Surah al-Ma`idah (The Table, The Table Spread) - The Wise Quran Translation

5:1 O those who believed! Fulfil the contracts. Made lawful to you is the beast of cattle, except what is recited to you, not permitting the hunt while you are sacred; indeed, God judges what He desires.

5:2 O those who believed! Do not profane the symbols of God nor the sacred month nor the offering nor the garlands nor those who repair to the sacred house seeking grace from their Lord and pleasure. And when you are permitted, then hunt. And do not let the hatred of people that hindered you from the sacred mosque make you definitely sin that you transgress. And help one another in righteousness and piety; and do not help one another in sin and enmity. And fear God, indeed, God is the severe in punishment.

5:3 Forbidden to you is the dead, and the blood, and the flesh of swine, and what has been offered to other than God, and the strangled, and the fatally hit, and that which falls, and the gored, and what the predatory animals ate except what you slaughtered, and what was slaughtered for the idol, and that you seek oracle with the divining-arrows. That is disobedience. Today those who disbelieved have despaired of your religion, so do not fear them and fear Me. Today I completed your religion for you, and I perfected My favour on you, and I am pleased with the submission as a religion for you. But then he who was forced, during hunger, not inclining to sin, then indeed, God is forgiving, compassionate.

5:4 They ask you what is made lawful for them. Say, 'Made lawful for you are the good things and what you taught some of the predatory animals, training to hunt; you teach them of what God taught you; so eat of what they hold for you, and mention the name of God upon it, and fear God, indeed, God is the swift in reckoning.'

5:5 Today made lawful for you are the good things and the food of those who were given the book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them; and the chaste women among the believers and the chaste women among those who were given the book before you when you give them their payments, marrying not fornicating and not taking intimate friends. And whoever disbelieves in the faith, then certainly, his work is void and he, in the hereafter, will be among the losers.

5:6 O those who believed! When you stand towards the prayer, then wash your faces and your hands to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the two ankles. And if you are in a state of impurity, then cleanse yourselves. And if you are sick or on a journey or one of you came from the toilet or you touched the women, then you did not find water, then aim at good ground, then wipe your faces and your hands from it. God does not desire to place straitness on you, but He desires to purify you and to perfect His favour on you; perhaps you may give thanks.

5:7 And remember the favour of God on you and His covenant, the one which He bound you with when you said, 'We have heard and we have obeyed,' and fear God, indeed, God knows what the breasts own.

5:8 O those who believed! Be custodians for God, witnesses of justice; and do not let the hatred of people make you definitely sin on that you do not act equitably. Act equitably, that is nearer to piety. And fear God; indeed, God is aware of what you do.

5:9 God has promised those who believed and did the good works, for them is forgiveness and a great reward.

5:10 And those who disbelieved and called Our signs lies, those are the fellows of the hellfire.

5:11 O those who believed! Remember the favour of God upon you when people planned to stretch their hands towards you, then He restrained their hands from you and fear God; and upon God then let the believers rely.

5:12 And surely, certainly God took the covenant of the children of Israel and We sent among them twelve leaders, and God said, 'Indeed, I am with you, if surely you are steadfast in the prayer and you give the alms and you believe in My messengers and you aid them and you lend God a good loan, surely, I will definitely cover from you your evil deeds and surely, I will definitely make you enter gardens beneath which the rivers flow; then whoever disbelieves after that among you, then certainly, he has gone astray from the right direction of the way.’

5:13 So because of their breaking their covenant, We cursed them and We made their hearts hard. They distort the word from its positions. And they forgot a portion of what they were reminded of. And you will not cease to discover treachery from them, except a few of them. So pardon them and overlook; indeed, God loves the good-doers.

5:14 And among those who said, 'Indeed, we are Christians,' We took their covenant, then they forgot a portion of what they were reminded of, then We incited enmity and hatred between them until the Day of Resurrection; and soon God will inform them of what they used to do.

5:15 O people of the book! Certainly, Our messenger has come to you to make clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the book, and to pardon much. Certainly, a light and a clear book have come to you from God.

5:16 God guides to the ways of peace with it whoever pursues His pleasure, and He brings them forth from the darknesses to the light with His permission, and He guides them to a straight way.

5:17 Surely, certainly those who said, 'Indeed, God, He is the Messiah, the son of Mary,' have disbelieved. Say, 'Then who controls anything from God if He desires to destroy the Messiah, the son of Mary, and his mother and whoever is in the earth all together?' And for God is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between both of them. He creates what He wills; and God is powerful over everything.

5:18 And the Jews and the Christians said, 'We are the children of God and His beloved ones.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?’ Nay, you are mortals among those who He created. He forgives whom He wills and He punishes whom He wills. And for God is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between both of them and to Him is the destination.

5:19 O people of the book! Certainly, Our messenger has come to you to make clear to you upon a pause of the messengers, lest you say, 'No announcer of glad tidings nor warner came to us.' So certainly, an announcer of glad tidings and a warner has come to you. And God is powerful over everything.

5:20 And when Moses said to his people, 'O my people! Remember the favour of God upon you when He placed prophets among you and He made you kings and He gave you what He did not give anyone among the worlds.

5:21 O my people! Enter the holy land, the one which God wrote for you and do not return upon your backs, then you will turn back as losers.'

5:22 They said, 'O Moses! Indeed, in it are giant people, and indeed we, we will not enter it until they come forth from it, so if they come forth from it, then indeed, we will enter.'

5:23 Said two men among those who fear, God bestowed favour on both of them, 'Enter the gate upon them, then when you enter it, then indeed, you will overcome, and upon God then rely, if you are believers.'

5:24 They said, 'O Moses! Indeed we, we will not enter it ever, so long as they are in it, so go you and your Lord, then fight; indeed, we are here sitting.'

5:25 He said, 'My Lord! indeed I, I control not except myself and my brother, so make a distinction between us and the disobedient people.'

5:26 He said, 'Then indeed, it is forbidden to them, forty years they will wander in the earth, so do not grieve over the disobedient people.'

5:27 And recite to them the information of the two sons of Adam, in truth when they both offered a sacrifice, then it was accepted from one of them and He did not accept from the other. He said, 'Surely, I will definitely kill you.' He said, 'God only accepts from those who fear.

5:28 Surely if you stretch your hand towards me to kill me, I will not stretch my hand towards you to kill you, indeed I, I fear God, the Lord of the worlds;

5:29 Indeed I, I desire that you return with my sin and your sin, then you would be among the fellows of the fire, and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers.'

5:30 Then his soul permitted him the killing of his brother, then he killed him, then became among the losers.

5:31 Then God sent a crow to search in the earth to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. He said, 'O woe to me! Am I unable to be like this crow, then hide the shame of my brother?' Then he became among those who repented.

5:32 For that reason, We prescribed to the children of Israel that he, he who killed a soul for other than a soul or doing evil in the earth, then as if he killed mankind all together; and whoever gives it life, then as if he gave mankind life all together. And surely, certainly Our messengers came to them with the clear proofs, then indeed, many of them after that are surely extravagant in the earth.

5:33 The recompense of those who wage war against God and His messenger and strive in the earth to do evil is only that they be massacred or they be crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite or they be banished from the land; that is disgrace for them in the world, and for them in the hereafter is a great punishment;

5:34 Except those who repented before that you have power over them, then know that God is forgiving, compassionate.

5:35 O those who believed! Fear God and seek the means to Him, and strive in His way, perhaps you may prosper.

5:36 Indeed, those who disbelieved, if that for them is what is in the earth altogether and the like of it with it to ransom themselves with it from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it will not be accepted from them; and for them is painful punishment.

5:37 They will desire to come forth from the fire, and they will not come forth from it, and for them is lasting punishment.

5:38 And the man thief and the woman thief, then cut off their hands, a recompense for what they both earned, an exemplary punishment from God; and God is mighty, wise.

5:39 Then whoever repented after his wrongdoing and reformed, then indeed, God will relent on him, indeed, God is forgiving, compassionate.

5:40 Did you not know that God, for Him is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth? He punishes whom He wills and He forgives whom He wills; and God is powerful over everything.

5:41 O messenger! Do not let those who hasten to disbelief grieve you, among those who said, 'We have believed,' with their mouths and their hearts did not believe, and among those who became Jews, listeners to the lie, listeners to other people who did not come to you. They distort the word from its positions. They say, 'If you are given this, then take it, and if you are not given it, then beware.' And whoever God desires his trial, then you will not control anything for him from God. Those are the ones who God did not desire to purify their hearts. For them in the world is disgrace and for them in the hereafter is great punishment,

5:42 Listeners to the lie, consumers of the forbidden. So if they come to you, then judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them, then they will not harm you anything. And if you judge, then judge between them with justice; indeed, God loves the just.

5:43 And how can they make you the judge while with them is the Torah? In it is the judgment of God, then they turn away after that; and those are not with the believers.

5:44 Indeed We, We sent down the Torah, in it is guidance and light. The prophets, those who have submitted, give judgment to those who became Jews with it, and the rabbis and the scribes, with what they were entrusted with of the book of God, and they are witnesses to it. So do not fear mankind, and fear Me, and do not sell My signs for a little price. And whoever did not judge with what God sent down, then those, they are the disbelievers.

5:45 And We prescribed to them in it that the soul for the soul, and the eye for the eye, and the nose for the nose, and the ear for the ear, and the tooth for the tooth, and the wound retaliation; but then whoever gives charity with it, then it is expiation for him. And whoever did not judge with what God sent down, then those, they are the wrongdoers.

5:46 And We followed upon their footsteps with Jesus, the son of Mary, a verifier for what is before him of the Torah. And We gave him the Gospel, in it is guidance and light and a verifier for what is before it of the Torah and guidance and admonition for those who fear.

5:47 And let the people of the Gospel judge with what God sent down in it. And whoever did not judge with what God sent down, then those, they are the disobedient.

5:48 And We sent down the book to you with the truth, a verifier for what is before it of the book and a protector over it. So judge between them with what God sent down and do not follow their lusts from what has come to you of the truth. For each We placed among you a law and a way. And if God had willed, surely, He would have made you one religion, but to test you in what He gave you, so vie with one another in the good works; to God is your return all together, then He will inform you of what you used to disagree about.

5:49 And that judge between them with what God sent down and do not follow their lusts; and beware of them lest they tempt you from some of what God sent down to you. So if they turn away, then know that God only desires to fall on them for some of their sins. And indeed, many among mankind are surely disobedient.

5:50 So do they seek the judgment of the time of ignorance? And who is better than God in judgment for people who are sure?

5:51 O those who believed! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as patrons. Some of them are patrons of some; and whoever makes them patrons among you, then indeed, he is among them, indeed, God does not guide the wrongdoing people.

5:52 So you will see those in whose hearts is sickness hastening to them saying, 'We fear that a turn of fortune may befall us.' So it may be, God, that He will bring the victory or a command from Him, then they will become repentant over what they concealed in their souls.

5:53 And those who believed will say, 'Are these those who swore by God the utmost of their oaths, indeed they are surely with you? Their works are void, then they became losers.’

5:54 O those who believed! Whoever apostatizes from his religion among you, then soon God will bring people, He will love them and they will love Him, lowly against the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving in the way of God and not fearing the blame of a critic. That is the grace of God, He gives it to whom He wills; and God is immense, knowing.

5:55 God only is your patron, and His messenger and those who believed and those who are steadfast in the prayer and give the alms and they bow.

5:56 And whoever makes God a patron and His messenger and those who believed, then indeed, the party of God, they are the overcomers.

5:57 O those who believed! Do not take as patrons those who took your religion in mockery and play among those who were given the book before you and the disbelievers; and fear God, if you are believers.

5:58 And when you call towards the prayer, they take it in mockery and play; that is because they are people who are not intelligent.

5:59 Say, 'O people of the book! Do you resent us except that we have believed in God and what was sent down to us and what was sent down before and that most of you are disobedient?'

5:60 Say, 'Shall I inform you of a reward from God worse than that? One who God cursed him, and He is angry with him, and He made of them the apes and the swine, and he served Al taghut, those are worse in position and more astray from the right direction of the way.’

5:61 And when they come to you they say, 'We have believed,' and certainly, they entered with disbelief, and they certainly went out with it, and God knows best what they used to conceal.

5:62 And you see many of them hastening to sin and enmity, and consuming them, the forbidden; surely, evil is what they used to do.

5:63 If only the rabbis and the scribes forbid them from their saying the sin and their consuming the forbidden; surely, evil is what they used to do.

5:64 And the Jews said, 'The hand of God is fettered.' Their hands are fettered and they have been cursed for what they said. Nay, His two hands are extended, He spends how He wills. And surely, definitely what has been sent down to you from your Lord will increase many of them in immoderation and disbelief. And We have cast enmity and hatred between them until the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindled a fire for war, God extinguished it. And they strive to do evil in the earth, and God does not love the evil-doers.

5:65 And if that the people of the book had believed and feared, surely, We would have covered from them their evil deeds, and surely, We would definitely have made them enter the gardens of pleasure.

5:66 And if that they were steadfast in the Torah and the Gospel and what has been sent down to them from their Lord, surely, they would have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them is a moderate nation, and many of them, evil is what they do.

5:67 O messenger! Convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And God will protect you from mankind; indeed God does not guide the disbelieving people.

5:68 Say, 'O people of the book! You are not upon anything until you are steadfast in the Torah and the Gospel and what has been sent down to you from your Lord.' And surely, definitely what has been sent down to you from your Lord will increase many of them in immoderation and disbelief, so do not grieve over the disbelieving people.

5:69 Indeed, those who believed and those who became Jews and the Sabaeans and the Christians, whoever believed in God and the Last Day and did right, then no fear upon them and they, they will not grieve.

5:70 Surely, certainly We took the covenant of the children of Israel and We sent messengers to them. Whenever a messenger came to them with what their souls love not, a party they called liars and a party they kill.

5:71 And they thought that there would be no trial, then they became blind and they became deaf, then God relented on them, then they became blind and they became deaf, many of them. And God sees what they do.

5:72 Surely, certainly those who said, 'Indeed, God, He is the Messiah, the son of Mary;' have disbelieved. And the Messiah said, 'O children of Israel! Serve God, my Lord and your Lord, indeed, he who associates partners with God, so certainly, God has forbidden to him the garden, and his refuge is the fire, and there are no helpers for the wrongdoers.’

5:73 Surely, certainly those who said, 'Indeed, God is the third of three,' have disbelieved. And there is no god except one god. And if they do not desist from what they say, surely, a painful punishment will definitely touch those who disbelieved among them.

5:74 So will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? And God is forgiving, compassionate.

5:75 The Messiah, the son of Mary, is not except a messenger. Certainly the messengers have passed away before him, and his mother was truthful; they both used to eat the food. See how We make the signs clear for them, then see, how are they turned away?

5:76 Say, 'Will you serve besides God what does not control harm nor profit for you, while God, He is the Hearing, the Knowing?’

5:77 Say, 'O people of the book! Do not exceed other than the truth in your religion, and do not follow the lusts of people who certainly went astray before and who have caused many to go astray and who have gone astray from the right direction of the way.'

5:78 Those who disbelieved among the children of Israel were cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, the son of Mary; that is because they rebelled and they used to transgress;

5:79 They used not to desist from bad, they did it; surely, evil is what they used to do.

5:80 You see many of them making those who disbelieved patrons; surely, evil is what their souls have sent forward for them, that God is displeased with them, and in the punishment they will dwell forever.

5:81 And if they had believed in God and the prophet and what has been sent down to him, they would not have taken them as patrons, but many of them are disobedient.

5:82 Surely, you will definitely find the most intense of mankind in enmity to those who believed are the Jews and those who associate partners; and surely, you will definitely find the nearest of them in love to those who believed are those who say, 'Indeed, we are Christians.' That is because among them are priests and monks and that they are not proud.

5:83 And when they hear what has been sent down to the messenger, you see their eyes overflowing from the tears of what they recognised of the truth. They say, 'Our Lord! We have believed, so write us with the witnesses.

5:84 And what ails us we should not believe in God and what has come to us of the truth? And we hope that our Lord will make us enter with the righteous people.'

5:85 Then God rewarded them for what they said with gardens beneath which the rivers flow, to dwell forever in it; and that is the recompense of the good-doers.

5:86 And those who disbelieved and called Our signs lies, those are the fellows of the hellfire.

5:87 O those who believed! Do not forbid the good things of what God has made lawful for you; and do not transgress, indeed, God does not love the transgressors.

5:88 And eat of what God has provided you lawful, good; and fear God, the one in whom you believe.

5:89 God will not chastise you for the foolish talk in your oaths, but He will chastise you because you contracted the oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten poor persons of the average of what you feed your families or clothing them, or freeing a neck; so whoever did not find, then fasting of three days. That is the expiation of your oaths when you have sworn. And guard your oaths. Thus God makes His signs clear for you, perhaps you may give thanks.

5:90 O those who believed! The wine and the game of chance and the idols and the divining-arrows are only an uncleanness from the work of the devil, so avoid it, perhaps you may prosper.

5:91 The devil only desires to sow enmity and hatred between you with the wine and the game of chance, and to hinder you from the remembrance of God and from the prayer, so will you desist?

5:92 And obey God and obey the messenger and beware, so if you turn away, then know that only upon Our messenger is the clear communication.

5:93 There is no crime against those who believed and did the good works concerning what they ate when they fear and they believe and they do the good works, then they fear and they believe, then they fear and they do good; and God loves the good-doers.

5:94 O those who believed! God will surely, definitely test you with something of the game which your hands and your lances attain, that God may know who fears Him in the unseen; so whoever transgressed after that, then for him is painful punishment.

5:95 O those who believed! Do not kill the game while you are sacred. And whoever among you killed it purposely, then a penalty, the like of what he killed of the cattle, to judge it, two possessors of equity among you, an offering reaching the Kaabah; or an expiation, the food of poor persons, or the equivalent of that in fasting, that he may taste the evil result of his affair. God has pardoned what is past, and whoever returned, then God will take vengeance on him; and God is mighty, owner of vengeance.

5:96 Made lawful for you is the hunt of the sea, and its food is provision for you and for the caravan; and forbidden to you is the hunt of the land so long as you are sacred. And fear God, the one to whom you will be gathered.

5:97 God has made the Kaabah, the sacred house, in existence for mankind, and the sacred month and the offering and the garlands; that is that you may know that God knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and that God knows everything.

5:98 Know that God is the severe in punishment and that God is forgiving, compassionate.

5:99 Not except the communication is upon the messenger; and God knows what you disclose and what you conceal.

5:100 Say, 'Not equal is the bad and the good, even if the abundance of the bad pleases you. So fear God, O possessors of understanding! Perhaps you may prosper.’

5:101 O those who believed! Do not ask about things which if they become apparent to you will be evil to you; and if you ask about them at the time when the Quran is sent down, they will be shown to you. God has pardoned it; and God is forgiving, clement.

5:102 Certainly, people before you asked about them, then they became disbelievers in them.

5:103 God has not made a bahirah nor a saibah nor a wasilah nor a hami, but those who disbelieved forge the lie against God and most of them are not intelligent.

5:104 And when it is said to them, 'Come to what God has sent down and to the messenger,' they say, 'Sufficient for us is what we found our fathers upon.' Even though their fathers do not know anything and they are not guided?

5:105 O those who believed! Upon you are your souls. One who has gone astray cannot harm you when you are guided. To God is your return all together, then He will inform you of what you used to do.

5:106 O those who believed! A testimony between you when death is present with one of you, at the time of the bequest, two, two possessors of equity among you or two others from other than you, if you, you are travelling in the earth, then the calamity of death befalls you. Detain both of them after the prayer, then they should both swear by God, if you doubt, 'We will not sell it for a price, even if it is a relative. And we will not conceal the testimony of God, indeed, we then would surely be among the sinners.'

5:107 Then if it is discovered that both of them merit sin, then two others, more worthy, among those who merit, should stand in their place against them, then they should both swear by God, 'Surely our testimony is more worthy than their testimony. And we have not transgressed, indeed, we then would surely be among the wrongdoers.'

5:108 That is nearer that they would come with the testimony upon its face or they would fear that oaths may be returned after their oaths. And fear God and hear; and God does not guide the disobedient people.

5:109 On the day God will gather the messengers together, then He will say, 'What response were you given?' They will say, 'We have no knowledge; indeed You, You are the knower of the unseen.'

5:110 When God said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour upon you and upon your mother when I strengthened you with the holy spirit, you spoke to mankind in the cradle and in maturity. And when I taught you the book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel. And when you created from the clay, like the form of the bird, with My permission, then you blew in it, then it became a bird, with My permission; and you healed the blind from birth and the leper, with My permission. And when you brought forth the dead, with My permission. And when I restrained the children of Israel from you, when you came to them with the clear proofs, then those who disbelieved among them said, "This is not except clear magic."

5:111 And when I inspired to the disciples that, "Believe in Me and in My messenger;" they said, "We have believed and bear witness because we are submitters."'

5:112 When the disciples said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary! Is your Lord able to send down a table to us from the heaven?' He said, 'Fear God, if you are believers;'

5:113 They said, 'We desire to eat from it and that our hearts may be at ease, and that we may know that certainly, you spoke truth to us, and that we may be among the witnesses over it.'

5:114 Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O God, our Lord! Send down to us a table from the heaven to be a feast for us, for the first of us and the last of us, and a sign from You, and provide for us, and You are the best of providers.'

5:115 God said, 'Indeed, I am sending it down to you, so whoever disbelieves after among you, then indeed I, I will punish him, a punishment which I will not punish anyone among the worlds.'

5:116 And when God said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary! You said to mankind, "Take me and my mother as two gods besides God"?' He said, 'Glory be to You. It was not for me to say what I have no right to. If I said it, then certainly, You would have known it. You know what is in my soul and I do not know what is in Your soul; indeed You, You are the knower of the unseen.

5:117 I said to them not except what You commanded me, that, "Serve God, my Lord and your Lord." And I was a witness over them so long as I was among them, then when You caused me to die, You were the watcher over them, and You are a witness over everything.

5:118 If You punish them, then indeed, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, then indeed You are the Mighty, the Wise.'

5:119 God said, 'This day their truthfulness will profit the truthful. For them are gardens beneath which the rivers flow, to dwell forever in it, forever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the great success.’