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 ]