سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 91
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ ٱلْعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ فِى ٱلْخَمْرِ وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ ﴿91﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Shaitân (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allâh and from As-Salât (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
intends
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ
l-shayṭānu
the Shaitaan
أَن
an
to
يُوقِعَ
yūqiʿa
cause
بَيْنَكُمُ
baynakumu
between you
ٱلْعَدَٰوَةَ
l-ʿadāwata
[the] enmity
وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ
wal-baghḍāa
and [the] hatred
فِى
fī
through
ٱلْخَمْرِ
l-khamri
intoxicants
وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ
wal-maysiri
and gambling
وَيَصُدَّكُمْ
wayaṣuddakum
and hinders you
عَن
ʿan
from
ذِكْرِ
dhik'ri
(the) remembrance
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَعَنِ
waʿani
and from
ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۖ
l-ṣalati
the prayer
فَهَلْ
fahal
So will
أَنتُم
antum
you
مُّنتَهُونَ
muntahūna
(be) the ones who abstain
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.
91. Satan only seeks to sow enmity [137] and hatred among you through wine and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not then desist?
[137] To understand how alcohol becomes a cause of mutual enmity and hatred, consider the following two hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Ali ؓ narrates that on the day of Badr, from the spoils of war that we received, I got a young she-camel in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also had a share. And the Prophet ﷺ had gifted me another young she-camel. I used to tie both these she-camels at the door of an Ansari man. My task was to load these two she-camels with izkhir (grass), bring it, and sell it. A goldsmith from Banu Qaynuqa‘ used to work with me in this. I was about to marry Sayyidah Fatimah ؓ (the daughter of the Messenger ﷺ), and I wanted to arrange the wedding feast from this income. One day, Sayyiduna Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib (your uncle) was sitting in that house drinking alcohol, and a singing woman was singing. That singer recited this verse: "Ala ya Hamzatu lish-sharafi an-nawa" (Arise, Hamzah, for the plump young she-camels).
How do alcohol and gambling become causes of mutual enmity? As soon as Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ heard this verse, he rushed towards the she-camels with a sword, cut off their humps, ripped open their bellies, and took out their livers. Sayyiduna Ali ؓ says that when I saw this scene, I became extremely anxious and immediately went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and narrated the whole incident to him. At that time, Zayd bin Harithah ؓ was sitting with him. So, the three of us set out and came to Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ became angry with Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ, but Hamzah (who was intoxicated) raised his eyes and said: "Who are you? You people are only the slaves of my forefathers." Seeing this situation, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned back on his heels. Until that time, alcohol had not yet been declared haram. [بخاري۔ كتاب المساقاة۔ باب بيع الحطب والكلائ]
2. Sayyiduna Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas ؓ narrates that I went to a gathering of the Muhajirin and Ansar. They said, "Come, let us feed you and give you something to drink," and this incident is from before alcohol was made haram. So I went to their garden. I saw that they had placed a roasted camel's head and a waterskin of alcohol. I also ate and drank with them. Then I mentioned the Muhajirin and Ansar and said that the Muhajirin are better than the Ansar. (Upon hearing this) a man struck me with a jawbone from the head, injuring and splitting my nose. I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and informed him of this. Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse about me: ﴿اِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ﴾ [مسلم۔ كتاب الفضائل۔ باب فى فضل سعد بن ابي وقاص]
And sometimes the matter of gambling proves to be even more dangerous than alcohol. When the losing party loses a great deal of wealth and property, and sometimes even his wife, the world becomes dark before him, and the enmity that arises in him becomes frenzied, which leads to many other crimes as well. These are the apparent effects of alcohol and gambling, and the inner effect is that both these things make people heedless of the remembrance of Allah.
[137] To understand how alcohol becomes a cause of mutual enmity and hatred, consider the following two hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Ali ؓ narrates that on the day of Badr, from the spoils of war that we received, I got a young she-camel in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also had a share. And the Prophet ﷺ had gifted me another young she-camel. I used to tie both these she-camels at the door of an Ansari man. My task was to load these two she-camels with izkhir (grass), bring it, and sell it. A goldsmith from Banu Qaynuqa‘ used to work with me in this. I was about to marry Sayyidah Fatimah ؓ (the daughter of the Messenger ﷺ), and I wanted to arrange the wedding feast from this income. One day, Sayyiduna Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib (your uncle) was sitting in that house drinking alcohol, and a singing woman was singing. That singer recited this verse: "Ala ya Hamzatu lish-sharafi an-nawa" (Arise, Hamzah, for the plump young she-camels).
How do alcohol and gambling become causes of mutual enmity? As soon as Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ heard this verse, he rushed towards the she-camels with a sword, cut off their humps, ripped open their bellies, and took out their livers. Sayyiduna Ali ؓ says that when I saw this scene, I became extremely anxious and immediately went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and narrated the whole incident to him. At that time, Zayd bin Harithah ؓ was sitting with him. So, the three of us set out and came to Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ became angry with Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ, but Hamzah (who was intoxicated) raised his eyes and said: "Who are you? You people are only the slaves of my forefathers." Seeing this situation, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned back on his heels. Until that time, alcohol had not yet been declared haram. [بخاري۔ كتاب المساقاة۔ باب بيع الحطب والكلائ]
2. Sayyiduna Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas ؓ narrates that I went to a gathering of the Muhajirin and Ansar. They said, "Come, let us feed you and give you something to drink," and this incident is from before alcohol was made haram. So I went to their garden. I saw that they had placed a roasted camel's head and a waterskin of alcohol. I also ate and drank with them. Then I mentioned the Muhajirin and Ansar and said that the Muhajirin are better than the Ansar. (Upon hearing this) a man struck me with a jawbone from the head, injuring and splitting my nose. I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and informed him of this. Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse about me: ﴿اِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ﴾ [مسلم۔ كتاب الفضائل۔ باب فى فضل سعد بن ابي وقاص]
And sometimes the matter of gambling proves to be even more dangerous than alcohol. When the losing party loses a great deal of wealth and property, and sometimes even his wife, the world becomes dark before him, and the enmity that arises in him becomes frenzied, which leads to many other crimes as well. These are the apparent effects of alcohol and gambling, and the inner effect is that both these things make people heedless of the remembrance of Allah.
