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Al-Ma’idah 5: 91–4
(91) By intoxicants and games of chance Satan only desires to create enmity and hatred among you, and to turn you away from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer. Will you, then, desist? (92) Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and beware. But if you turn away, then know well that Our Messenger had merely to deliver the Message clearly.
(93) There will be no blame on those who believe and do righteous deeds for whatever they might have partaken (in the past) as long as they refrain from the things prohibited, and persist in their faith and do righteous deeds, and continue to refrain from whatever is forbidden and submit to Divine commandments, and persevere in doing good, fearing Allah. Allah loves those who do good.
(94) Believers, Allah will surely try you with a game which will be within the range of your hands and lances so that He might mark out those of you who fear Him, even though He is beyond the reach of perception. ▶
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 95–6
A painful chastisement awaits whosoever transgresses the bounds set by Allah after His firm warning. (95) Believers! Do not kill game while you are in the state of Pilgrim Sanctity.48 Whoever of you kills it wilfully there shall be a recompense, the like of what he has killed in cattle – as shall be judged by two persons of equity among you – to be brought to the Ka[bah as an offering, or feed the needy as an expiation, or its equivalent in fasting in order that he may taste the grievousness of his deed. Allah has pardoned whatever has passed; but Allah will exact a penalty from him who repeats it. Allah is All-Mighty. He is fully capable of exacting retribution.
(96) The game of the water and eating thereof are permit- ted to you as a provision for those of you (who are settled) ▶
48 When a person is in the state of Pilgrim Sanctity (ihram) it is prohibited for him both to hunt and to assist in hunting animals. Indeed, even if an animal has been hunted for him by someone else he may not eat it. However, if someone hunts an animal for himself and makes a gift of it to such a person, there is no harm in his eating it. There is, however, an exception to this injunction against killing animals when one is in the state of ihram, and that is with regard to harmful animals. Snakes, scorpions, mad dogs and such other animals which cause injury to human beings may be killed even by those in the state of ihram.
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 97–100
and for those on a journey; but to hunt on land while you are in the state of Pilgrim Sanctity is forbidden for you. Beware, then, of disobeying Allah to Whom all of you shall be mustered.
(97) Allah has appointed the Ka[bah, the Sacred House, as a means of support for (the collective life of) people, and has caused the holy month (of Pilgrimage), and the animals of sacrificial offering and their distinguishing collars to assist therein. This is so that you may know that Allah is aware of all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; and that Allah has knowledge of every- thing. (98) Know well that Allah is severe in retribution, and that Allah is also All- Forgiving, All-Compassionate. (99) The Messenger is bound only to deliver the Message, whereafter Allah knows well all that you disclose and all that you conceal. (100) (O Messenger), say to them: “The bad things and the good things are not equal, ▶
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 101–3
even though the abundance of the bad things might make you pleased with them.49 People of understanding, beware of disobeying Allah; maybe you will attain true success.”
(101) Believers! Do not ask of the things which, if made manifest to you, would vex you; for,50 if you should ask about them while the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be made manifest to you. Allah has pardoned whatever happened in the past. He is All-Forgiving, All-Forbearing. (102) Indeed some people before you had asked such questions and in consequence fell into unbelief.
(103) Allah has neither appointed (cattle consecrated to idols such as) Bahirah, Sa’ibah ▶
49 This verse enunciates a standard of evaluation and judgement quite distinct from the standards employed by superficial people. For the latter, a hundred dollars would be worth more than five dollars, since the figure hundred is more than five. But according to this verse, if those hundred dollars have been earned in a manner entailing the disobedience of God, the entire amount becomes unclean. If, on the contrary, a man earns five dollars while obeying God then this amount is clean; and anything which is unclean, whatever its quantity, cannot be worth that which is clean.
50 People used to ask the Prophet (peace be on him) many questions which were of no practical relevance to either religious or day-to-day affairs. Hence they were given this directive.
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 104–5
Wasilah nor Ham;51 but those who disbelieve forge lies against Allah and of them most have no understanding (and therefore succumb to such superstitions). (104) When they are asked: “Come to what Allah has revealed, and come to the Messenger,” they reply: “The way of our forefathers suffices us.” (Will they continue to follow their forefathers) even though their forefathers might have known nothing, and might have been on the wrong way?
(105) Believers, take heed as regards your own selves. ▶
51 Here is a mention of some of the superstitious practices of the Arabs of the Jahiliyah period. Bahirah was the name of a female camel which had already borne five young, the last of which was a male. The practice was to slit the ear of such a camel and then let her loose. Thereafter no one could ride her, use her milk, slaughter her or shear her hair. She was entitled to graze and drink water wherever she liked. Sa’ibah was the name of either a male or female camel which had been let loose after consecration as a mark of gratitude in fulfilment of a vow taken for either the recovery from some ailment or delivery from some danger. In the same way the female camel which had given birth ten times, and each time to a female, was let loose. As for Wasilah if the first kid born to a goat was a male, it was slaughtered in the name of the deities; but if it was a female, it was kept by the owners for themselves. If twins were born and one of them was a male and the other a female goat, the male was not slaughtered but rather let loose in the name of the deities. This male goat was called wasilah. There was also another category known as ham: If the young of camels in the second degree of descent had become worthy of riding they were let loose. Likewise, if ten offspring had been borne by a female camel she was also let loose and called ham.
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Al-Ma’idah 5: 106
If you are rightly-guided, the error of he who strays will not harm you.52 To Allah will all of you return; then He will let all of you know what you did.
(106) Believers! When death