5-87 O you who believe, forbid not the good things which Allah has made lawful for you and exceed not the limits. Surely Allah loves not those who exceed the limits.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تُحَرِّمُواْ طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ (٨٧)
5-87a: In the last section while narrating the Christian nearness to Islam, mention is made in a laudatory fashion of Christian monks but because Islam does not allow a monastic life, Muslims are warned not to get mired in such mistaken practices. Christians think that Allah does not love humans until they give up God given blessings and God given powers. Hence it is stated not to prohibit the good things that Allah has made lawful, such as the relationship with spouse, children, eating, drinking etcetera. Even those who exceed the limit in worshipping exaggerate and Islam does not permit exaggeration. For this reason, the Holy Prophet said: ما بال اقوام حرموا النساء و الطعام و الطیّب و النوم (What is going to be the condition of nations who prohibited women, and food, and perfume, and sleep), and then stated in the end that the monasticism of my followers is jihad. In another hadith, he stated: فمن رغب عن سنتی فلیس منّی (Whoever inclines to other than my sunnah is not from me). In the first cited hadith, there is a clear portrayal of the Christian nation and a warning for the Muslims.
5-88 And eat of the lawful and good (things) that Allah has given you, and keep your duty to Allah, in Whom you believe.
وَكُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَـٰلاً۬ طَيِّبً۬اۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنُونَ (٨٨)
5-89 Allah will not call you to account for that which is vain in your oaths, but He will call you to account for the making of deliberate oaths; so its expiation is the feeding of ten poor men with the average (food) you feed your families with, or their clothing, or the freeing of a neck. But whoso finds not (means) should fast for three days. This is the expiation of your oaths when you swear. And keep your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His messages that you may give thanks.a
لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغۡوِ فِىٓ أَيۡمَـٰنِكُمۡ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُڪُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلۡأَيۡمَـٰنَۖ فَكَفَّـٰرَتُهُ ۥۤ إِطۡعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَـٰكِينَ مِنۡ أَوۡسَطِ مَا تُطۡعِمُونَ أَهۡلِيكُمۡ أَوۡ كِسۡوَتُهُمۡ أَوۡ تَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ۬ۖ فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَـٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍ۬ۚ ذَٲلِكَ كَفَّـٰرَةُ أَيۡمَـٰنِكُمۡ إِذَا حَلَفۡتُمۡۚ وَٱحۡفَظُوٓاْ أَيۡمَـٰنَكُمۡۚ كَذَٲلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ (٨٩)
5-89a: عَقَّدتُّمُ – عَقۡد means to put the two ends of a thing together or to tie a knot and metaphorically it is spoken to emphasize the firmness of a sale, covenant, oath etcetera. Other forms of this word used are عَقَّد – عاقد etcetera (R). In Surah Baqarah where the subject is the same, instead of عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلۡأَيۡمَـٰنَۖ the words used are: كَسَبَتۡ قُلُوبُكُمۡۗ (…your hearts have earned) (2:225), that is to perform an act determinately or deliberately and intentionally.
کفارۃ – The meaning of کُفۡر is to cover, hide or conceal and کفّارۃ is that which conceals sin. The expiation of oath or کفارہ is derived from it (R).
أَوۡسَطِ –وَسَط ما اَوۡسط means the middle thing. According to Ibn Jarir, the meaning of وسط here is in between the maximum and minimum and he says that the practice of the Holy Prophet was to give dry rations sufficient for a meal and not necessarily to give cooked food. The maximum the Holy Prophet ordered was to give half Saa (about 1.3 Kg) or two Mudd per needy person and the minimum one Madd (about 0.65 Kg) per needy person.
تَحۡرِيرُ – See 3-35a. It means to free a person.
رَقَبَةٍ۬ – See 2-177a. When a prisoner was captured, his hands were tied to his neck. Hence رَقَبَةٍ۬ which actually means neck began to be used for a slave.
حَلَفۡتُمۡ – حَلِف originally meant the oath taken from each other at the time of entering into an agreement or pact. Subsequently it began to be used for every oath. For this reason, حلیف is one with whom one has entered into a pact (R).
لغو قسم – For meaning of لغو قسم or vain oath see 2-225a. This is mentioned here because sometimes people take an oath without thinking and make a thing unlawful for them. For example: By God, I will not eat that thing, etcetera. However, when a person makes an oath with full intention and determination then on breaking that oath an expiation must be given. However, the expiation of an oath does not mean that one can break an agreement at will by paying an expiation when one has entered into a lawful agreement and taken an oath to carry it out. This is not permissible under any circumstance, and it is incumbent to protect the oath. Expiation is for situations where one takes an oath and makes a permissible thing unlawful for himself because making lawful things unlawful is against the command of God. Protection of oaths implies not only that promises should not be broken but also that oaths should not be made lightly.
5-90 O you who believe, intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the devil’s work; so shun it that you may succeed.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَـٰمُ رِجۡسٌ۬ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ (٩٠)
5-90a: رِجۡسٌ۬ – It means filthy or impure. It is anything that a person’s nature, intellect, or shariah declares to be dirty (R). Intoxicants and games of chance are forbidden because they are unclean and devil’s work, as too are stones set up and dividing by arrows.
Mention of أَنصَابُ and أَزۡلَـٰمُ also occurs in the beginning of this surah. أَنصَابُ are stones that are worshipped and أَزۡلَـٰمُ are the divining arrows used for determining an omen with the arrows labelled yes, no etcetera. See 5-3b. The words of a hadith also point to the equivalence between these things: شارب الخمر کعابد الوثن (A drinker of wine is like an idol worshipper). The purpose of prohibiting drinking along with idol worshipping is to convey that Muslims should avoid drinking in the same way that they avoid idol worshipping.
These things are prohibited previously as well. The purpose of repetition here is to indicate that the Christians, who had at one point prohibited even lawful things in pursuit of a monastic life, would at a future point become so indulgent in worldly pleasures and become so far removed from the Divine that they will make even prohibited things lawful. Muslims have, therefore, particularly been prohibited from drinking and gambling and even though idol worship and seeking omens is also mentioned, but the mention in the next verse only of the deleterious effects of drinking and gambling shows that the real purpose is to stop Muslims from these two vices. It is proven from authentic hadith that when this verse was revealed, an announcement was made prohibiting drinking and immediately all the wine was emptied out in the streets of Madinah. See 2-219b.
5-91 The devil desires only to create enmity and hatred among you by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you back from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then keep back?a
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٲوَةَ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءَ فِى ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّنتَہُونَ (٩١)
5-91a: Leave alone remember Allah, the nations in which drinking and gambling is common have forgotten the name of Allah. The overt loss is that gambling and drinking create enmity and hatred and the modern-day Europe is a good example of this. It is also revealed in this connection that the pleasure that a drinker seeks in drinking can only be obtained in the remembrance of Allah.
5-92 And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and be cautious. But if you turn back then know that the duty of Our Messenger is only a clear deliverance of the message.a
وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَٱحۡذَرُواْۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ فَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ (٩٢)
5-93 On those who believe and do good there is no blame for what they eat, when they keep their duty and believe and do good deeds, then keep their duty and believe, then keep their duty and do good (to others). And Allah loves the doers of good.a
لَيۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ جُنَاحٌ۬ فِيمَا طَعِمُوٓاْ إِذَا مَا ٱتَّقَواْ وَّءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱتَّقَواْ وَّءَامَنُواْ ثُمَّ ٱتَّقَواْ وَّأَحۡسَنُواْۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ (٩٣)
5-93a: The meaning commonly taken from this verse is that those who died before the prohibition of drinking would not be held responsible for their drinking. It is obvious however that there are plenty of commands that were revealed after some of the early Muslims had died and they are not considered as responsible for not complying with such commands. So, what is the need of such a revelation specifically for this prohibition. Some commentators have opined that if otherwise a person is righteous, then there is no harm in imbibing some wine which is not sufficient to create enmity and hatred. What kind of righteousness is this? Remain a boozer and still do not lose out on paradise! When intoxicants are declared as unclean, when its prohibition is bracketed with the prohibition of idol worship, when it is stated clearly to shun it, then righteousness and boozing cannot coexist together.
So, what is the purport of this verse? Mention is made in the beginning of this section of self-imposed prohibitions. Hence it is stated here that a person does not become a sinner by eating and drinking so that prohibiting certain things does not take one nearer to God. Accordingly, some of the early commentators have taken the same direction and have stated that this verse is revealed regarding those people who had decided to abstain from eating meat and wanted to lead a monastic life. This verse manifests the mistake of such people. At the same time, the path to achieving nearness to Allah is also stated and the three stages of righteousness are revealed. The first stage is to believe and do good deeds. The second stage is to accept all commands without any reservations, that is to carry out all the commands. The third stage of righteousness is to go above and beyond the call of duty in doing favors to others. A monastic life can at best take one to the first stage of righteousness, that is to believe and to do some acts of goodness but a person leading a monastic life cannot fulfill all the commands of Allah and neither can such a person achieve the third stage of doing favors to others. There is a hadith in Muslim, Tirmazi and Nasai which supports this interpretation. This hadith narrated by Ibn Masud is that when this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet said that he had been informed that he is from among these, that is that all the three stages of righteousness are found in him.
Bayan-ul-Quran 