سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 1
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعُقُودِ ۚ أُحِلَّتْ لَكُم بَهِيمَةُ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ غَيْرَ مُحِلِّى ٱلصَّيْدِ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations. Lawful to you (for food) are all the beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you (herein), game (also) being unlawful when you assume Ihrâm for Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage). Verily, Allâh commands that which He wills.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
you (who)
ءَامَنُوٓا۟
āmanū
believe
أَوْفُوا۟
awfū
Fulfil
بِٱلْعُقُودِ ۚ
bil-ʿuqūdi
the contracts
أُحِلَّتْ
uḥillat
Are made lawful
لَكُم
lakum
for you
بَهِيمَةُ
bahīmatu
the quadruped
ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ
l-anʿāmi
(of) the grazing livestock
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
what
يُتْلَىٰ
yut'lā
is recited
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
on you
غَيْرَ
ghayra
not
مُحِلِّى
muḥillī
being permitted
ٱلصَّيْدِ
l-ṣaydi
(to) hunt
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
while you
حُرُمٌ ۗ
ḥurumun
(are in) Ihram
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَحْكُمُ
yaḥkumu
decrees
مَا
mā
what
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
He wills
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 1)➊ {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اَوْفُوْا ……:} In this verse, five rulings have been mentioned: (1) Fulfilling contracts and covenants. (2) The permissibility of livestock. (3) The prohibition of some livestock, which are mentioned in the second and third verses of this surah. (4) The prohibition of hunting for a person in the state of ihram and within the sacred precincts (Haram). (5) The permissibility of hunting for one who is not in ihram and outside the sacred precincts.
➋ {بِالْعُقُوْدِ:} This is the plural of {’’ عَقْدٌ ‘‘}, which means to tie a knot; it is also used in the sense of a covenant or pledge, because that too is made firm like a knot. What is meant are the rulings of the Shariah. Elsewhere, ‘aqd is also expressed as ‘ahd, as He said: «وَ اَوْفُوْا بِعَهْدِيْۤ » [البقرۃ : ۴۰ ] “And fulfill My covenant.” This also includes mutual covenants and agreements. This is a general principle, and its details are explained below. (Kabir, Ibn Kathir)
➌ {اُحِلَّتْ لَكُمْ بَهِيْمَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ : ”بَهِيْمَةُ“ } refers to all livestock except predatory animals; all of them are lawful, whether domesticated or wild, such as deer, nilgai, etc., except those which are specifically declared unlawful by name in the Qur’an or Hadith, such as the donkey, etc. For details, see Surah Al-Baqarah (173). { ”الْاَنْعَامِ“ } refers to camel, cow, sheep, and goat. See Surah Al-An’am (142–144).
➍ {اِلَّا مَا يُتْلٰى عَلَيْكُمْ :} Its explanation is coming in verse (3) of this surah.
➎ {غَيْرَ مُحِلِّي الصَّيْدِ وَ اَنْتُمْ حُرُمٌ : ”حُرُمٌ“} This is the plural of {’’حَرَامٌ ‘‘}, one who has donned the ihram for ‘umrah or hajj. The term also applies to anyone within the boundaries of the sacred precincts (Haram) of Makkah, even if not in ihram. in this state, hunting is prohibited, and it is also forbidden to assist a hunter in any way. See Surah Al-Ma’idah (95, 96). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also declared Madinah Munawwarah as a sanctuary; hunting is also prohibited within its boundaries. [ بخاری، فضائل المدینۃ، باب حرم المدینۃ : ۱۸۶۸ ]
➋ {بِالْعُقُوْدِ:} This is the plural of {’’ عَقْدٌ ‘‘}, which means to tie a knot; it is also used in the sense of a covenant or pledge, because that too is made firm like a knot. What is meant are the rulings of the Shariah. Elsewhere, ‘aqd is also expressed as ‘ahd, as He said: «وَ اَوْفُوْا بِعَهْدِيْۤ » [البقرۃ : ۴۰ ] “And fulfill My covenant.” This also includes mutual covenants and agreements. This is a general principle, and its details are explained below. (Kabir, Ibn Kathir)
➌ {اُحِلَّتْ لَكُمْ بَهِيْمَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ : ”بَهِيْمَةُ“ } refers to all livestock except predatory animals; all of them are lawful, whether domesticated or wild, such as deer, nilgai, etc., except those which are specifically declared unlawful by name in the Qur’an or Hadith, such as the donkey, etc. For details, see Surah Al-Baqarah (173). { ”الْاَنْعَامِ“ } refers to camel, cow, sheep, and goat. See Surah Al-An’am (142–144).
➍ {اِلَّا مَا يُتْلٰى عَلَيْكُمْ :} Its explanation is coming in verse (3) of this surah.
➎ {غَيْرَ مُحِلِّي الصَّيْدِ وَ اَنْتُمْ حُرُمٌ : ”حُرُمٌ“} This is the plural of {’’حَرَامٌ ‘‘}, one who has donned the ihram for ‘umrah or hajj. The term also applies to anyone within the boundaries of the sacred precincts (Haram) of Makkah, even if not in ihram. in this state, hunting is prohibited, and it is also forbidden to assist a hunter in any way. See Surah Al-Ma’idah (95, 96). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also declared Madinah Munawwarah as a sanctuary; hunting is also prohibited within its boundaries. [ بخاری، فضائل المدینۃ، باب حرم المدینۃ : ۱۸۶۸ ]
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
O you who believe! Fulfill the contracts. 1. Livestock animals are made lawful for you. 2. Except those whose names will be recited to you. 3. But do not consider hunting lawful while you are in the state of Ihram. Surely, Allah commands whatever He wills.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
1. O you who believe! Fulfill your contracts [1]. Lawful for you are the grazing livestock, except for those which are specified to you (later) [3]. However, do not consider hunting lawful while you are in the state of Ihram [4]. Indeed, Allah commands whatever He wills [5].
[1]
Fulfillment of Covenants:
In several places in the Quran, it is explicitly mentioned that due to the treachery and breaking of covenants by the Jews, many things that were previously lawful for them were made unlawful. Therefore, in this surah, before stating the rulings of lawful and unlawful, as a preamble, emphasis is being placed on fulfilling one's covenants, whether these covenants are made with Allah Almighty or with people, whether they pertain to buying and selling or to marriage and engagement, whether they relate to one's own people or to non-Muslims, whether they are about peace or war—in short, the command is being given to fulfill all kinds of agreements. It should be clear that not fulfilling a covenant is a sign of hypocrisy, as authentic hadiths regarding this have already been mentioned earlier.
[2]
Lawful and Unlawful Animals:
Among the Arabs, "an'am" refers to camels, cows, sheep, goats, etc., and "baheema" refers to those animals whose sustenance is grass and plants. Thus, in this category, those animals are also included that are nurtured on plant-based foods and are found in countries other than Arabia; for example, along with cows, the nilgai and buffalo, and along with goats, deer and stag, etc., will also be lawful. And those animals that are nurtured on animal-based food—in other words, those animals that are carnivorous—are all unlawful, which are commonly called predators. Thus, Sayyiduna Tha'labaؓ says that the Prophetﷺ forbade us from eating every predatory animal with fangs
[بخاری۔ کتاب الصید والذبائح۔ باب اکل کل ذی ناب من السباع۔ مسلم۔ کتاب الصید والذبائح۔ باب تحریم اکل ذی ناب]
and the Prophetﷺ also declared unlawful every predatory bird that hunts with its talons.
[حواله ايضاً]
[3] That is, they will be mentioned in the third verse of this surah.
[بخاری کتاب الجہاد۔ باب اسم الفرس والحمار]
Then, just as hunting is unlawful in the state of ihram, similarly, hunting is also unlawful and prohibited in the Haram of Makkah. The only difference is that in the Haram of Makkah, hunting cannot be done at any time, whether one is in the state of ihram or not, whereas a person in ihram, after removing ihram, can hunt in places other than the Haram of Makkah. And just as there are certain restrictions in the state of ihram, similarly, there are restrictions in the Haram of Makkah as well. For details, see the commentary of verse 25 of Surah Hajj.
[5]
Authority of Lawfulness and Unlawfulness:
That is, all authority regarding lawfulness and unlawfulness, or in other words, all legislative authority, belongs only to Allah. Therefore, whatever He wishes, He declares lawful, and whatever He wishes, He declares unlawful. And the rulings of lawfulness and unlawfulness that the Messenger of Allahﷺ has given regarding certain things, he has given either under this authority that Allah, as His Messenger, has delegated to him, or he was informed through hidden revelation. The Hindus consider three things—God, soul, and matter—to be eternal. One result of considering the soul to be eternal is that all living beings or animate things are considered equal to humans; therefore, humans have no right to harm any harmful animal, kill it, or slaughter it for their own benefit and use its flesh and skin. Divine revelation presents the concept of the unity of mankind. But by fragmenting this unity, they divided humans into four castes. And these people, instead of the unity of mankind, present the concept of the unity of life. The idea of not harming harmful animals is unnatural; therefore, these people have made considerable flexibility in this idea. And at times, they have also suffered from the plague of the abundance of such animals. As for their objection that Islam commands Muslims to kill speechless animals for their own benefit, the textual answer is that whatever Allah Almighty has created in this universe, He has created for the benefit of mankind, and humans, under the laws of Shariah, have the right to benefit from these things. And this is what is made clear by this verse: Allah commands whatever He wills. And the rational answer is that at the time of the separation of soul and body, every living being inevitably suffers pain. A living being that dies a natural death does so after enduring the suffering of old age and illness, and in the case of slaughter or hunting, probably suffers for a shorter period.
[1]
Fulfillment of Covenants:
In several places in the Quran, it is explicitly mentioned that due to the treachery and breaking of covenants by the Jews, many things that were previously lawful for them were made unlawful. Therefore, in this surah, before stating the rulings of lawful and unlawful, as a preamble, emphasis is being placed on fulfilling one's covenants, whether these covenants are made with Allah Almighty or with people, whether they pertain to buying and selling or to marriage and engagement, whether they relate to one's own people or to non-Muslims, whether they are about peace or war—in short, the command is being given to fulfill all kinds of agreements. It should be clear that not fulfilling a covenant is a sign of hypocrisy, as authentic hadiths regarding this have already been mentioned earlier.
[2]
Lawful and Unlawful Animals:
Among the Arabs, "an'am" refers to camels, cows, sheep, goats, etc., and "baheema" refers to those animals whose sustenance is grass and plants. Thus, in this category, those animals are also included that are nurtured on plant-based foods and are found in countries other than Arabia; for example, along with cows, the nilgai and buffalo, and along with goats, deer and stag, etc., will also be lawful. And those animals that are nurtured on animal-based food—in other words, those animals that are carnivorous—are all unlawful, which are commonly called predators. Thus, Sayyiduna Tha'labaؓ says that the Prophetﷺ forbade us from eating every predatory animal with fangs
[بخاری۔ کتاب الصید والذبائح۔ باب اکل کل ذی ناب من السباع۔ مسلم۔ کتاب الصید والذبائح۔ باب تحریم اکل ذی ناب]
and the Prophetﷺ also declared unlawful every predatory bird that hunts with its talons.
[حواله ايضاً]
[3] That is, they will be mentioned in the third verse of this surah.
[بخاری کتاب الجہاد۔ باب اسم الفرس والحمار]
Then, just as hunting is unlawful in the state of ihram, similarly, hunting is also unlawful and prohibited in the Haram of Makkah. The only difference is that in the Haram of Makkah, hunting cannot be done at any time, whether one is in the state of ihram or not, whereas a person in ihram, after removing ihram, can hunt in places other than the Haram of Makkah. And just as there are certain restrictions in the state of ihram, similarly, there are restrictions in the Haram of Makkah as well. For details, see the commentary of verse 25 of Surah Hajj.
[5]
Authority of Lawfulness and Unlawfulness:
That is, all authority regarding lawfulness and unlawfulness, or in other words, all legislative authority, belongs only to Allah. Therefore, whatever He wishes, He declares lawful, and whatever He wishes, He declares unlawful. And the rulings of lawfulness and unlawfulness that the Messenger of Allahﷺ has given regarding certain things, he has given either under this authority that Allah, as His Messenger, has delegated to him, or he was informed through hidden revelation. The Hindus consider three things—God, soul, and matter—to be eternal. One result of considering the soul to be eternal is that all living beings or animate things are considered equal to humans; therefore, humans have no right to harm any harmful animal, kill it, or slaughter it for their own benefit and use its flesh and skin. Divine revelation presents the concept of the unity of mankind. But by fragmenting this unity, they divided humans into four castes. And these people, instead of the unity of mankind, present the concept of the unity of life. The idea of not harming harmful animals is unnatural; therefore, these people have made considerable flexibility in this idea. And at times, they have also suffered from the plague of the abundance of such animals. As for their objection that Islam commands Muslims to kill speechless animals for their own benefit, the textual answer is that whatever Allah Almighty has created in this universe, He has created for the benefit of mankind, and humans, under the laws of Shariah, have the right to benefit from these things. And this is what is made clear by this verse: Allah commands whatever He wills. And the rational answer is that at the time of the separation of soul and body, every living being inevitably suffers pain. A living being that dies a natural death does so after enduring the suffering of old age and illness, and in the case of slaughter or hunting, probably suffers for a shorter period.
