Summary of Quran Chapter 5 Surah Al-Maidah The Table

This Surah was revealed in the very last period of the life of the Holy Prophet (sws). Allama Abu Hayyan says that some parts of it were revealed on the occasion of the peace treaty of Hudaybiyyah, some time in Makkah, and some on the occasion of Hujjat al-Wida. At that time the call to Islam had spread well across the Arabian Peninsula, the enemies of Islam had been largely defeated, and the Islamic state established by the Prophet (peace be upon him) had been established in Medina.

Therefore, in this Surah, many instructions have been given regarding the social, political, and economic issues of Muslims. The surah begins with the basic command that Muslims should fulfill their vows. In this basic knowledge, all the rules of Shari'ah have been summarized, whether it is related to the rights of Allah Almighty or the rights of the slaves. In this regard, the principle has been strongly emphasized that even with enemies, every matter should be done with justice.

The good news is that the enemies of Islam are now frustrated with stopping the advance of Islam and Allah has perfected his religion. This surah also states that certain types of foods are halal and some types are haraam. Hunting activities are also described in detail in this regard. The rulings of the marriage of the People of the Book and their women have been mentioned. The Shari'ah (Islamic laws) punishments for theft and robbery have been prescribed.

Explaining this, the story of Adam's two sons Abel and Cain (Habeel and Qabeel) has been mentioned, alcohol and gambling have been explicitly declared haraam, and the method of ablution and tayammum In Arabic, the word Tayammum means an 'aim' or 'purpose.' In Islamic Law, it refers to: 'Aiming for or seeking soil to wipe one's face and hands with the intention of purification and preparing oneself to pray, and so on." has been explained. How the Jews and Christians broke their covenant with Allah Almighty (God) is described in detail.

In Arabic, it is called Maidah (means The Table). In verse 114 of this surah, it is narrated that Jesus (PBUH) was asked by his followers to pray that Allah may send down to them ‘a Table with heavenly food’. Due to this reason, this surah has been named Maidah, meaning The Table.