119 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 119 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:65

5:66

5:67

5:68

5:69

5:70

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 119 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 119 of the standard Uthmani Mushaf covers Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5), verses 65 through 70.

This section moves into a profound theological discussion regarding accountability, the duty of delivering the divine message (Tabligh), divine protection for the Prophet ﷺ, and a historical review of how former communities reacted when messengers brought truths that clashed with their personal desires.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 65-66: The Spiritual Law of Abundance

"And if only the People of the Scripture had believed and feared Allah, We would have surely removed from them their misdeeds and admitted them to Gardens of Pleasure. And if they had upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet..." (5:65-66)

The Sunnah of Linking Piety with Sustenance

Verses 65 and 66 highlight a spiritual cause-and-effect rule: maintaining consciousness of Allah (Taqwa) and staying faithful to divine law unlocks worldly, material provisions ("from above them and from beneath their feet"). The Prophetic Sunnah reinforces this exact principle, teaching that seeking forgiveness and maintaining piety is a direct key to unlocking worldly ease.

The Prophet ﷺ said in a famous narration:

"Whosoever fastidiously holds to seeking forgiveness (Istighfar), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from quarters he could never imagine."

• Source: Sunan Abi Dawud (Book 8, Hadith 1518); Sunan Ibn Majah (Hadith 3819).

Furthermore, the Sunnah contains the highly praised Hadith Qudsi where Allah states: "O son of Adam, dedicate yourself to My worship, and I will fill your chest with wealth and remove your poverty. But if you do not do so, I will fill your hands with distractions and never close your poverty." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2466).

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 67: Mandate of Proclamation and Divine Protection

"O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people..." (5:67)

This is one of the most operationally and historically significant verses in the life of the Prophet ﷺ. The Sunnah provides clear details regarding its impact on his daily life.

The Reason for Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul): The End of the Bodyguards

Before this verse was revealed, the Companions routinely set up armed security details to guard the Prophet ﷺ because of the constant threat of assassination from various factions in Medina.

The Companion Aisha narrated: "The Prophet ﷺ used to be guarded by watchmen until this verse was revealed: 'And Allah will protect you from the people.' Upon its revelation, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stuck his head out from his leather tent and said to his guards: 'O people, you may leave, for Allah has explicitly guaranteed my protection.'"*

• Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Book 44, Hadith 3046); Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn by Al-Hakim. Classified as Sahih (authentic).

The Sunnah Duty of Integrity (Tabligh)

The phrase "if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message" serves as an absolute testament to the Prophet’s complete honesty. Aisha used this specific verse to refute anyone who claimed the Prophet ﷺ secretly withheld any part of the revelation:

"Whoever tells you that Muhammad concealed anything from what Allah revealed to him has told a massive lie." She then recited verse 67 to prove her point.

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 65, Hadith 4612); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 177).

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 69: The Universal Baseline of Salvation

"Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Sabians or Christians - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and landed righteously - no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." (5:69)

The Sunnah Clarifying the Timeline of Salvation

To ensure this verse was not misunderstood as an open license to reject the final Prophet, the Sunnah provides essential clarity. The Prophet ﷺ explained that after his arrival, the universal parameters of belief automatically require acknowledging the finality of his message:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one among this nation—whether a Jew or a Christian—hears of me and then dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, except that he will be an inhabitant of the Hellfire."

• Source: Sahih Muslim (Book 1, Hadith 153).

The Sunnah clarifies that verse 69 refers contextually to the historical populations who lived before the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ mission, who genuinely followed the uncorrupted teachings of Moses, Jesus, or other prophets within their respective eras.

4. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 70: Opposing the Truth Based on Desires

"We had already taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and sent to them messengers. Whensoever there came to them a messenger with what their souls did not desire, a party [of messengers] they denied, and another party they killed." (5:70)

The Prophetic Sunnah on Resisting Whims (Hawa)

Verse 70 exposes a core spiritual disease: filtering divine truth through personal whims (Hawa), accepting only what feels convenient, and aggressively attacking the rest. The Prophet's ﷺ personal Sunnah strictly warned his followers against repeating this behavioral pattern:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "None of you truly believes until his desires (Hawa) become completely subservient and aligned with that which I have brought to you."

• Source: Recorded in Kitab al-Hujjah with a sound chain; included by Imam al-Nawawi as Hadith 41 in his Forty Hadith collection.

References

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

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim (Chapters: Kitab al-Iman / The Book of Faith).

• Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn Isa. Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Chapters on the Exegesis of the Quran).

• Ibn Kathir, Ismail ibn Umar. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Volume 3, Exegesis of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 65–70).