149 If you do good openly or keep it secret or pardon an evil, Allah surely is ever Pardoning, Powerful.
150 Those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and desire to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others; and desire to take a course in between —
151 These are truly disbelievers; and We have prepared for the disbelievers an abasing chastisement.
152 And those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them, to them He will grant their rewards. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
SECTION 22: Transgressions of the Jews
153 The People of the Book ask thee to bring down to them a Book from heaven; indeed they demanded of Moses a greater thing than that, for they said: Show us Allah manifestly. So destructive punishment overtook them on account of their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf (for a god), after clear signs had come to them, but We pardoned this. And We gave Moses clear authority.
154 And We raised the mountain above them at their covenant. And We said to them: Enter the door making obeisance. And We said to them: Violate not the Sabbath; and We took from them a firm covenant.
155 Then for their breaking their covenant and their disbelief in the messages of Allah and their killing the prophets wrongfully and their saying, Our hearts are covered; nay, Allah has sealed them owing to their disbelief, so they believe not but a little:
156 And for their disbelief and for their uttering against Mary a grievous calumny:
157 And for their saying: We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah, and they killed him not, nor did they cause his death on the cross, but he was made to appear to them as such. And certainly those who differ therein are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge about it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for certain:
158 Nay, Allah exalted him in His presence. And Allah is ever Mighty, Wise.
159 And there is none of the People of the Book but will believe in this before his death; and on the day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.
160 So for the iniquity of the Jews, We forbade them the good things which had been made lawful for them, and for their hindering many (people) from Allah’s way.
161 And for their taking usury — though indeed they were forbidden it — and their devouring the property of people falsely. And We have prepared for the disbelievers from among them a painful chastisement.
162 But the firm in knowledge among them and the believers believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee, and those who keep up prayer and give the poor-rate and the believers in Allah and the Last Day — these it is to whom We shall give a mighty reward.
SECTION 23: Previous Revelation bears out Quranic Statements
163 Surely We have revealed to thee as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and We gave to David a scripture.
164 And (We sent) messengers We have mentioned to thee before and messengers We have not mentioned to thee. And to Moses Allah addressed His word, speaking (to him)—
165 Messengers, bearers of good news and warners, so that the people may have no plea against Allah after the (coming of) messengers. And Allah is ever Mighty, Wise.
166 But Allah bears witness by that which He has revealed to thee that He has revealed it with His knowledge, and the angels (also) bear witness. And Allah is sufficient as a witness.
167 Those who disbelieve and hinder (others) from Allah’s way, they indeed have erred, going far astray.
168 Those who disbelieve and act unjustly, Allah will never forgive them, nor guide them to a path,
169 Except the path of hell, to abide in it for a long time. And that is easy to Allah.
170 O mankind, the Messenger has indeed come to you with truth from your Lord, so believe, it is better for you. And if you disbelieve, then surely to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.
171 O People of the Book, exceed not the limits in your religion nor speak anything about Allah, but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah and His word which He communicated to Mary and a mercy from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you. Allah is only one God. Far be it from His glory to have a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And sufficient is Allah as having charge of affairs.
SECTION 24: Prophethood of Jesus
172 The Messiah disdains not to be a servant of Allah, nor do the angels who are near to Him. And whoever disdains His service and is proud, He will gather them all together to Himself.
173 Then as for those who believe and do good, He will pay them fully their rewards and give them more out of His grace. And as for those who disdain and are proud, He will chastise them with a painful chastisement, and they will find for themselves besides Allah no friend nor helper.
174 O people, manifest proof has indeed come to you from your Lord and We have sent down to you a clear light.
175 Then as for those who believe in Allah and hold fast by Him, He will admit them to His mercy and grace, and guide them to Himself on a right path.
176 They ask thee for a decision. Say: Allah gives you a decision concerning the person who has neither parents nor children. If a man dies (and) he has no son and he has a sister, hers is half of what he leaves, and he shall be her heir if she has no son. But if there be two (sisters), they shall have two-thirds of what he leaves. And if there are brethren, men and women, then for the male is the like of the portion of two females. Allah makes clear to you, lest you err. And Allah is Knower of all things.
Chapter 5
Al-Ma’idah: The Food
(Revealed at Madinah: 16 sections; 120 verses)
The name of this chapter is taken from the mention of a demand for food — “the daily bread” — on the part of the followers of Jesus Christ, to which reference is made towards the end of this chapter. The chapter deals with the Christians in particular and the adoption of this name might be with a view to express the Christian love of the dainties of this life.
This chapter stands in almost the same relation to the last as the 3rd to the 2nd. Thus, while the 4th chapter deals chiefly with the hypocrites, the 5th deals with those who had assumed open enmity to Islam, being interspersed here and there with directions for the Muslims. Again, while the 4th chapter deals with the question of Jewish disobedience, this gives prominence to the Christian transgressions due to their inordinate worldly love, this distinction being made plain in the concluding portions of the two chapters.
The chapter opens with an exhortation to the Muslims to remain true to their obligations. This injunction is followed by certain details relating to the performance of the pilgrimage, to foods, and to social relations with other people and by the announcement that Religion was made perfect in Islam. The second section, which calls attention to the duty of uprightness, is, as it were, a caution against laying too much stress upon details of the law to the utter neglect of the inner qualities which make the real man. The third section speaks of the covenants made with the Jews and the Christians, and of the violation of their covenant by the Christians in assigning a Divine dignity to a mere mortal. The fourth section takes up the Jewish violation of the covenant, at the very outset of their national