111 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 111 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:18

5:19

5:20

5:21

5:22

5:23

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 111 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 111 of the Uthmani Mushaf spans Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5), verses 18 through 23.

This section addresses the claims of chosen status by earlier theological groups, contextualizes the prophetic gap (Fatrah) before Muhammad's ﷺ mission, and recounts Moses' leadership when ordering the Children of Israel to enter the Promised Land.

The Hadith and Sunnah clarify the semantic nuances, reasons for revelation, and behavioral lessons embedded in these passages.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 18: Refuting Claims of Absolute Favoritism

"But the Jews and the Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His beloved.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?'..." (5:18)

The Reason for Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The Sunnah preserves the specific discussions between the Prophet ﷺ and local communities in Medina that prompted this revelation.

• According to a text transmitted by Ibn Abbas, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was speaking to a group of Jewish leaders (including Nu'man bin Asa, Bahri bin Amr, and Sha's bin Adiy) and warned them of Allah's punishment for certain transgressions. They retorted boastfully: "You cannot scare us, O Muhammad. By Allah, we are the children of Allah and His beloved ones."

• Following this encounter, Allah revealed verse 18 to dismantle this claim of unconditional immunity from divine justice.

The Hadith on the False Security of Lineage

The Sunnah mirrors the core theological lesson of this verse: that claiming a prestigious lineage or chosen group status does not bypass accountability. The Prophet ﷺ systematically warned his own family against relying on their bloodline instead of righteous actions:

"O people of Quraish! Buy (ransom) yourselves from Allah; I cannot avail you anything before Allah... O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad! Ask me for whatever you want from my wealth, but I cannot avail you anything before Allah."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 2753); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 206).

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 19: The Prophetic Gap (Fatrah)

"O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you [the religion] after a period of a cessation of messengers..." (5:19)

The Hadith Defining the Fatrah and Chronology

Verse 19 mentions that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent after a long interval or gap between messengers ('ala fatratin min ar-rusul), leaving the world in spiritual darkness. The Sunnah explicitly quantifies and describes this specific period, particularly the timeline separating Jesus and Muhammad:

Salman al-Farsi narrated: "The period between Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) was six hundred years."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 63, Hadith 3948).

The Condition of the World During the Gap

The Prophet ﷺ described the moral state of the earth just prior to his commission, illustrating exactly why the arrival of a final messenger "to make things clear" was necessary:

"Allah looked at the people of the earth and detested them, both the Arabs and the non-Arabs, except for a few remnants of the People of the Book. And He said: 'I have only sent you (Muhammad) to test you and test others through you...'"

• Source: Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2865).

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 20: Defining a True Sovereign/King (Muluk)

"And [remember] when Moses said to his people, 'O my people, remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you kings...'" (5:20)

The Prophetic Definition of a "King"

Exegeses note that the Children of Israel were described as "kings" (Muluk) because Allah granted them independent homes, spouses, servants, and self-determination after liberating them from Egyptian servitude. The Sunnah contextualizes this status, expanding the term to mean anyone who possesses baseline security and self-sufficiency:

Zayd ibn Aslam narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said regarding this verse: "Anyone among the Children of Israel who had a servant, a wife, and a dwelling place was considered a king."

• Source: Recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir al-Tabari; cited as a primary authentic contextual explanation by Ibn Kathir.

This aligns directly with a well-known spiritual maxim from the Sunnah regarding personal contentment:

"Whosoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and possessing his provision for the day, it is as though the entire world has been gathered for him."

• Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Hadith 2346); Classified as Hasan (sound).

4. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 21-23: Cowardice vs. The Companions' Loyalty

"O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you and do not turn back... They said, 'O Moses, indeed within it is a people of tyrannical might...' Said two men from those who feared [Allah and] upon whom Allah had bestowed favor, 'Enter upon them through the gate...'" (5:21-23)

The Sunnah Contrast: The Loyalty of the Sahabah

When the Children of Israel faced the command to enter the holy land and fight, they mutinied against Moses (culminating in verse 24 with their infamous statement: "Go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are remaining here").

The Companions (Sahabah) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ intentionally used this historical event from Surah Al-Ma'idah as a baseline of what not to do. During the intense prelude to the Battle of Badr, when the Muslims were heavily outnumbered, a companion named Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad stood up to assure the Prophet ﷺ of their total loyalty, directly referencing the historical failure mentioned on page 111:

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated: "I witnessed a scene from Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad that I would prefer over anything else. He came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was invoking Allah against the idolaters, and said: 'We will not say as the people of Moses said, "Go, you and your Lord, and fight; we will stay here." Instead, we will fight on your right, on your left, in front of you, and behind you!' I saw the face of the Prophet ﷺ light up with joy."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 64, Hadith 3952; also Book 60, Hadith 4609).

The Hadith on the "Two Men Who Feared Allah"

Verse 23 praises two specific men (Rajulan) who urged obedience, trusted in Allah, and told the people to charge through the city gate to achieve victory. Tabari and Ibn Kathir record that the Sunnah of the early community identified these two men via historical narrations from the Companions as Joshua bin Nun (Yusha' ibn Nun) and Caleb ben Jephunneh (Kalib ibn Yufanna).

The Sunnah confirms Joshua's unique status as a prophet who successfully led the next generation into that land, accompanied by miracles:

"The sun was never stopped from setting for any human being except for Joshua (Yusha') when he marched towards the Holy House (Jerusalem)."

• Source: Musnad Ahmad (Hadith 8298). Classified as Sahih by Al-Albani.

References

• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari (Chapters: Kitab al-Maghazi / The Expeditions; Kitab al-Tafsir / Prophetic Commentary).

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim (Chapters: Kitab al-Iman / Faith; Kitab al-Jannah / Description of Paradise and its People).

• Ibn Kathir, Ismail ibn Umar. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Volume 3, Exegesis of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 18–23).

• Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn Isa. Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Chapters on Asceticism / Zuhd).