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Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
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 Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:6-11 [2/16] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
ٱلَّذِينَwho
ءَامَنُوٓاْbelieve!
إِذَاWhen
قُمْتُمْyou stand up
إِلَىfor
ٱلصَّلَوٲةِthe prayer,
فَٱغْسِلُواْthen wash
وُجُوهَكُمْyour faces
وَأَيْدِيَكُمْand your hands
إِلَىtill
ٱلْمَرَافِقِthe elbows
وَٱمْسَحُواْand wipe
بِرُءُوسِكُمْyour heads
وَأَرْجُلَكُمْand your feet
إِلَىtill
ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ‌ۚthe ankles.
وَإِنBut if
كُنتُمْyou are
جُنُبًا(in) a state of ceremonial impurity
فَٱطَّهَّرُواْ‌ۚthen purify yourselves.
وَإِنBut if
كُنتُمyou are
مَّرْضَىٰٓill
أَوْor
عَلَىٰon
سَفَرٍa journey
أَوْor
جَآءَhas come
أَحَدٌany one
مِّنكُمof you
مِّنَfrom
ٱلْغَآئِطِthe toilet
أَوْor
لَـٰمَسْتُمُhas (had) contact
ٱلنِّسَآءَ(with) the women
فَلَمْand not
تَجِدُواْyou find
مَآءًwater,
فَتَيَمَّمُواْthen do tayyammum
صَعِيدًا(with) earth
طَيِّبًاclean,
فَٱمْسَحُواْthen wipe
بِوُجُوهِكُمْyour faces
وَأَيْدِيكُمand your hands
مِّنْهُ‌ۚwith it.
مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُAllah (does) not intend
لِيَجْعَلَto make
عَلَيْكُمfor you
مِّنْany
حَرَجٍdifficulty
وَلَـٰكِنbut
يُرِيدُHe intends
لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْto purify you
وَلِيُتِمَّand to complete
نِعْمَتَهُۥHis Favor
عَلَيْكُمْupon you
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ(be) grateful.
﴿٦﴾
وَٱذْكُرُواْAnd remember
نِعْمَةَ(the) Favor
ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْupon you
وَمِيثَـٰقَهُand His covenant
ٱلَّذِىwhich
وَاثَقَكُمHe bound you
بِهِۦٓwith [it]
إِذْwhen
قُلْتُمْyou said,
سَمِعْنَا`We heared
وَأَطَعْنَا‌ۖand we obeyed;`
وَٱتَّقُواْand fear
ٱللَّهَ‌ۚAllah.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
عَلِيمُۢ(is) All-Knower
بِذَاتِof what
ٱلصُّدُورِ(is in) the breasts.
﴿٧﴾
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
ٱلَّذِينَwho
ءَامَنُواْbelieve!
كُونُواْBe
قَوَّٲمِينَsteadfast
لِلَّهِfor Allah
شُهَدَآءَ(as) witnesses
بِٱلْقِسْطِ‌ۖin justice,
وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْand let not prevent you
شَنَـَٔـانُhatred
قَوْمٍ(of) a people
عَلَىٰٓ[upon]
أَلَّاthat not
تَعْدِلُواْ‌ۚyou do justice.
ٱعْدِلُواْBe just
هُوَit
أَقْرَبُ(is) nearer
لِلتَّقْوَىٰ‌ۖto [the] piety.
وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fear
ٱللَّهَ‌ۚAllah;
إِنَّindeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
خَبِيرُۢ(is) All-Aware
بِمَاof what
تَعْمَلُونَyou do.
﴿٨﴾
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُAllah has promised
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ءَامَنُواْbelieve
وَعَمِلُواْand do
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ‌ۙthe righteous deeds -
لَهُمfor them
مَّغْفِرَةٌ(is) forgiveness
وَأَجْرٌand a reward
عَظِيمٌgreat.
﴿٩﴾
وَٱلَّذِينَAnd those who
كَفَرُواْdisbelieve
وَكَذَّبُواْand deny
بِـَٔـايَـٰتِنَآOur Signs -
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
أَصْحَـٰبُ(are the) companions
ٱلْجَحِيمِ(of) the Hellfire.
﴿١٠﴾
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
ٱلَّذِينَwho
ءَامَنُواْbelieve!
ٱذْكُرُواْRemember
نِعْمَتَ(the) Favor
ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْupon you
إِذْwhen
هَمَّ(were) determined
قَوْمٌa people
أَن[to]
يَبْسُطُوٓاْstretch
إِلَيْكُمْtowards you
أَيْدِيَهُمْtheir hands,
فَكَفَّbut He restrained
أَيْدِيَهُمْtheir hands
عَنكُمْ‌ۖfrom you.
وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fear
ٱللَّهَ‌ۚAllah.
وَعَلَىAnd upon
ٱللَّهِAllah
فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِso let put the trust
ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَthe believers.
﴿١١﴾

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ فَاغۡسِلُوۡا وُجُوۡهَكُمۡ وَاَيۡدِيَكُمۡ اِلَى الۡمَرَافِقِ وَامۡسَحُوۡا بِرُءُوۡسِكُمۡ وَاَرۡجُلَكُمۡ اِلَى الۡـكَعۡبَيۡنِ​ ؕ وَاِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوۡا​ ؕ وَاِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ مَّرۡضَىٰۤ اَوۡ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ اَوۡ جَآءَ اَحَدٌ مِّنۡكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡغَآئِطِ اَوۡ لٰمَسۡتُمُ النِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُوۡا مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوۡا صَعِيۡدًا طَيِّبًا فَامۡسَحُوۡا بِوُجُوۡهِكُمۡ وَاَيۡدِيۡكُمۡ مِّنۡهُ​ ؕ مَا يُرِيۡدُ اللّٰهُ لِيَجۡعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّنۡ حَرَجٍ وَّلٰـكِنۡ يُّرِيۡدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ وَ لِيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهٗ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُوۡنَ‏  وَاذْکُرُوْ انِعْمَةَ اللهِ عَلَیْکُمْ وَمِیْثَاقَهُ الَّذِیْ وَاثَقَکُمْ بِهۤ ۙ اِذْقُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَاَطَعْنَا وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ ؕ اِنَّ اللهَ عَلِیْمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ‏  يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا كُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِيْنَ لِلّٰهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِالۡقِسۡطِ​ وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّكُمۡ شَنَاٰنُ قَوۡمٍ عَلٰٓى اَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوۡا​ ؕ اِعۡدِلُوۡا هُوَ اَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوٰى​ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ خَبِيۡرٌۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏  وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ​ ۙ لَهُمۡ مَّغۡفِرَةٌ وَّاَجۡرٌ عَظِيۡمٌ‏  وَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَكَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰيٰتِنَاۤ اُولٰٓـئِكَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡجَحِيۡمِ‏   يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اذۡكُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ اِذۡ هَمَّ قَوۡمٌ اَنۡ يَّبۡسُطُوۡۤا اِلَيۡكُمۡ اَيۡدِيَهُمۡ فَكَفَّ اَيۡدِيَهُمۡ عَنۡكُمۡ​ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ​ ؕ وَعَلَى اللّٰهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(5:6) Believers! When you stand up for Prayer wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles.24 And if you are in the state of ritual impurity, purify yourselves (by taking a bath).25 But if you are either ill, travelling, have satisfied a want of nature or have had contact with women and find no water then have recourse to clean earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith.26 Allah does not want to lay any hardship upon you; rather He wants to purify you and complete His favours upon you27 so that you may give thanks. (5:7) Remember Allah's favour upon you28 and His covenant which He made with you when you said: 'We have heard and we obey.' So do fear Allah. Allah has full knowledge even of that which is hidden in the breasts of people. (5:8) Believers! Be upright bearers of witness for Allah,29 and do not let the enmity of any people move you to deviate from justice. Act justly, that is nearer to God-fearing. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is well aware of what you do. (5:9) Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness from sins and a great reward. (5:10) As for those who disbelieve and give the lie to Our signs, they are destined for the Blazing Flame. (5:11) Believers! Remember Allah's favour upon you. When a certain people decided to stretch their hands against you, He restrained their hands from you.30 Do fear Allah. Men of faith should put their trust in Allah alone.
Commentary

24. The explanation of this injunction by the Prophet (peace be on him) indicates that washing of the face includes rinsing one's mouth and inhaling water into the nostrils. Unless this is done the washing of the face is not considered complete. Likewise, since the ears are part of the head, 'wiping the head' includes wiping one's hands over the external and internal parts of the ears as well. Moreover, before starting to wash the other parts one should first wash one's hands so that the instruments of washing are themselves clean.

25. Janabah (the state of major ritual impurity) - whether caused by the sexual act or merely by seminal discharge - renders it unlawful to perform the ritual Prayer and to touch the Qur'an for further details see (Surah 4, nn. 67-9 )above.

26. For explanation see (Surah 4, nn. 69-70 )above.

27. Just as purity of the soul is a blessing, so is cleanliness of the body. God's favour to man can be completed only when he has received comprehensive direction in respect of both spiritual purity and physical cleanliness.

28. The 'favour' mentioned here denotes illuminating the Straight Way, and entrusting to the believers the task of guidance and leadership of the whole world.

29. See (Surah 4, nn. 164-5 )above.

30. This alludes to the incident reported by Ibn 'Abbas when a group of Jews invited the Prophet (peace be on him) and a number of his close Companions to dinner. They had in fact hatched a plot to pounce upon the guests and thus undermine the very foundation of Islam. But by the grace of God the Prophet (peace be on him) came to know of the plot at the eleventh hour and did not go. Since the following section is addressed to the Children of Israel, this incident is alluded to here in order to mark the transition to a new subject.

The discourse which begins here has two purposes. The first is to warn the Muslims against following the ways of their predecessors, the People of the Book. The Muslims are told, therefore, that the Israelites and the followers of Jesus had made a covenant with God in the past, in the manner that the Muslims had recently done so. The Muslims should, therefore, take heed lest they also break their covenant and fall a prey to error and misguidance as their predecessors had done.

The second is to sensitize the Jews and Christians to the errors they have committed and invite them to the true religion.