As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is from Surah 5, Al-Mâ‘idah or the Repast, verses 51-66. These verses advise the believers not to take Jews or Christians as protectors for only Allah, his Messenger and your fellow believers can protect you. Do not befriend those who make a mockery of your religion nor those who slander and deceive. If only the People of the Book had believed, they would have had the best of both worlds.
If you enjoy the podcast, HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Tell your friends and family, subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher and write us a review.
Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as your protecting friends: they are only protecting friends of one another. Whoever of you disobeys this commandment will be counted as one of them. Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoers.[51] You see that those who have the disease of hypocrisy in their hearts move around in their camp saying: “We fear lest a turn of fortune strike us.” But soon when Allah gives you victory or a decision according to His will, they will regret for what they are hiding in their hearts.[52] At that time the believers will say: “Are these the same people who solemnly swore by Allah that they would stand beside you?” As a result all their deeds will be voided and they will become losers.[53] 5:[51-53]
O believers! Whoever among you renounce Islam, let them do so; soon Allah will replace them with others whom He will love and they will love Him, who will be humble towards the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, striving hard in the way of Allah, and will have no fear of reproach from any critic. Now this is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases. Allah has boundless knowledge.[54] Your real protecting friends are Allah, His Messenger, and the fellow believers – the ones who establish Prayers, pay Charity and bow down humbly before Allah.[55] Whoever makes Allah, His Messenger and the fellow believers his protecting friends, must know that Allah’s party will surely be victorious.[56] 5:[54-56]
O believers! Do not make your protecting friends those, from among the people who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers, who have made your religion a mockery or pastime, fear Allah if you are true believers.[57] When you call for Prayers they make it as an object of mockery and pastime; this is because they are a people devoid of understanding.[58] Tell them: “O people of the Book! What makes you against us other than that we believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed before? The fact is that most of you are rebellious transgressors.”[59] Ask them: “Should I tell you of those who will have even worse than this in retribution from Allah? They are those whom Allah has cursed; who have incurred His wrath; some of whom were turned into apes and pigs; who worshiped Tãghüt (forces of Shaitãn); these are worse in rank and far more astray from the Right Way.”[60] 5:[57-60]
When they come to you they say: “We believe”. But in fact, unbelievers they came and unbelievers they depart. Allah knows fully well what they hide in their hearts.[61] You will see many of them try to beat each other in sin and rancor, and they consume what is unlawful. Evil indeed is what they do.[62] Why don’t their Lordis and the Jurists of laws forbid them from uttering sinful words and eating unlawful things? Evil indeed are their deeds.[63] The Jews say: Allah’s hand is tied up! – Nay! Their own hands will be tied up and they will be cursed for what they utter. Both of His hands are free; However, He spends as He pleases. The fact is that the revelations that have come to you from Allah will surely make many of them increase in their wickedness and unbelief. We have stirred among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. Now they are striving to spread mischief in the land. Allah does not love those who do mischief.[64] If instead of this rebellious attitude the people of the Book had believed and become God-fearing, We would certainly have removed their iniquities and admitted them to the gardens of Bliss (Paradise).[65] If they would have observed the Laws of Taurãt and the Injeel (Gospel) and other Revelations which were sent to them from their Lord, they would have certainly enjoyed abundance from above and from beneath. Though there are some among them on the moderate course; yet most of them do nothing but evil.[66] 5:[61-66]
Ameen.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.