Surah al-Ma'idah

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fulfil all the agreements and obligations to your confederates with whom 'your right hands have made a pledge' [Surah al-Nisa: 33] (through oaths)." The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! What is the nature and right of this pledge concerning them? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is meant is 'al-aql anhum' (sharing in paying the blood money (diyah) on their behalf) and 'al-nasr lahum' (helping and supporting them)."
In the chain of this report, the narrator Ibn Lahi'ah is criticised because of the weakness of his memory; however, the meaning of the hadith, that the rights of confederates are to be fulfilled, is established by other sahih hadiths and supporting evidence.

It is narrated from Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "Sayyiduna Musa (peace and blessings be upon him) chose two men from every tribe (of the Children of Israel), and they entered the city of the tyrants. Then (on returning from there) the people of each group began to forbid their own tribe from entering (the city), except Yusha' bin Nun and Kalib bin Yuqannah (for these two warned their people against cowardice and commanded them to rely on Allah)."
Imam Ibn Abi Umar narrated this report; its chain includes Yazid bin Harun, Warqa' and Ibn Abi Najih.

It is narrated from al-Fadl bin Atiyyah: "The Children of Israel wandered for forty years within an area of twelve farsakhs (about 36 miles), and a stone resembling the head of an ox was placed among them. Whenever they encamped somewhere, twelve springs would gush forth from that stone, and whenever they moved on, they would load it on an ox and the flow of water would stop."
Imam Ahmad bin Mani' narrated the report with his chain through Warqa' up to his words "that they should enter upon them."
It is narrated from Atiyyah al-Awfi: "The Children of Israel wandered for forty years within an area of twelve farsakhs. A stone resembling the head of an ox was appointed for them, which was carried on an ox. When they halted at a stage, they would place it on the ground, and Sayyiduna Musa (peace and blessings be upon him) would strike it, and twelve springs would gush forth from it. Then, when they intended to travel, they would load it on the ox again and the water would stop."

It is narrated from Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning the words of Allah Almighty, "He said: Then indeed, it is forbidden to them for forty years; they will wander throughout the land" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 26], that he said in its explanation: "Entry into it (the land) was forbidden to them forever, and they wandered perplexed and distressed in the land for forty years."
[Takhrij: This athar is narrated with a sahih chain in Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim: 6418 and Tafsir al-Tabari: 11666.]

Umm Amr bint Isa narrates from her paternal uncle (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his house when Surah al-Ma'idah was revealed to him (peace and blessings be upon him). We recognised (from the signs and states) that revelation was descending upon him (peace and blessings be upon him), and due to the weight and extraordinary heaviness of this surah, the shoulder of his (peace and blessings be upon him) she-camel named "al-Adba'" broke.
Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah transmitted this report in his Musannaf; its chain contains a female narrator named Umm Amr bint Isa, who is mastur al-hal (of unknown condition); however, mention of the heaviness of revelation is also found in other sahih and reliable hadiths.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "I have not seen any group better than the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Until his (peace and blessings be upon him) death, they asked him (peace and blessings be upon him) about only thirteen matters, and all of them are mentioned in the Noble Qur'an."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this hadith in his Musnad, and its chain is hasan (good).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the words of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, "avid listeners to falsehood" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 41], that he said: "This means the Jews of Madinah"; and concerning the words of the Exalted Lord, "listening for another people who have not come to you" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 41], he said: "This means the people of Fadak, who had not come to you (peace and blessings be upon him)," and this (explanation) runs to the end of the verse.
Imam al-Humaydi transmitted this report in his Musnad through Sufyan bin Uyaynah; it explains the background of this verse of the Noble Qur'an: how the Jews were fond of false talk and were acting as spies for those people (the people of Fadak) who did not themselves come to his (peace and blessings be upon him) gathering.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Iyad al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), pointing towards Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), said: "He belongs to that very people," by which he (peace and blessings be upon him) meant this glorious statement of Allah, Glorified and Exalted: "Soon Allah will bring a people whom He Himself loves and who love Him" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 54].
Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah narrated this hadith; its chain is of hasan (good) grade, and supporting evidence found in other books of hadith confirms its authenticity.

It is narrated from Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) that when, after that, the words of Allah Almighty, "And judge between them by what Allah has revealed" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 49], were revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Today we shall pass judgements (according to the commands revealed by Allah) upon the Jews, the Christians, and the followers of all other religions and creeds besides them."
This report is mursal, and Imam al-Harith recorded it in his Musnad (Bughyat al-Bahith: 647).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him): Hamiyah bin Riqab says: I asked Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) about the words of Allah Almighty, "That is because among them are priests and monks" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 82], and he said: "Leave aside mention of those priests who live in churches and desolate places; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me this verse thus: 'That is because among them are siddiqin (champions of truthfulness) and monks.'"
And Imam al-Harith narrated it with his chain in these words, that Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They are monks who live in churches and ruins; leave them to their state." Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) further said: "I recited before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), 'That is because among them are qissisin (priests),' and he (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me to recite in its place, 'That is because among them are siddiqin.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Often a whole year would pass over me while I intended to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about some matter, but I would hold back (from asking) because of his (peace and blessings be upon him) awe and majesty; and we used to wish for the desert Bedouins to come (so that they would come and ask freely, and we could gain knowledge)."
(147) The hadith of al-Hasan al-Basri from Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the interpretation of the words of Allah Almighty, "They used not to forbid one another from the wrong they did" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 79], is mentioned in the Book of Faith.

It is narrated from Abu al-Aliyah (may Allah have mercy on him) that people were present with Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and they mentioned this verse: "This day I have perfected for you your religion" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 3]; then a Jewish man spoke (as is mentioned in) the full hadith.
Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "So Allah Almighty perfected the matter for us, and we understood that after this (perfection) the matter would now move towards (gradual) decline."
I (Ibn Hajar) say: The basis of this report is found in the books of hadith in the narration of Tariq bin Shihab from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him); however, the specific wording that is here is not mentioned there.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surah al-Ma'idah and Surah al-Tawbah in his sermon, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whatever Allah Almighty has made lawful in these two surahs, regard it as lawful, and whatever Allah has made unlawful in them, regard it as unlawful."
In the chain of this hadith, the narrator Ibrahim bin al-Hakam bin Aban is da'if (weak); Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded it in al-Musannaf (31802) and Imam al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (15093).

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when she heard people saying, "The meat of every beast of prey with fangs is unlawful," she said (in response) that apart from the words of Allah Almighty, "Say (O Prophet): I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden to one who would eat it" [Surah al-An'am: 145] (to the end of the verse), I find no such prohibition in the Qur'an. She also said (in the context of the prohibition of blood): "Often yellowness or redness appears in the water of a stone cooking pot (from the effect of meat or bone), but that colour does not make it unlawful."
Musaddad recorded it in his Musnad, and all the narrators of its chain are thiqat (trustworthy) and reliable.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ghudayf bin al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) that a letter was written to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) (about a question): "We have some neighbours from among the Samaritans who recite some parts of the Torah and the Injil, but they do not believe in the unseen (that is, in being raised again after death and in the Hereafter); so what is your view concerning their slaughtered animals?" So he (Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both) wrote in reply: "If they regularly recite some parts of the Torah and some parts of the Injil and observe and honour the Sabbath (Saturday), then their slaughtered animals are like the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book (in the rulings on lawfulness)."
This athar is narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud, and researchers have declared its chain jayyid (good); this report indicates the juristic point that the Samaritan group is to be included under the ruling of the People of the Book with certain conditions.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man from among the people of Fadak committed adultery, so the people of Fadak wrote this message to some Jews of Madinah: "Ask Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) about this; if he commands you to flog, then accept it, but if he commands you to stone, then do not accept it at all." So they asked him (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Send to me the two most knowledgeable men among your people." They brought a one-eyed man called Ibn Suriya, and with him another man. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them both: "Are you two the most learned of those you have left behind?" They said: Our people have chosen us (for knowledge) for this very purpose. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Do you not have the Torah, in which is the ruling of Allah Almighty?" They said: Of course (we do). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Then I adjure you both by the One who split the sea for Musa (peace be upon him), shaded you with clouds, saved you from the people of Pharaoh and sent down manna and quails upon the Children of Israel: what ruling do you find in the Torah concerning stoning (rajm)?" Then one of them said to the other: Never before have I been adjured with such a solemn oath. Then he confessed: We find (in the Torah) that looking repeatedly (with ill intent) is a branch of adultery, and embracing is also adultery; but when four witnesses testify that they saw him (the private parts of the man and woman) joined just as the kohl stick enters the kohl container, then stoning becomes obligatory. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is it (the truth)." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave the order and the man was stoned, and this verse was revealed: "So if they come to you, judge between them or turn away from them" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 42].
Imam Abu Ya'la also transmitted this report through Sufyan; at its beginning it is mentioned that this verse, "If you are given this, take it; but if you are not given it, then beware" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 41], was revealed concerning Ibn Suriya when he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This narration also contains the addition: "Kissing is also (a branch of) adultery," and at its end: "just as the kohl stick enters the kohl container, then stoning is obligatory"; however, it does not mention what comes after that. This report is also transmitted in abridged form by Imam Abu Dawud and others.
Musaddad narrated from Nafi' that Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Hurayrah asked Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) about a large number of fish that the sea had cast (dead onto the shore). Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked: Are they carrion? He said: Yes. So he forbade him from eating them. Then, when he entered (his house), he called for the Qur'an and recited this verse: "Lawful to you is the game of the sea and its food as provision for you" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 96], and said: "Its food is whatever comes out of it (the sea); eat it, there is no harm in it, and everything that dies in the sea or is found dead on its shore (is lawful)."
I (Ibn Hajar) say: Imam Malik narrated it in al-Muwatta' from Nafi' in a similar way, in which, after the recitation of the verse, it is mentioned that he sent me to Abd al-Rahman and had him told: "There is no harm in it; eat it."
Al-Harith narrated from Sa'id bin Jubayr that al-Najashi sent a delegation of his companions to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (and he mentioned the full hadith), and concerning them this verse was revealed: "You will surely find the most intense of people in enmity towards the believers to be the Jews and those who associate partners with Allah; and you will surely find the nearest of them in affection to the believers to be those who say, 'We are Christians.' That is because among them are priests and monks, and because they are not arrogant" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 82]. And this report will come (in detail), in sha' Allah, in the section on the Prophetic biography.