سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ

Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 102

The Table · Medinan · Juz 7 · Page 124

قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا۟ بِهَا كَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿102﴾
Before you, a community asked such questions, then on that account they became disbelievers.
قَدْ qad Indeed
سَأَلَهَا sa-alahā asked them
قَوْمٌۭ qawmun a people
مِّن min from
قَبْلِكُمْ qablikum before you
ثُمَّ thumma then
أَصْبَحُوا۟ aṣbaḥū they became
بِهَا bihā thereby
كَـٰفِرِينَ kāfirīna disbelievers

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 102) {قَدْ سَاَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِّنْ قَبْلِكُمْ … :} This is a reference to the Children of Israel, because their condition was such that they would unnecessarily probe and inquire about things from their prophets, and when something was declared forbidden, they would not comply. In this way, in both situations, they were deemed disobedient. All this calamity arose from unnecessary excessive questioning. Several examples of this behavior of theirs have already been mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to us and said: "O people! Allah has made Hajj obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj." Then a man said, "O Messenger of Allah! Is it every year?" The Prophet remained silent until he repeated it three times. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory and you would not have been able to do it." Then he said: "Leave me as long as I leave you, for those before you were only destroyed because of their excessive questioning and their disagreement with their prophets. So when I command you to do something, do as much of it as you can, and when I forbid you from something, then abstain from it." [مسلم، الحج، باب فرض الحج مرۃ فی العمر : ۱۳۳۷ ]

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.

12. 1. Do not fall into the same shortcoming. Just as once the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has made Hajj obligatory upon you," a person asked, "Is it every year?" You remained silent, and he repeated the question three times. Then you said, "If I had said yes, then Hajj would have become obligatory every year, and if that had happened, it would not have been possible for you to perform Hajj every year." Do not ask me about things which have not been explained to you, because the destruction of the previous nations was due to their excessive questioning and their disagreements with their prophets.

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.

102. Indeed, some people before you [150] asked such questions, then became disbelievers because of them.

Do Not Analogize the Details of a General Command of Shariah:

These were the Jews who kept troubling Sayyiduna Musa (علیہ السلام) with their incessant questions, as is evident from verse 108 of Surah Al-Baqarah. When they were commanded to slaughter a cow, they began to ask question after question: "Tell us by asking Allah, what should be the age of the cow? What should its color be? What should its condition be?" and so on. In reality, if they had not asked any questions, they would have been free to slaughter any cow. But by repeatedly asking questions, they only increased restrictions upon themselves, and this is the harm of excessive questioning. If Shariah states a command in general terms, then taking advantage of its generality is also an ease for Muslims. Through ijtihad and deduction, specifying its details should not become a cause of difficulty or confusion for Muslims.