126 Page Notes

05 Surah Al-Maidah (continued)

Page 126 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

5:109

5:110

5:111

5:112

5:113

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 126 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 126 of the standard Uthmani Mushaf covers Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5), verses 109 through 113.

This page transitions into a breathtaking cosmic and historical narrative. It opens with an image of the Day of Judgment, when all messengers will be called to give testimony, before shifting focus to an intimate recounting of the miracles granted to Prophet 'Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) and the dynamic that existed between him, his disciples (Al-Hawariyyun), and the ultimate request for a miraculous feast from heaven (Al-Ma'idah).

The Hadith and Prophetic Sunnah elaborate on the terror of the Day of Judgment for the Prophets, the nature of miracles, and the special station of Jesus's disciples.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 109: The Messengers on the Day of Judgment

"The Day when Allah will assemble the messengers and say, 'What response did you receive?' They will say, 'We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.'" (5:109)

The Sunnah on the Intimacy and Terror of the Divine Question

Verse 109 describes a moment of absolute awe where even the mightiest Messengers, out of immense reverence and the sheer gravity of standing before Allah, defer their knowledge back to Him. The Prophetic Sunnah underscores that the Day of Resurrection will be so overwhelming that every soul, including the prophets, will be entirely focused on their accountability to the Almighty.

In a foundational narration regarding the gathering of creation on that Day, the Prophet ﷺ explicitly references how prophets will stand in absolute awe. He noted that when the nations panic and run to the great messengers (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus) begging for intercession, each of them will cry out: "My Lord is angry today with such anger as He has never been before, nor will He ever be again! Myself! Myself! (Nafsi! Nafsi!)"

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 3361); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 194).

2. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 110: The Miracles of Jesus

"[The Day] when Allah will say, 'O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission...'" (5:110)

The Hadith on the Miracles and the Spirit (Ruh)

The verse details the spectacular miracles given to Jesus—breathing life into clay birds, healing the blind and the leper, and raising the dead—always accompanied by the strict caveat: "with My permission" (Bi-idhnī) to ensure his servitude is never confused with independent divinity.

The Sunnah establishes a core text of faith that mirrors this verse, requiring Muslims to acknowledge both the miracles and the precise cosmic status of Jesus as a creation and word of Allah:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever testifies that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone, without partners, and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, and that Jesus is Allah's slave, His Messenger, and His Word bestowed upon Mary, and a Spirit (Ruh) proceeding from Him, and that Paradise is true, and Hell is true—Allah will admit him into Paradise through any of its eight gates he likes."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 3435); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 28).

3. Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 111-113: The Disciples and the Feast

"And [remember] when I inspired the disciples: 'Believe in Me and in My messenger.' They said, 'We have believed, so bear witness that we are Muslims.' [Remember] when the disciples said, 'O Jesus, Son of Mary, can your Lord send down to us a table spread [with food] from heaven?'..." (5:111-112)

The Prophetic Commentary on the Disciples (Al-Hawariyyun)

Verses 111 and 112 introduce the elite inner circle of Jesus's followers, the Hawariyyun. They are praised for accepting the faith immediately upon inspiration. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ held the title of Hawari in immense regard, utilizing it as a term of supreme praise for his own inner circle:

During the Battle of the Trench (Al-Khandaq), the Prophet ﷺ called for a volunteer to scout enemy lines, and az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam instantly stepped forward. The Prophet ﷺ called out a second time, and az-Zubayr volunteered again. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then proclaimed: "Every prophet has a Hawari (an elite disciple), and my Hawari is az-Zubayr."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 57, Hadith 3719); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2415).

The Demand for Material Proof vs. Deep Faith

In verse 113, the disciples explain their motive for requesting a literal table of food descending from the sky: "We wish to eat from it and to satisfy our hearts and to know that you have indeed told us the truth..."

Classical commentators like Ibn Kathir explain that the Sunnah frames this not as absolute disbelief, but as human nature seeking 'Ayn al-Yaqeen (the certainty of visual sight) over Ilm al-Yaqeen (the certainty of intellectual knowledge).

This directly parallels the famous Hadith regarding Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) when he asked Allah to show him how He revives the dead:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "We are more liable to doubt than Abraham when he said, 'My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.' Allah said: 'Don't you believe?' Abraham said: 'Yes, but I ask in order to satisfy my heart.'"

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 3372); Sahih Muslim (Hadith 151).

References

• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari (Chapters: Kitab Ahadith al-Anbiya / Stories of the Prophets; Kitab al-Tafsir / Prophetic Commentary; Kitab al-Fada'il / Virtues of the Companions).

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

• Ibn Kathir, Ismail ibn Umar. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Volume 3, Exegesis of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 109–113).