^{Surah Name:} Al-Ma'idah ^Meaning: The Women

Key Points

Surah Al-Ma'idah

Secrets Of Revelation

To be satisfied with a sinful life sustained by wealth amassed through plunder is indeed a blunder. Because a Day is approaching, when all the creation will be simultaneously gathered at one place. It will be the place of reckoning and this world with all its comforts and attractions would have come to an end. Some amongst the gathered would be those who had opted for disobedience in this world and were the wrong doers: repudiators in beliefs and malefactors in practice. While some would be those who had followed the true beliefs and practised righteousness. There will be yet two more categories of people: those who were non-believers at heart but pretended to be Muslims and even acted like them, and those who were Muslims at heart, but could not practise Islam in their lives as they should have, and lagged behind.

The two groups of Muslims, those truly sincere at heart as well as in action and those Muslims at heart but slack in action, both shall qualify for intercession. Whereas both the groups of non-believers shall not be entitled to any. This intercession will be done by the Prophets^-AS and Messengers^-AS or on their behalf by the relevant personages like Mushai'kh, the Shuhada' or the pious souls or even ones' children who had died very young. It is asserted here that on the Final Day, when the entire creation will be gathered, the first question shall be addressed to the Prophets^-AS and Messengers^-AS, so as to make it clear to everyone that it is a Day when no one shall be able to hide himself or conceal anything. When such exalted personalities shall face accountability, where do the ordinary human beings stand?

Now the question put forth to the Prophets^-AS will also be a unique one, that is, what was the response given to them by their people, or how many accepted the Divine Message and how many turned away in arrogance? Now if the Prophet^-AS s do not know what had happened after their passing away, they surely will be aware of those who had accepted the Message directly and had offered sacrifices. Similarly they will know who opposed, negated the Message and fought against them. These exalted souls, knowing fully well that no believer shall remain deprived of His Mercy while their testimony will close all avenues of salvation upon the non believers, urged by their nobility, soft nature and grace, will speak: "O? Allaah^-SWT! How do we know? Our knowledge was limited to the obvious, whereas You know what was in their hearts. We saw what You made us see, and we knew what You told us. Therefore, we have no knowledge. It is not a Day to rely upon outward appearance of things. Rather, this is the Day of thorough screening and since You are well Aware of the hidden and the manifest. You certainly know better.

Then Prophet Isa^-AS shall be addressed before the huge crowd and Allaah^-SWT shall remind him of His unlimited favours, which are beyond human understanding, bestowed upon him and his pious mother. The miracles manifested at his hands and the Karamah of his mother overwhelm the human intellect. How the Archangel Jibril^-AS 's presence strengthened him and his company became a source of power and dignity. (Incidentally it proves that Allaah^-SWT may appoint a helping angel or a noble spirit to deliver His Barakah and His Lights). He spoke from his cradle as an infant. To speak means to converse in a meaningful manner, which indeed was a great miracle. Addressing the people in his middle age, too, is a miracle for him while it is normal for people to speak at this age. But he had been taken to the heavens before attaining that age. According to the belief of the Muslims, Prophet Isa^-AS shall return to this world, and will propagate Islam, and shall be buried in the Holy Prophet^-SW's tomb, where space for him has already been kept. His return to the world and participation in its activities will again be a miracle. Allaah^-SWT blessed him with the knowledge of the Book, made him fully conversant in the Divine Books and also the wisdom, that is, exposition and understanding of the Divine Books, namely the Torah and the Bible. These were taught to him or committed to his memory. Allaah^-SWT bestowed him the power to perform amazing acts. He moulded clay in the shape of a bird such as a crow, a sparrow or a pigeon and the model did not have to be perfect, but when he blew on it, by Allaah^-SWT's Command it would come to life and fly away.

Here it is proven that to blow over something after recitation is permissible, provided it is within the limits of Shari'ah. The reason for doing so must be valid, as the manifestation of a miracle is for the upholding of Din. Whatever is recited must be allowed by Shari'ah and the person reciting, it must be aware of its meanings. The form of blowing in which Satanic or evil incantations are recited for evil purposes is prohibited. The Satan co-operates in these as much as he can.

Prophet Isa^-AS would blow on to lepers and congenitally blind and cure them. Even the incurable diseases were also cured. The patients cured were living beings after all, he could even stand by a grave, pray and the dead would quicken and come out of the grave. It must be remembered that anything manifested as a miracle by a Prophet^-AS can be manifested at the hands of a Wali as Karamah. Karamah is in fact a Prophet^-AS 's miracle awarded to a Wali because of his sincere and true devotion. Above all, the entire state machinery of the Bani Israil, with all its might, could not harm Prophet Isa^-AS as Allaah^-SWT had constrained them from doing so. They were left behind when he was lifted to the heavens. But woe be to disbelief, it has its own lens for seeing things. Inspite of witnessing everything, they declared that these miracles were pure magic while the performer was only a sorcerer!

Allaah^-SWT's Address to Prophet Isa^-AS continues. He is reminded how Allaah^-SWT talked to his disciples, that is, through him it was demanded in the Bible that they believe in Allaah^-SWT and His Messenger with sincerity. To mention His dialogues with the disciples is to highlight their honour and status. Similarly, one of the reasons behind the gradual revelation of the Qura'an over a period of twenty three years, was to honour the Companions^-RAU with the dialogue for this entire duration. They would address their questions to the Holy Prophet^-SW while the answers were revealed by Allaah^-SWT. The Bible was revealed all at the same time and the disciples were called upon to declare their belief in Allaah^-SWT. They answered: "O’ Allaah^-SWT! We believe in You, and in Your Messenger, so be our witness." Then they put in a strange demand: "O’ Isa^-AS, we beg your pardon, but will Your Rubb consider it proper to send food for us from the heavens". Inspite of high claim of belief they said: "Your Rubb and not "Our Rubb ". And then for satisfaction sought proof saying that whatever miracles they had witnessed on land could also be possible by sorcery, while on heavens sorcery was impossible.

Prophet Isa^-AS warned them to fear Allaah^-SWT as the demand for miracles did not match with faith. Similarly the biggest Karamah of a Shaikh is to be on the right path and take the seekers in the right direction. After accepting someone as Shaikh it is not proper to demand Karamah from him. So they confided in Prophet Isa^-AS that their intention was to enjoy heavenly food and attain Barakah not only as a source of satisfaction for their hearts, but also that they could present it as a proof to his credibility before other people. The Prophet^-AS raised his hands in prayer. It signifies the possibility that food can be blessed in certain cases. The only reason for bringing about Karamah and miracle is to uphold Din and to verify the truthfulness of a Prophet^-AS. He prayed: "O’ Allaah^-SWT! Send us food from the heavens so that we may celebrate the occasion as 'Eid, for our contemporaries as well as for those to follow. Let it be a symbol of Your Providence and Your Unity. You are the Provider. What provisions we have are from You. Please now wake a slight change, that instead of growing it from the soil let it come down from the heavens." Allaah^-SWT said that this minor change would indeed be a very great blessing, and in case of ingratitude, the punishment would also be proportionately greater. We would send food from the heavens, but after consuming it whoever disobeys will also be punished in an exemplary and unprecedented manner. According to Commentators, the food was sent down, the people enjoyed it and yet disobeyed Allaah^-SWT. They were, therefore, destroyed by being distorted to swines and apes.