Surah al-Ma'idah (The Table) 5 : 46

Overview (Verses 46- 47)

Guidance and Light Given in the Gospel
 
Such encouragement to show benevolence to forgive in the hope of being forgiven one’s own sins by God may appeal to many a person to whom blood money or retaliation may be poor compensation for past losses. A next of kin may reflect on what benefit he may draw from having the killer executed, or what blood money would be for him. Neither will bring back the person who has been slain. It is true, however, that these punishments are the maximum that can be enforced in order to establish justice and to safeguard the community. But there remain certain feelings which cannot heal unless they look to God for compensation.
 
Imām Ahmad relates that “a man from the Quraysh broke the tooth of a man from the Anşār. The latter complained to Mu`āwiyah, (the overall ruler of the Islamic state). Mu`āwiyah said that he would satisfy him, (i.e. he was offering financial compensation). The Anşārī man insisted on retaliation. Mu`āwiyah said: ‘You may have your retaliation. Abū al-Dardā’, one of the Prophet’s Companions who was present said, `I heard God’s Messenger [peace be upon him] say: Any Muslim who suffers a physical injury and forgoes retaliation out of charity will be raised by God to a higher rank or will have some of his sins atoned.’ The Anşārī man said, `I forgive him.’”
 
This is a typical case of readiness to forgive in the hope of receiving reward from God. Financial compensation had no similar appeal to the injured man. This gives us an idea of how effective God’s law is, since it is based on a perfect knowledge of human nature, what motivates and satisfies people, as well as the type of legislation that gives people a feeling of peace and security.
 
Having explained this part of the law of the Torah, which has been incorporated into Qur’ānic law, the sūrah gives a general rule: “those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed are indeed wrongdoers.” (Verse 45) This is again a general rule worded in a most general mode. The description used here for those who refuse to judge in line with God’s revelations is that they are wrongdoers. This, however, does not mean that this is a different case from the preceding one in which the same people are described as unbelievers. It is only an additional description of anyone who does not judge on the basis of God’s revelations. He is first a disbeliever, since he does not acknowledge God’s covenant and that He is the only one who has the authority to legislate. Since such a person claims such an authority for himself, he actually claims a property of Godhead. Such a claim makes him an unbeliever. Moreover, he does wrong when he forces people to accept a law different from that laid down by their Lord, which ensures a better life for them. He also wrongs himself by putting himself in a position that incurs the punishment meted out to unbelievers. He wrongs his community by exposing its life to corruption.
 
The fact that both qualities apply to “those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed” is necessitated by the fact that the subject in both sentences use the same wording. Hence, both parts in the two statements are applicable.
 
The sūrah goes on to emphasise that this ruling remained in force in the period that followed the revelation of the Torah: “We caused Jesus, the son of Mary, to follow in the footsteps of those (earlier prophets), confirming what had already been revealed before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, confirming what had already been revealed before it in the Torah and giving guidance and admonition to the God-fearing. Let, then, the followers of the Gospel judge in accordance with what God has revealed therein. Those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed are indeed transgressors.” (Verses 46-47)
 
God gave Jesus, son of Mary, the Gospel so that it may serve as a way of life and a code of law. The Gospel did not present new legislation, but rather introduced a few modifications into the law of the Torah. It, thus, confirmed this earlier law by endorsing it with a few modifications. In the Gospel, God gave guidance, light and admonition, but only “to the God-fearing”. It is the God-fearing who open their hearts to God’s revealed Books and who find in them guidance, light and admonition. Hardened hearts, on the other hand, miss the meaning of the words and the essence of the directives. They neither appreciate the value of its words, benefit by the guidance and light provided, nor do they gain any new knowledge. The light is there, but it needs an open heart to benefit from it; guidance is available, but it only benefits a searching soul; and admonition is given but it is only picked up by a keen intellect.
 
As we have already said God has provided in the Gospel guidance, light and admonition to the God-fearing. He made it a way of life and a code of law for its people. It is not, however, a universal message for all mankind. This is the case of the Gospel, the Torah and all books and messages revealed before the final message of the Qur’ān. Whatever provisions of legislation in the Gospel or in the Torah agree with those of the Qur’ān form part of the Qur’ānic law, as explained in connection with the case of retaliation.
 
The followers of the Gospel were, then, required to apply the legal code of the Torah, which was confirmed and endorsed by the Gospel: “Let then, the followers of the Gospel judge in accordance with what God has revealed therein.” (Verse 47) The universal rule is to judge in accordance with God’s revelations, to the exclusion of all other laws. Neither the Christians nor the Jews can have a sound basis unless they implement the Torah and the Gospel. That, however, is what applied prior to Islam. After the revelation of Islam, they must also implement all that was revealed by their Lord, because all of it forms a single law to which they must subscribe. “Those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed are indeed transgressors.” (Verse 47)
 
This is again a very general statement which means that the quality of transgressing is added to the two earlier qualities of unbelief and wrongdoing, which were used to describe those who do not judge in accordance with God’s revelations. The new description does not refer to any new case or any new group who are separate from those described in the first two verses. All three qualities are applicable to all those who reject God’s revealed law, in all generations and in all nations.
 
They disbelieve when they reject God’s law, and thereby reject that Godhead belongs solely to God. They are indeed wrongdoers when they impose on people a law other than that of God and help spread corruption in the land. They transgress when they deviate from the way of life chosen by God. All three descriptions apply to the same person in equal manner and he confirms them all through his actions.