123 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 123 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:90

5:91

5:92

5:93

5:94

5:95

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 123 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 123 of the standard Uthmani Mushaf contains Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5), verses 90 through 95.

This specific page contains some of the most famous and definitive legal pronouncements in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). It establishes the absolute, final prohibition of intoxicants and gambling, addresses retrospective accountability for past consumption, and outlines strict regulations governing hunting during the state of pilgrimage (Ihram).

The Hadith and Prophetic Sunnah provide extensive historical context, reasons for revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul), and legal applications for these verses.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 90-91: The Final Ban on Intoxicants and Gambling

"O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants (Khamr), gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?" (5:90-91)

The gradual prohibition of alcohol in Islam reached its definitive climax with these two verses. The Sunnah captures the intense scene in Medina the moment they were revealed.

The Reason for Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

Historically, alcohol was deeply woven into Pre-Islamic Arabian culture. The companion Umar ibn al-Khattab used to supplicate: "O Allah! Give us a clear ruling regarding wine!"

Following a series of societal incidents—including a fight that broke out between some Muhajirun and Ansar companions during a gathering where wine was consumed—verses 90 and 91 were sent down.

The Response: "We Desist! We Desist!"

When the Prophet ﷺ received the revelation, he sent town criers out into the streets of Medina to announce the total prohibition. The response of the companions was instantaneous:

Anas ibn Malik narrated: "I was serving wine to Abu Talha and some other companions... when a caller announced: 'Wine has been forbidden!' Abu Talha said to me, 'Go out and spill it.' I went out and poured it away, and it flowed through the streets of Medina. The people said, 'We desist, O Lord! We desist!'"

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 65, Hadith 4617); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1980).

Defining Intoxicants in the Sunnah

To ensure no loopholes were left regarding the definition of alcohol, the Prophet ﷺ established a universal legal maxim:

"Every intoxicant is Khamr (wine), and every intoxicant is forbidden."

• Source: Sahih Muslim (Book 36, Hadith 2003).

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 92-93: Reassurance for Past Actions

"And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware... There is no blame upon those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they have consumed [before prohibition] if they fear Allah and believe and do righteous deeds..." (5:92-93)

The Hadith on Anxieties Over Deceased Companions

When verses 90 and 91 made alcohol strictly unlawful, a wave of anxiety hit the community. Several righteous companions had fought and died as martyrs in battles like Uhud prior to this date, and they had died with wine in their stomachs or had previously funded their lives through it.

The Sunnah explains that verse 93 was revealed specifically to comfort the living and absolve the deceased of retrospective blame:

Ibn Abbas narrated: "When wine was forbidden, some people said, 'O Messenger of Allah! What about our companions who died while they used to drink it?' Then Allah revealed: 'There is no blame upon those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they have consumed [in the past]...'"

• Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Book 44, Hadith 3050); Sunan An-Nasa'i. Classified as Sahih.

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 94-95: The Law of Hunting During Pilgrimage (Ihram)

"O you who have believed, Allah will surely test you with something of the game that your hands and spears can reach... O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of Ihram. And whoever of you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent from sacrificial animals to what he killed..." (5:94-95)

These verses establish a unique spiritual and legal test: wild game would intentionally wander close to the pilgrims while they were restricted by the sacred state of Ihram, making it incredibly easy to catch. The Sunnah strictly enforced this boundary.

The Prophet’s Compliance and the Gift of Wild Game

Because of verse 95, the Prophet ﷺ would refuse any game that was hunted specifically for him or hunted by someone while in Ihram. However, if a non-pilgrim hunted an animal independently without any assistance from a pilgrim, it remained permissible to eat.

Al-Sab' ibn Jaththamah narrated: "I presented a wild donkey to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was at Al-Abwa' (in a state of Ihram), but he returned it to me. When he saw the look of disappointment on my face, he said: 'We only returned it to you because we are in the state of Ihram (and cannot hunt or consume game hunted for us).'"*

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 28, Hadith 1825); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1193).

Calculating the Penalty (Kaffarah)

Verse 95 outlines a penalty of "equivalent value" if an animal is killed during Ihram. The Sunnah records how the companions logically calculated these equivalents based on size. For instance, the companion Umar and the early scholars ruled that if a pilgrim accidentally or intentionally killed an ostrich, the penalty was sacrificing a camel; for a wild donkey, a cow; and for a gazelle, a sheep.

References

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

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim (Chapters: Kitab al-Ashribah / The Book of Drinks; Kitab al-Hajj / The Book of Pilgrimage).

• 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 90–95).