Islam Guidance

verse5

(5) الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ لَّهُمْ وَ

الْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُو

هُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ

عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

5. " Today (all) good things have been made lawful for you, and (also) the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And (so are) the chaste women from the believers and the chaste women from those who have been given the Book before you (are lawful for you) when you give them their dowries taking them in marriage, not fornicating, nor taking them for paramours in secret. And whoever denies the faith, his work indeed is vain, and he will be of the losers in the Hereafter."
Commentary:
Consuming Food of the People of the Book and Marrying them:
In this verse, which is the supplementary of the former verses, the Qur'an says:
" Today (all) good things have been made lawful for you, and (also) the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. ..."
The objective meaning of the phraise: "...the food of those who have been given the Book..." is something other than the meat of animals slaughtered by them.

It is narrated in a tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) who, on commenting this verse, said: " The purpose of ' the food of those who have been given the Book ' is cereals and fruits, not their slaughtered (animals), since they do not recite the Name of Allah when they slaughter (them)."
Marring with Non-Muslim Women:
After referring the lawfulness of the food of the People of the Book, this verse speaks about the marriage of the immaculate women from among Muslims and the People of the Book. It says:
"... And (so are) the chaste women from the believers and the chaste women from those who have been given the Book before you (are lawful for you) when you give them their dowries taking them in marriage, ..."
Then the verse adds the statement:
"...taking (them) in marriage, not fornicating, nor taking them for paramours in secret. ..."
In fact, this part of the verse decreases also some restrictions which had existed before upon the marriage of Muslims with non-Muslims, and, thereby, it authorizes their marriage with the women of the People of the Book under some conditions. More details about this subject should be studied in the Islamic jurisprudent books.
This fact should also be said that: in this world of today that many of customs of the Age of Ignorance have been revived in different forms, this sort of thought has also come into being that: there is no objection for single men or women to take paramours. It has appeared not only in a hidden form, similar to that manner that existed in pre-Islamic era of Ignorance, but also manifestly.
The world of today, from the point of sexual libertinism, indeed, has gone beyond what had existed in the Age of Ignorance. At that time, they considered only taking paramours in secret permissible, while these recent people know its manifest form unobjective, too, so that, with ultimate impudence, they are even proud of it. This shimcful custom, which can be counted a manifest obscene act, is one of the inauspicious presents which has been brought from West to East and has proved to be the origin of many misfortunes and crimes.
In view of the fact that the above-mentioned facilities upon association with the People of the Book and marrying their women may be misused by some persons and, they knowingly or unknowingly, be driven towards them, at the end, the verse warns the Muslims, saying:
"... And whoever dinies the faith, his work indeed is vain, and he will be of the losers in the Hereafter."
This statement implies that these facilities, besides bringing some relief into your life, should work as a cause of influence and development of Islam among foreigners. It sould not cause, of course, that you be influenced by it and leave your own religion. If it happens, your chastisement will be very hard and heavy.

• Prev