Islam Guidance

verse1

Sura Al-Ma'idah
(The Food)
Section 1
General Discipline
Fulfilment of covenants - Obligations relating to Pilgrimage - Regulations regarding food- Perfection of the Faith - Islam chosen to be the Religion - Dealings with the non-Muslims.

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

(1)يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَوْفُواْ بِالْعُقُودِ أُحِلَّتْ لَكُم بَهِيمَةُ الأَنْعَامِ إِلاَّ مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ غَيْرَ مُحِلِّي

الصَّيْدِ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ إِنَّ اللّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ

1. " O' you who have Faith! fulfil the contracts (made by you or people). The four-footed animals are lawful to you (for food) except those which will be recited unto you, pilgrim garb, and while you are in deem not game permitted to be hunted. Verily, Allah decrees whatever He intends."

Commentary:
Muslims should earnestly fulfil any covenant and every kind of contract that they have made, irrespective of the recorded contracts and the oral contracts, whether they are political, economical, social, and both with authorative and weak people, friend or enemy.
The Qur'an enjoins that the contracts with pagans should be fulfilled, too. Sura At-Taubah, No. 9, verse 4 says:"...so fulfil their contract ...". According to a tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.), recorded in Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 162 even the fulfilment of agreements with the sinners is necessary.
These covenants may be with Allah (s.w.t.) (like rows and promises), or with people who can be an individual or a group, young or old. The contracts may be with the countries in neighbourhood, or those of international formation. However, as in the same manner that breach of promise and iniquity is the secret of deprivations,(1) fulfilling the promises is the cause of gains and enjoyments.
And it ought to be noted that the heavenly Books are also Allah's covenants to which should we beloyal to them, and fulfil them. The Old testament (the Turah), the New testament (the Evangel) and the present testament (the Qur'an) all are referred to in the Islamic literature. In a tradition, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: " Al-Qur'an is the covenant of Allah unto His people...".(2)
However, faith is the basis of fulfilling the promises and vows. The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: " There is no religion for the person who dows not fulfil his promise." If the agreements and promises be not kept, the basis of the society and common confidence will fail, and disorder comes forth.
" O' you who have Faith! fulfil the contracts (made by you or people). ..."
Then, following to the ordinance of fulfilling the promises, which involves the entire ordinances and divine covenants, the Qur'an states a number of Islamic ordinances. At first, it refers to the meat of some animals that can be lawful. It says:
"...The four-footed animals are lawful to you (for food) ..."
But, in this ordinance, it has excepted the meat of two animals to be lawful. It says:
"...except those which will be recited unto you, and while you are in pilgrim garb, deem not game permitted to be hunted. ..."
And Allah is willful to decree whatever ordinance He pleases, since He is Omniscient and Omnicompetent. This means that He decrees whatever ordinance which is good for the servants, and His Wisdom requires it.


(1) The reference is Sura An-Nisa', No. 4, verse 160, and Sura Al-An'am, No. 6, verse 146
(2) Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 16, p. 144; & vol. 69, p. 198

• Prev
• Next