108 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 108 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:6

5:7

5:8

5:9

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 108 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 108 of the Quran (according to the standard Medina/Uthmani codex layout) contains Surah Al-Ma'idah (5), verses 6 through 9. This specific section is highly foundational in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and theology, covering the rulings of physical purification (Taharah) and social justice.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 6: The Rulings of Purification (Wudu & Tayammum)

"O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles..."

This verse maps out the mandatory parts of Wudu (ablution) and introduces Tayammum (dry purification with clean soil) when water is unavailable or a person is ill.

The Prophet’s Method of Wudu

While the Quran lists the essential parts, the Sunnah provides the practical details (such as washing three times, rinsing the mouth, and sniffing water).

• Hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim): Humran (the freed slave of Uthman ibn Affan) reported that he saw Uthman performing Wudu. He poured water over his hands three times, rinsed his mouth and nose, washed his face three times, washed his right and left arms up to the elbows three times, wiped his head, and then washed his right and left feet up to the ankles three times. Uthman then said:
  "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing ablution just as I have done it."

The Cause of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul) for Tayammum

The latter part of verse 6 allows dry ablution (Tayammum). The specific reason this was revealed is recorded in a highly famous historical account involving the Prophet's wife, Aisha.

• Hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 334): Aisha (ra) narrated that during a journey with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), her necklace broke and was lost at a place called Al-Bayda. The Prophet (ﷺ) and the army stopped to look for it, but there was no water at that location, and they had no water left with them. People went to Abu Bakr (Aisha's father) to complain. When morning came, the time for prayer arrived, and they still had no water. It was then that Allah revealed the verse of Tayammum (Al-Ma'idah 5:6), allowing the companions to use clean earth.
  Usayd ibn al-Hudayr, a companion, remarked: "This is not the first blessing you have brought to us, O family of Abu Bakr!"

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 7: Remembering the Covenant

"And remember the favor of Allah upon you and His covenant with which He bound you when you said, 'We hear and we obey'..."

This verse emphasizes keeping the pledge of loyalty and obedience to Allah and His Messenger.

Total Obedience and Avoiding Innovation

The Sunnah interprets "We hear and we obey" as a lifetime commitment to following the Prophet’s authentic path while avoiding religious innovations.

• Hadith (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 867): The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say in his Friday sermons (Khutbah):
  "The best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of matters are those newly introduced into the religion, and every innovation is misguidance."

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 8: Upholding Absolute Justice

"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just; that is closer to righteousness..."

This verse is recognized as one of the ultimate declarations of social and judicial justice in the Quran, demanding that Muslims remain fair even to their bitter enemies (Ayub, 2024).

Forbidding Injustice to All Creation

The concept of absolute justice outlined here is heavily mirrored in divine (Qudsi) narrations where Allah forbids injustice on Himself and mandates fairness among human beings.

• Hadith Qudsi (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2577): The Prophet (ﷺ) narrated that Allah said:
  "O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another."

Fairness to Family and Foes Alike

The Sunnah warns that letting personal bias or familial connections warp justice is a major sin.

• Hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3475): When a noble woman from the Makhzum tribe committed a theft, some companions tried to intercede so she could avoid punishment. The Prophet (ﷺ) became deeply upset, stood up, and addressed the people:
  "The nations before you were destroyed because if a noble person among them stole, they let him go free, but if a weak person among them stole, they enforced the legal punishment upon him. By Allah, if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would cut off her hand."

4. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 9: The Promise of Forgiveness

"Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds that for them there is forgiveness and great reward."

This verse offers hope, linking genuine belief and good actions to divine forgiveness.

Forgiveness Erasing the Past

The Prophet explained how practicing the very acts of purification found on this page acts as a primary vehicle for achieving the forgiveness promised in verse 9.

• Hadith (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 244): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
  "When a Muslim or a believer washes his face in Wudu, every sin he looked at with his eyes leaves his face with the water... when he washes his hands, every sin his hands tangled with leaves with the water... and when he washes his feet, every sin his feet walked toward leaves with the water, until he emerges completely purified from sin."

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari. (References to Hadith 334, 3475).

• Al-Naysaburi, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim. (References to Hadith 244, 867, 2577).

• Ayub, S. (2024). The Concept of Divine Justice in The Quran Thematic Analysis of Al Adl. Jurnal Hafasy, 1(2), 78-88.