124 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 124 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:96

5:97

5:98

5:99

5:100

5:101

5:102

5:103

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 124 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 124 of the standard Uthmani Mushaf covers Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5), verses 96 through 103.

This page transitions from the specific restrictions of pilgrimage back to general legislation, addressing the lawfulness of seafood during Ihram, the sanctity of the Ka'bah, warnings against asking excessive speculative questions, and the total dismantling of pagan superstitions surrounding livestock.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 96: Permission for Sea Game in Ihram

"Lawful to you is game of the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers, but forbidden to you is game of the land as long as you are in the state of Ihram..." (5:96)

The Sunnah Defining "Food of the Sea"

While verse 95 (on the previous page) bans land hunting during pilgrimage, verse 96 explicitly creates a legal exemption for seafood (* Saydul-Bahr *). The Prophetic Sunnah gives a broad, highly foundational definition of what is pure and lawful from the ocean, clarifying a famous historical query from seafaring companions:

Abu Hurayrah narrated that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "O Messenger of Allah, we sail upon the sea and carry a small amount of water with us. If we use it for ablution (Wudu), we will go thirsty. Can we perform ablution with seawater?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: "Its water is pure, and its dead meat is lawful (to eat)."

• Source: Sunan Abi Dawud (Book 1, Hadith 83); Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Hadith 69); Sunan An-Nasa'i. Classified as Sahih (authentic).

The Hadith of the Giant Whale (The Army of the Tree-Bark)

The Sunnah also provides a practical demonstration of this verse in action. A massive military expedition running out of food found a giant sea creature washed ashore, and they consumed it based on this exact Quranic leniency:

Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ sent an expedition of three hundred men. While marching near the coast, they hit a severe famine until they were reduced to eating leaves. Then, the sea cast up a massive creature called Al-Anbar (a sperm whale). The leader of the expedition, Abu Ubaidah, initially hesitated but then said, "We are the messengers of the Messenger of Allah, and we are in the path of Allah, and you are forced by necessity—so eat." They ate from it for half a month until they regained weight.

When they returned to Medina and informed the Prophet ﷺ, he said: "It was a provision which Allah brought forth for you. Do you have any of its meat left to feed us?" So they sent some to the Prophet ﷺ, and he ate it.

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 64, Hadith 4360); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1935).

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 101-102: The Danger of Over-Questioning

"O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they were shown to you, would distress you. But if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be shown to you. Allah has pardoned that... A people before you asked such questions, then they became thereby disbelievers." (5:101-102)

These verses possess a famous and critical reason for revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul) that helped define the limits of Islamic legislation during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.

The Reason for Revelation: Hajj and the Man Who Pressed Too Hard

When the obligation of pilgrimage was first announced, a companion repeatedly pushed for finer details that could have accidentally over-burdened the entire nation with a difficult law:

Abu Hurayrah narrated: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed us and said, 'O people, Allah has made Hajj obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj.' A man (Al-Aqra' ibn Habis) asked, 'Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah?' The Prophet ﷺ remained silent until the man repeated it three times. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'If I were to say yes, it would have become obligatory (every year), and you would not have been able to fulfill it.' He then added: 'Leave me alone concerning things I have left unsaid...'" Then verses 101 and 102 were revealed.

• Source: Sahih Muslim (Book 15, Hadith 1337); Sahih al-Bukhari (similarly narrated via Ibn Abbas, Hadith 7294).

The Sunnah on Prohibiting Constant Speculation

To preserve ease within the faith, the Prophet ﷺ strongly discouraged his followers from diving into endless hypothetical or highly pedantic legal dilemmas:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The greatest sinner among the Muslims in respect of the Muslims is the one who asked about something which had not been forbidden, but it became forbidden due to his persistent questioning."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 96, Hadith 7289); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2358).

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 103: Abolishing Pagan Superstitions Regarding Livestock

"Allah has not appointed [such innovations as] a Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham. But those who disbelieve invent falsehood against Allah, and most of them do not reason." (5:103)

The Hadith Identifying the Inventor of These Superstitions

In Pre-Islamic Arabia (Jahiliyyah), pagans used to dedicate specific camels or sheep to their idols based on superstitious criteria (e.g., if a camel birthed five consecutive female calves, they slit its ears, let it roam free, banned anyone from riding it, and called it a Bahirah or Sa'ibah). Verse 103 thoroughly abolishes these categories.

The Sunnah explicitly Names the single historical individual responsible for inserting these corrupt practices into Arabian society:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I saw 'Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuza'i dragging his own intestines in the Hellfire. He was the very first person to introduce the practice of Sa'ibah (liberating livestock for idols)."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 65, Hadith 4623); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2856).

References

• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari (Chapters: Kitab al-I'tisam bil-Kitab was-Sunnah / Holding Fast to Quran and Sunnah; Kitab al-Tafsir / Prophetic Commentary).

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim (Chapters: Kitab al-Sayd / The Book of Hunting/Sea Game; Kitab al-Hajj / The Book of Pilgrimage).

• Sijistani, Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath. Sunan Abi Dawud (Book of Purification / Kitab al-Taharah).

• Ibn Kathir, Ismail ibn Umar. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Volume 3, Exegesis of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 96–103).