5-57 O you who believe, take not for friends those who take your religion as a mockery and a sport, from among those who were given the Book before you and the disbelievers; and keep your duty to Allah if you are believers.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ دِينَكُمۡ هُزُوً۬ا وَلَعِبً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَٱلۡكُفَّارَ أَوۡلِيَآءَۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ (٥٧)
5-57a: Friendship with Ahl Kitab: It is categorically allowed to make pacts of assistance with Ahl Kitab who do not desire to destroy the religion of Islam and do not mock it and it is permitted to give assistance to them and to take assistance from them. Because the term used here is Ahl Kitab and not Jews and Christians, Ahl Kitab can include all those nations in which prophets came and this presumably means all the nations of the world. It follows that Muslims can only make friends with nations that do not mock the religion of Islam. In distinguishing ٱلۡكُفَّارَ (disbelievers) from the rest, the aim is to single out the disbelievers who were at that time bent upon eradicating Islam. Because this section deals with the condition of Jews and Christians, their mockery of the religion of Islam is a testimony to their internal condition because the teachings of Islam contain nothing else except how to lead a moral and pious life. Thus, mockery of Islam is nothing else but disdain of virtuosity. Deriding Islam is commonplace among the Christians today.
5-58 And when you call to prayer they take it as a mockery and a sport. That is because they are a people who understand not.a
وَإِذَا نَادَيۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوً۬ا وَلَعِبً۬اۚ ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ قَوۡمٌ۬ لَّا يَعۡقِلُونَ (٥٨)
5-58a: لعب – It is derived from لُعاب meaning saliva that trickles out. Hence لَعِبَ means an act that is done for no good purpose (R).
It is mentioned that they even mock the call to prayer and consider it absurd. The call to prayer is given so much importance here that it is included in those essential elements of Islamic practice whose mockery is considered mockery of Islam. This is as it should be because the call to prayer is the announcement of an essential principle of Islam. It is a distinguishing feature of Islam that its principle is announced loudly in the world five times a day so that all the people are informed of this principle of Islam. The call to prayer is also a testimonial to the truth of Islam because unless one is fully convinced of the truthfulness of a matter, one cannot have the courage to announce it repeatedly and loudly to the public. It is well known that the call to prayer is one of the magnificent components of Islam although the text of the call was revealed to Caliph Umar and to another Companion of the Holy Prophet but its authentication by the Holy Prophet caused it to be included as a component of Islam.
5-59 Say: O People of the Book, do you find fault with us for aught except that we believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to us and that which was revealed before, while most of you are transgressors?a
قُلۡ يَـٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ هَلۡ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنۡ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَأَنَّ أَكۡثَرَكُمۡ فَـٰسِقُونَ (٥٩)
5-59a: تَنقِمُونَ –نَقِمَ منه means considered it obnoxious or found fault with it either verbally or by inflicting punishment (R). In فَٱنتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡہُمۡ فَأَغۡرَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ (So we exacted retribution from him…) (7:136), the word is used in its second meaning of inflicting punishment. In Al-Nihayah the meaning is given as considered something so bad that his wrath descends on the perpetrator.
It is stated that another reason for their mockery is their animosity towards Islam. So, the questions is poised as to why they consider the Muslims bad when they do not deem the disbelievers to be so bad. The only difference between the Muslims and the disbelievers is that Muslims believe in Allah and His revelation. The real reason the Ahl Kitab consider the Muslims to be bad is because the Ahl Kitab themselves are not righteous and obedient to the commands of Allah and most of them are transgressors. If the current situation in Europe is analyzed, their negative view of Muslims and Islam is because of their own condition of moral depravity. Hence, they are not worried as much about other nations as they are about suppressing Muslims.
5-60 Say: Shall I inform you of those worse than this in retribution from Allah? They are those whom Allah has cursed and upon whom He brought His wrath and of whom He made apes and swine, and who serve the devil. These are in a worse plight and further astray from the straight path.a
قُلۡ هَلۡ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ۬ مِّن ذَٲلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ مَن لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيۡهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنۡہُمُ ٱلۡقِرَدَةَ وَٱلۡخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ شَرٌّ۬ مَّكَانً۬ا وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَآءِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ (٦٠)
5-60a: بِشَرٍّ۬ مِّن ذَٲلِكَ –ذَٲلِكَ refers to those who found fault with Muslims.
قِرَدَةَ is used metaphorically here for the violators of the Sabbath and خَنَازِيرَ is used metaphorically for the disciples of Jesus at whose behest Jesus prayed for food (RM). The violators of the Sabbath trespassed the sanctity of the Sabbath, a day reserved for worship, by indulging in worldly pursuits and abandoning worship. Similarly, those who demanded food formed that section of the followers of Jesus who dedicated their life to chasing the daily bread and for whom the reality of religion became only satisfying their desires. Just as by becoming an ape is meant the metamorphosis of the heart, similarly by making them swine can mean acquiring the attributes of swine (R). See 2:65a.
The Promised Messiah and the killing of the swine: It is stated about the Promised Messiah in the Hadith: یکسر الصّلیب و یقتل الخنزیر (He will break the Cross and kill the swine). The meaning is that he will break the dominance of Christianity. The work of a reformer cannot be to go into the jungle and hunt for swine. The purport only is to remove the dominance of Christianity and put an end to the swine like attributes which had spread in a nation fond of eating the swine.
وَعَبَدَ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ – Its coordinating conjunction is on the relative pronoun مَنۡ , that is there were people from among them who worshipped the devil. By devil here is meant arrogant chiefs and leaders. The masses start following them as if they worship them.
5-61 And when they come to you, they say, We believe, and surely they come in unbelief and they go forth in it. And Allah knows best what they conceal.a
وَإِذَا جَآءُوكُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَقَد دَّخَلُواْ بِٱلۡكُفۡرِ وَهُمۡ قَدۡ خَرَجُواْ بِهِۦۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡتُمُونَ (٦١)
5-61a: The mention here is of the visits to the Holy Prophet of the people called as apes and swine in the previous verse. Mention is also made of their hypocritical attitude.
5-62 And thou seest many of them vying one with another in sin and transgression, and their devouring illegal gain. Certainly evil is that which they do.
وَتَرَىٰ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنۡہُمۡ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٲنِ وَأَڪۡلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحۡتَۚ لَبِئۡسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (٦٢)
5-63 Why do not the rabbis and the doctors of law prohibit them from their sinful utterances and their devouring unlawful gain? Certainly evil are the works they do.
لَوۡلَا يَنۡہَٮٰهُمُ ٱلرَّبَّـٰنِيُّونَ وَٱلۡأَحۡبَارُ عَن قَوۡلِهِمُ ٱلۡإِثۡمَ وَأَكۡلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحۡتَۚ لَبِئۡسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَصۡنَعُونَ (٦٣)
5-63a: The next verse refers specifically to the Jews by name which shows that here it is both the Jews and the Christians that are meant. According to Hassan, the ربانی scholars are the scholars of Gospel and أَحۡبَارُ are the scholars of the Torah. This lends further confirmation to the conclusion that there is an indication in قِرَدَةَ to the disobedient among the Bani Israel and in خَنَازِير to the lascivious among the Christians.
5-64 And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up. Their own hands are shackled and they are cursed for what they say.a Nay, both His hands are spread out. He disburses as He pleases.b And that which has been revealed to thee from thy Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and disbelief.c And We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land. And Allah loves not the mischief-makers.d
وَقَالَتِ ٱلۡيَہُودُ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ مَغۡلُولَةٌۚ غُلَّتۡ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَلُعِنُواْ بِمَا قَالُواْۘ بَلۡ يَدَاهُ مَبۡسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيۡفَ يَشَآءُۚ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنۡہُم مَّآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغۡيَـٰنً۬ا وَكُفۡرً۬اۚ وَأَلۡقَيۡنَا بَيۡنَہُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٲوَةَ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءَ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِۚ كُلَّمَآ أَوۡقَدُواْ نَارً۬ا لِّلۡحَرۡبِ أَطۡفَأَهَا ٱللَّهُۚ وَيَسۡعَوۡنَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَسَادً۬اۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ (٦٤)
5-64a: مَغۡلُولَةٌۚ – غُلَّ means قُیّدبهٖ (handcuffed) as in: خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ (Seize him, then fetter him) (69:30). Derived from it is اغلال (shackles), and metaphorically مغلول الید means a niggardly person, as in لَا تَجۡعَلۡ يَدَكَ مَغۡلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ (Make not thy hand to be shackled to they neck) (17:29) (R). This verse gives an example of how the Jews mocked the Muslims. The Christians of today mock Islam even more than this. The Jews made the financial difficulties of the Muslims as the butt of their mockery and said that the God of Muslims has become niggardly. The Christians say that if Islam is a true religion, it would not have declined politically. The reply given to this in: غُلَّتۡ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ (Their own hands are shackled) is a prophecy that in their opposition to Islam, their hands will be tied so that they will not be able to oppose it.
5-64b: يَدَاهُ مَبۡسُوطَتَانِ – یَدۡ means hand and its plural is اَیۡدِی . Metaphorically, یَدۡ is sometimes spoken for a blessing, and sometimes for custody and for country. An example of its use is: أَوۡ يَعۡفُوَاْ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِۦ عُقۡدَةُ ٱلنِّكَاحِ (in whose hand is the marriage tie) (2:237) where the purport is custody, just as in: مالی بهٖ یَدان (R). A hadith about Gog and Magog says: لایدان لاحد بقتالھم (no one has the power to fight them), and ید ٱللَّهِ is a metaphor for protection and defense. The meaning of علی الجماعة يَدُ ٱللَّهِ is that the party of the followers of Islam will be accorded protection of Allah (LA). The meaning of یَدُہٗ مُطۡلَقَةٌ is granting blessings and derived from it is: يَدُہٗ مَغۡلُولَةٌ meaning niggardness and holding back the hand (R). اَیَّدَہٗ means support as in: أَيَّدۡنَـٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلۡقُدُسِ (strengthened him with the Holy Spirit) (R). بَسۡط یَدۡ means generous.
In the early period of Islam, the Muslims were poor. The Jews mocked them by asking why is it that Allah does not give to His servants. The response given here is that both His hands are free, that is that He will give His worshippers both kinds of blessings, religious and temporal. This is a prophecy, but the words used are such that there is a reply in it also of what the Christians say. Attributing the word یَدۡ to Allah is in its real meaning of power because it is the hands which are the source of power in a person.
5-64c: Noah’s saying elsewhere is very similar: لَمۡ يَزِدۡهُمۡ دُعَآءِىٓ إِلَّا فِرَارً۬ا (my call has only made them flee the more). The meaning here is that they keep on increasing in opposition as more and more of the Quran is revealed.
5-64d: Enmity between the Jews and Christians: The pronoun in بَيۡنَہُمُ (among them) stands for the two groups of the Ahl Kitab, the Jews and the Christians, because the real address is to these two groups of the Ahl Kitab as is obvious from: لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۘ (take not the Jews and Christians for friends) (5:51). This shows that there will be Jews and Christians till the end of the world and their enmity too will persist till that time. The belief that everyone will at some point believe in Jesus runs counter to what is stated in the Quran.
أَوۡقَدُواْ نَارً۬ا لِّلۡحَرۡبِ – It is stated in Ruh al-Maani that it was a custom in Arabia that when they wanted to make a declaration of war, they would light a huge fire on the top of a nearby mountain or other elevated place and this was called نار الحرب . The reference to putting out the fire is to extinguish the mischief of the opponents of Islam, and the meaning of حرب here is the intention to wage war or to make some other mischief against the Holy Prophet and Islam.
5-65 And if the People of the Book had believed and kept their duty We would certainly have removed from them their evils, and made them enter gardens of bliss.
وَلَوۡ أَنَّ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ ءَامَنُواْ وَٱتَّقَوۡاْ لَڪَفَّرۡنَا عَنۡہُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِہِمۡ وَلَأَدۡخَلۡنَـٰهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ (٦٥)
5-66 And if they had observed the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to them from their Lord, they would certainly have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet. There is a party of them keeping to the moderate course; and most of them — evil is that which they do.a
وَلَوۡ أَنَّہُمۡ أَقَامُواْ ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةَ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡہِم مِّن رَّبِّہِمۡ لَأَڪَلُواْ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَمِن تَحۡتِ أَرۡجُلِهِمۚ مِّنۡہُمۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ مُّقۡتَصِدَةٌ۬ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ سَآءَ مَا يَعۡمَلُونَ (٦٦)
5-66a: The purport of مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡہِم مِّن رَّبِّہِمۡ is the Quran. Accordingly, in the last verse instead of أَقَامُواْ ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةَ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡہِم there is ءَامَنُواْ وَٱتَّقَوۡاْ that is if they had believed and kept their duty, where by belief is meant belief in the Holy Prophet. The necessity of also mentioning the observance of the Torah and Gospel with that which is revealed is because of the clear prophecies in the Torah and Gospel of the coming of the Holy Prophet.
لَأَڪَلُواْ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَمِن تَحۡتِ أَرۡجُلِهِم (they would certainly have eaten from above them and below their feet): The food from above is heavenly blessings and from below their feet is earthly blessings. The meaning is that these people have stooped only towards the food that is below their feet, that is the life of this world. If only they had accepted the Quran, they would have been blessed both with spiritual and physical blessings.
مِّنۡہُمۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ مُّقۡتَصِدَةٌ۬ : مُّقۡتَصِدَةٌ۬ – The meaning of قَصۡد is to be steadfast on the path and derived from it is اِقۡتِصاد which has dual meaning. One اِقۡتِصاد (moderation) is praiseworthy under all conditions and this is so in those affairs where there are two extremes of excess and deficit (and one who avoids the two extremes is called مقتصد ( a moderate)). For example generosity is between niggardness and spendthrift, and in the Quranic statement: وَٱقۡصِدۡ فِى مَشۡيِكَ (And pursue the right course in thy going) (31:19), اِقۡتِصاد is used in this sense. The other use of اِقۡتِصاد is in the sense of middling between good and bad, as for example something between justice and oppression or something between near and far. The example of use in the first sense is: فَمِنۡهُمۡ ظَالِمٌ۬ لِّنَفۡسِهِۦ وَمِنۡہُم مُّقۡتَصِدٌ۬ (so of them is he who wrongs himself, and of them is he who takes a middle course) (35:32) and of the use in the second sense is: وَسَفَرً۬ا قَاصِدً۬ا (a short journey) (9:42), that is a journey which is not very long (R).
Islam accepts that other religions have some goodness in them, and this expansiveness of thought is found only in Islam. There is no doubt however that a major portion of the moderate group mentioned in this verse joined Islam. Even now, it is people in this group who are moving towards and joining Islam.
Bayan-ul-Quran 