and illuminationist mystics did.
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 90
The expiation (for breaking such oaths) is either to feed ten needy persons with more or less the same food as you are wont to give to your families, or to clothe them, or to set free from bondage the neck of one man; and he who does not find the means shall fast for three days. This shall be the expiation for your oaths whenever you have sworn (and broken them), and do keep your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His commandments; maybe you will be grateful.
(90) Believers! Intoxicants, games of chance, idolatrous sacrifices at altars, and divining arrows are all abominations, the handiwork of Satan. So turn wholly away from it that you may attain to true success.47 ▶
47 Two injunctions had already been revealed concerning the prohibition of intoxicants. (See Surah al-Baqarah 2: 219 and Surah al-Nisa’ 4: 43.) Before the revelation of the last injunction, the Prophet (peace be on him) had warned people that intoxicants were highly displeasing to God. Hinting at the possibility of their being prohibited, he counselled people to dispose of intoxicants if they had any. A little later the present verse was revealed and the Prophet (peace be on him) then proclaimed that those who had intoxicants should neither consume nor sell them; instead, they should destroy them. No sooner than this proclamation was made that intoxicating liquors