5-6 O you who believe, when you rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles.a And if you are under an obligation, then wash (yourselves). And if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you comes from the privy, or you have had contact with women and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith. Allah desires not to place a burden on you but He wishes to purify you, and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may give thanks.b
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَڪُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ جُنُبً۬ا فَٱطَّهَّرُواْۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ۬ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡغَآٮِٕطِ أَوۡ لَـٰمَسۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ مَآءً۬ فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدً۬ا طَيِّبً۬ا فَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِڪُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيكُم مِّنۡهُۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجۡعَلَ عَلَيۡڪُم مِّنۡ حَرَجٍ۬ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُ ۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ (٦)
5-6a: قُمۡتُمۡ – One of the meanings of قیام is a determination to do a thing and by قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ means when you determine to say your prayer (R).
مَرَافِقِ – It is the plural of مِرۡفق which means kindness and leniency. If مِرۡفق is used about some matter, it means one from which some gain will occur, as in: وَيُهَيِّئۡ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَمۡرِكُم مِّرۡفَقً۬ا (and provide for you a profitable course in your affair) (18:16). It also means elbow (LA), as is the case here. The gain or benefit from the elbow is that one can lean on it.
In the first section, those obligations or commands are mentioned that deal with the physical desires of eating, drinking, and the relationship between sexes. These are desires common with animals and ways are enjoined to keep these animal desires within moderation. Now in this second section, the subject is turned to the obligations that are related to that superior natural desire known as prayer or supplication. Thus, if the first section mentions physical desires, this section mentions spiritual desires. There is no doubt that there is an innate desire in humans to connect with the maker of human nature who is his Creator and Master. This section, therefore, begins with certain commands regarding prayers and gives minute details starting with ablution as it did about diet etcetera in the last section.
The presence of inner revelation (wahy khafi) confirmed by the details about ablution: The Quran does not provide all the details about prayer, but it goes into great details about how to perform ablution although the Holy Prophet and Muslims had been performing ablution in the same manner for several years prior to this revelation. This refutes those who deny the existence of inner revelation to the Holy Prophet because the Holy Prophet had taught His Companions how to do ablution exactly in the same way as the Quranic revelation several years later. This shows clearly that when the Holy Prophet taught how to perform ablution, he must have done so by getting the knowledge from revelation although the revelation had not come to the Holy Prophet in these words. This is what is called inner revelation.
In addition, ablution is only a preliminary ritual before prayer and not a part of it and by providing details of ablution, it is conveyed that all the details of prayer taught by the Holy Prophet are from Allah, the Most High.
Wiping the socks: It is worth reflecting that not all the details of ablution are given here. The details of ablution begin here with washing the face while washing of hands, followed by rinsing the mouth and cleaning the nostrils are left out because these are considered as the essential ingredients of washing the face. It is assumed that the person before washing his face will wash his hands, will rinse his mouth or use a toothbrush and clean his nostrils as part of the cleaning of the face. Washing the feet is essential and among the Shia sect there are narrations that show that their Imams washed their feet as part of the ablution. If socks are worn while in a state of ablution, then it is permissible to just run a wet hand over the socks for up to five prayers instead of washing the feet. Similarly, if there is a wound on a part of the body which is normally washed in ablution, then just running a wet hand over it is sufficient and this is not against this verse.
5-6b: Details of the matters in this part of the verse have been discussed in 4-43b. Here those details that are preliminary matters to prayer are repeated to show that Allah has already given necessary instructions on this score. This is the reason that the completion of favors is mentioned at the end of the verse as Allah has completed His favors on Muslims by giving them all the details of the shariah, and now there is no need of a new shariah. The use of the words to purify you is an indication that along with spiritual purity Islam also keeps in view the rules of physical purity as is stated by the Holy Prophet: بنی الدّین النظافة (The foundation of religion is cleanliness).
5-7 And remember Allah’s favor on you and His covenant with which He bound you when you said: We have heard and we obey. And keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah knows what is in the breasts.
وَٱذۡڪُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَمِيثَـٰقَهُ ٱلَّذِى وَاثَقَكُم بِهِۦۤ إِذۡ قُلۡتُمۡ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَاۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ (٧)
5-7a: میثاق – واثق – وثِقۡت به means to trust someone and to be satisfied and at peace with him, and ثَقَ means to tie someone firmly. میثاق means a covenant that is emphasized by an oath (R).
Sadi says that by this covenant is meant the excellence of the shariah that is impressed in the human mind, and Muqatil states that it is the oath which is: أَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰۛ (Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes) (7:172). Some have termed this to be: بیعت الشجرۃ (the oath taken under the tree at Hudaybiyah). The provision of the shariah and becoming a Muslim and entering in the religion of Islam is by itself a covenant. However, since there is a mention above of a natural human desire which steadily draws one to Allah, the purport here is the Divine impress on man’s nature which is referred to in أَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡ (Am I not your Lord), and by نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ is meant the Quran which is revealed to them. When the revelation of the Quran reminds them of the inclination in human nature, the believers spontaneously cry out سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَا (We have heard, and We obey).
5-8 O you who believe, be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice;a and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably. Be just; that is nearer to observance of duty. And keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah is Aware of what you do.b
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّڪُمۡ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوۡمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُواْۚ ٱعۡدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ (٨)
5-8a: Human attributes above the animal desires, which are the focus of this section, can be summarized as the rights of Allah and the rights of other humans. Attention is drawn here to the establishment of these twin rights – to the rights of Allah in قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ and to the rights of other humans in شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ . For قوام see 4:135a. It means exerting the maximum effort for the establishment of an affair. Here instead of mentioning this affair, only Allah is mentioned. Thus it is an exhortation to exert maximum effort to safeguard the rights of Allah. In surah Al-Nisa, where attention is drawn only to the rights of other humans, it is stated: قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّه (maintainers of justice, bearer of witness for Allah) (4:135).
5-8b: ٱعۡدِلُواْ – The meaning of عَدۡل is evenness or equality and عَدۡل is spoken of those affairs that have to do with discernment and عِدۡل with those that have to do with senses such as weight, volume etcetera. عدل is of two types: one is returning a favor with a favor or to help in removing a difficulty of someone who helped you in removing your difficulty, and the other is in retaliation, punishments etcetera (R).
The importance of the rights of other humans is again emphasized: In the last section, it is merely stated that the hatred of a people should not incite you to transgress. The command given here is to be just with them. Being just in the matter of rights is that the rights should be properly discharged. By stating that this is nearer to observance of duty, it is made clear that تقویٰ or righteousness is achieved by safeguarding rights. When there is so much emphasis even on discharging the rights of enemies, how much greater is the need to safeguard the rights of relatives, friends and other Muslim brothers. Alas! Where are those Muslims who are addressed in this teaching.
5-9 Allah has promised to those who believe and do good deeds: For them is forgiveness and a mighty reward.
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِۙ لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ۬ وَأَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ۬ (٩)
5-10 And those who disbelieve and reject Our messages, such are the companions of the flaming fire.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (١٠)
5-11 O you who believe, remember Allah’s favor on you when a people had determined to stretch out their hands against you, but He withheld their hands from you; and keep your duty to Allah. And on Allah let the believers rely.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ إِذۡ هَمَّ قَوۡمٌ أَن يَبۡسُطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡكُمۡ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ فَكَفَّ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ عَنڪُمۡۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ (١١)
5-11a: يَبۡسُطُوٓاْ – The meaning of بَسۡط is stretching or expanding. بسط اللسان means to verbally abuse and بسط الید means to catch, or to attack or to beat (RM).
كَفَّ – Its literal meaning is palm of the hand. A secondary meaning is to reach someone with your palm to ward him off and then to ward off in any manner.
Saving the Holy Prophet from his enemies: Some commentators have explained this verse by relating it to specific incidents. For example, one incident is that the Holy Prophet was sleeping under a tree and had hung his sword from a branch. An enemy took that sword and said: Who will save you now from me? The Holy Prophet replied: God. The enemy was so nonplussed that he dropped the sword. The Holy Prophet picked up the sword and asked the man the same question. Despite having gained the upper hand, the Holy Prophet did not kill him. Another incident referred is one in which the Holy Prophet was sitting next to the wall and the Jews of Bani Nazir tribe planned to kill him by dropping a grinding stone on his head. There is no reason however to restrict the wording of this section to these two incidents when we know that the Holy Prophet was surrounded by enemies on all sides. The Quraish, other Arab polytheist tribes, the Jews, the Christians, and Arabs and non-Arabs were bent on killing and annihilating the Holy Prophet and the handful of his Companions. It is only the blessings of Allah that protected them. The main lesson given here is that despite the enmity shown to you when you have the upper hand, you should deal with them justly.
Bayan-ul-Quran 