116 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 116 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:46

5:47

5:48

5:49

5:50

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 116 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 116 of the standard Uthmani Mushaf covers Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5), verses 46 through 50.

This section functions as a theological and legal climax. It outlines the revelation of the Gospel (Injeel) to Jesus, confirms the position of the Quran as the final authoritative guardian (Muhaymin) over all previous scriptures, establishes that every nation has its own divine law, and severely warns against replacing divine justice with the corrupt whims of human ignorance (Jahiliyyah).

The Hadith and Prophetic Sunnah elaborate on the brotherhood of the Prophets, the definition of terms like Muhaymin, the specific plots to test the Prophet’s judicial resolve, and the dangers of Jahiliyyah.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 46: The Lineage and Brotherhood of Prophets

"And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light..." (5:46)

The Sunnah of Prophetic Unity

The Sunnah directly mirrors the theological reality of verse 46—that Jesus was sent in the footsteps of the Hebrew prophets, sharing an identical foundational creed (Tawheed) while bringing a revised legal code. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ beautifully illustrated this unified spiritual lineage:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I am the closest of all people to Jesus, the son of Mary, both in this world and in the Hereafter. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 3443); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2365).

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 48: The Quran as a Guardian (Muhaymin)

"And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a guardian (muhaymin) over it..." (5:48)

The Sunnah Definition of Muhaymin

The term Muhaymin is a critical legal word. The Sunnah of the Companions, specifically recorded by Abdullah ibn Abbas, clarifies that it means the Quran acts as a trustworthy witness, an ultimate referee, and a final authority. If any text or law found in previous scriptures contradicts the Quran, the Quranic ruling overrides and corrects it.

Racing to Good Deeds

Verse 48 also contains the famous injunction: "So race to [all that is] good (Fastabiqul-Khayrat)." The Sunnah structurally organized daily life to fulfill this command, urging Muslims to perform acts of worship before being overcome by distractions or trials:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by trials like portions of a dark night, when a man wakes up a believer and becomes a disbeliever by evening..."

• Source: Sahih Muslim (Book 1, Hadith 118).

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 49: The Plot to Divert the Prophet's Judgment

"And judge, [O Muhammad], between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you..." (5:49)

The Reason for Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The Sunnah preserves the political intrigue behind this verse. In Medina, certain influential tribal authorities attempted to leverage their social standing to extract favorable, lenient legal concessions from the Prophet ﷺ.

Ibn Abbas narrated: Ka'b ibn Asad, Ibn Saluba, and Abdullah ibn Suriya (tribal leaders) said to one another, 'Let us go to Muhammad to see if we can tempt him away from his religion.' They went to him and said: 'O Muhammad, you know that we are the scholars and nobles of our people. If we follow you, the rest of our people will follow us and they will not oppose us. However, there is a legal dispute between us and another party; we want you to judge in our favor against them, and in return, we will believe in you and follow you.'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ strictly refused this compromise, and Allah immediately revealed verse 49: '...and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you.'

• Source: Recorded by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim; cited universally by classical commentators including Ibn Kathir as the direct context for this verse.

4. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 50: The Judgment of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah)

"Then is it the judgment of [the time of] ignorance (Jahiliyyah) they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who are certain [in faith]?" (5:50)

The Most Hated People to Allah

The Prophet ﷺ warned his community against allowing pre-Islamic cultural practices, tribal biases, or vigilante laws (Jahiliyyah) to infiltrate their societal legal codes.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The most hated of people to Allah are three: a person who commits a violation in the Sanctuary (Makkah), a person who seeks to introduce the customs of Jahiliyyah (Ignorance) into Islam, and a person who demands the blood of a human being without any just cause."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 87, Hadith 6882).

By drawing a stark line on page 116, the Quran and Sunnah demand that a believer choose between two absolute categories: the perfect, objective equity of the Creator, or the subjective, passion-driven biases of human ignorance.

References

• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari (Chapters: Kitab Ahadith al-Anbiya / Stories of the Prophets; Kitab al-I'tisam bil-Kitab was-Sunnah / Holding Fast to the Quran and Sunnah).

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim (Chapters: Kitab al-Fada'il / Virtues of the Prophets; Kitab al-Iman / Faith).

• Al-Tabari, Ibn Jarir. Jami' al-Bayan 'an Ta'wil Ay al-Qur'an (Exegesis of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 46–50).

• Ibn Kathir, Ismail ibn Umar. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Volume 3, Commentary on Surah Al-Ma'idah).