Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:2

سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ · Medinan · Verse 2 of 120

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحِلُّوا۟ شَعَٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلْهَدْىَ وَلَا ٱلْقَلَٰٓئِدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا ۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَٱصْطَادُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا۟ ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ

Translation

so, you who believe, do not violate the sanctity of God’s rites, the Sacred Month, the offerings, their garlands, nor those going to the Sacred House to seek the bounty and pleasure of their Lord––but when you have completed the rites of pilgrimage you may hunt. Do not let your hatred for the people who barred you from the Sacred Mosque induce you to break the law: help one another to do what is right and good; do not help one another towards sin and hostility. Be mindful of God, for His punishment is severe.

English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.

Meaning and reflection

Qur'anic Worlds

This profound verse addresses the believers directly, guiding them on how to uphold the sanctity of Allah's commands and maintain justice, even in challenging times. It sets out fundamental principles for the Muslim community, especially after periods of conflict and injustice.

A Time of Test

This verse comes to us from a pivotal moment in the early Muslim community, primarily after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. Imagine the scene: the believers, having been unjustly prevented by the Makkans from performing their pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque, returned to Medina with heavy hearts. There was a natural human inclination to retaliate against those who had wronged them.

The Quran, however, called them to a higher standard. Scholars like al-Baghawi and Ibn Kathir tell us about incidents like that of al-Hutam ibn Hind, a disbeliever who had previously raided Medina's livestock. Later, when he was spotted heading to Mecca for pilgrimage with his sacrificial animals (marked with *hady* and *qala'id*, referring to the offerings and their identifying necklaces), some Companions wanted to intercept him. But Allah revealed this verse, commanding the believers to respect the sanctity of those heading to the Kaaba, regardless of past grievances. This reveals a "World of Revelation" where immediate emotional responses were disciplined by divine instruction, shaping a community founded on principles beyond tribalism.

Sacred Boundaries and Justice

The verse begins by stating, "O you who have believed, do not violate the sanctity of the Marks of Allah (*Sha'a'ir Allah*)." This refers to all the sacred symbols, rites, and obligations set by Allah, particularly those related to the pilgrimage, such as the sacred months (*Shahr al-Haram*) and the sacrificial animals. In the "World of Revelation," fighting during these sacred months was prohibited in early Islam, and the reverence for sacrificial animals was to be maintained.

Crucially, the verse commands, "And let not the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgress." This is a powerful injunction against retaliatory injustice. Even though the Makkans had unjustly prevented the Muslims from pilgrimage, the believers were forbidden from reciprocating with injustice by harming Makkans on their pilgrimage. This principle moved the nascent Muslim society away from the "Worlds of Past Nations" (Jahiliyyah, or the pre-Islamic era), where tribal loyalty often meant supporting one's own, whether just or unjust.

A Universal Ethic

Instead, the verse lays down a universal ethic: "Cooperate with one another in righteousness (*birr*) and piety (*taqwa*), and do not cooperate in sin (*ithm*) and aggression (*udwan*)." This means assisting each other in all that is good and God-conscious, while refraining from helping in anything sinful or exceeding divine limits. This command transcends personal feelings or historical grudges, establishing a moral compass for all interactions. It defines the true basis of cooperation, elevating it from mere tribal affinity to shared commitment to divine guidance. It reminds us that our primary allegiance is to Allah's commands, not to our own anger or desire for revenge.

Sources: al-Tabari (Jami al-Bayan), al-Baghawi (Maalim al-Tanzil), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Kathir, Ma'arif al-Quran (Mufti Shafi), Sayyid Qutb (Fi Zilal al-Quran)

Topics that discuss this verse

Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:2 is discussed in 34 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.

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