Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 5

Mufti Taqi Usmani

This day, good things have been made lawful for you. The food of the people of the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them, and good women from among believers, and good women from among those who were given the Book before you, provided you give them their dowers, binding yourself in marriage, neither going for lust, nor having paramours. Whoever rejects Faith, his effort will go to waste and, in the Hereafter, he will be among the losers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Today all good, pure foods have been made lawful for you. Similarly, the food of the People of the Book[[ “The food of the People of the Book” here means the meat of the animals slaughtered by the Jews and Christians.]] is permissible for you and yours is permissible for them. And ˹permissible for you in marriage˺ are chaste believing women as well as chaste women of those given the Scripture before you—as long as you pay them their dowries in wedlock, neither fornicating nor taking them as mistresses. And whoever rejects the faith, all their good deeds will be void ˹in this life˺ and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Today all good things have been made lawful to you. As the food of the people of the Book is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them. And [it is lawful to marry] chaste believing women and chaste women from among those who were given the Book before you, provided that you give them their dowries in honest wedlock, neither fornicating nor taking them as secret lovers. Whoever rejects the faith, all his efforts will be worthless and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

A. J. Arberry

Today the good things are permitted you, and the food of those who were given the Book is permitted to you, and permitted to them is your food; Likewise believing women in wedlock, and in wedlock women of them who were given the Book before you if you give them their wages, in wedlock and not in licence, or as taking lovers. Whoso disbelieves in the faith, his work has failed, and in the world to come he shall be among the losers.

Abdul Haleem

Today all good things have been made lawful for you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful for you as your food is lawful for them. So are chaste, believing, women as well as chaste women of the people who were given the Scripture before you, as long as you have given them their bride-gifts and married them, not taking them as lovers or secret mistresses. The deeds of anyone who rejects faith will come to nothing, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

To-day are allowed unto you all clean foods, and the meat of those vouchsafed the Book is allowable for you, and your meat is allowable for them as also are the wedded believing women and the wedded women of those vouchsafed the Book before you, when ye have given them their dowers, taking them in wedlock, neither fornicating, nor taking them is secret paramours. And who soever rejecteth the faith, his work will surely come to naught, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the losers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time,- when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues if any one rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).

Abul Ala Maududi

This day all good things have been made lawful to you. The food of the People of the Book is permitted to you, and your food is permitted to them. And permitted to you are chaste women, be they either from among the believers or from among those who have received the Book before you, provided you become their protectors in wedlock after paying them their bridal-due, rather than go around committing fornication and taking them as secret-companions. The work of he who refuses to follow the way of faith will go waste, and he will be among the utter losers in the Hereafter.

Ahmed Ali

On this day all things that are clean have been made lawful for you; and made lawful for you is the food of the people of the Book, as your food is made lawful for them. And lawful are the chaste Muslim women, and the women of the people of the Book who are chaste, (for marriage) and not fornication or liaison, if you give them their dowries. Useless shall be rendered the acts of those who turn back on their faith, and they will be among the losers in the life to come.

Ahmed Raza Khan

This day the pure things are made lawful for you; and the food of the People given the Book(s) is lawful for you – and your food is lawful for them – and likewise are the virtuous Muslim women and the virtuous women from the people who received the Book(s) before you when you give them their bridal money – marrying them, not committing adultery nor as mistresses; and whoever turns a disbeliever after being a Muslim, all his deeds are wasted and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.

Ali Quli Qarai

Today all the good things have been made lawful to you—the food of those who were given the Book is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them—and the chaste ones from among faithful women, and chaste women of those who were given the Book before you, when you have given them their dowries, in wedlock, not in license, nor taking paramours. Should anyone renounce his faith, his work shall fail and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.

Ali Ünal

This day (all) pure, wholesome things have been made lawful for you. And the food of those who were given the Book before (including the animals they slaughter unless, of course, they invoke the name of any other than God) is lawful for you, just as your food (including the animals you slaughter) is lawful for them. And (lawful for you in marriage) are chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Book before, provided that you give them their bridal-due, taking them in honest wedlock, and not in debauchery, nor as secret love-companions. (That is the ordinance regarding your relations with the People of the Book in this world. But know this:) Whoever rejects (the true) faith (and rejects following God’s way as required by faith), all his works are in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

This day all good and pure things have been made lawful for you. And the food of those who have been given the Scripture is lawful for you (provided the food does not include anything forbidden in Islam), and your food is lawful for them. And (lawful for you for marriage are) the chaste women from among the believing women and chaste women from among those who have been given the Scripture before you, provided that you pay them their dowers (to live with them) after contracting valid marriage, not committing fornication, nor seeking secret love affairs by taking secret paramours. And whoever denies the commandments of (the true) faith, no doubt (he will find) his deeds have gone in vain and he will be of the losers in the Hereafter.

English Literal

Today is permitted/allowed for you the goodnesses, and those who were given The Book`s food is permitted/allowed for you, and your food is permitted/allowed for them, and the chaste (F) from the believers (F), and the chaste (F) from those who were given The Book from before you, if you gave them (F) their (F) fees (dowries), marrying not fornicating/adulterating, and not taking friends/lovers , and who disbelieves with the faith/belief, so his deed had wasted/failed, and he (is) in the end (other life) from the losers .

Faridul Haque

This day the pure things are made lawful for you; and the food of the People given the Book(s) is lawful for you - and your food is lawful for them - and likewise are the virtuous Muslim women and the virtuous women from the people who received the Book(s) before you when you give them their bridal money - marrying them, not committing adultery nor as mistresses; and whoever turns a disbeliever after being a Muslim, all his deeds are wasted and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! When you rise up to prayer wash your faces, and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your feet down to the ankles. And if you are polluted, then purify yourselves (bathe). But if you are sick, or on a journey, or if you come from the toilet, or if you have touched women and cannot find water, then take from high ground (clean) sand or earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith. Allah does not wish to make a burden for you; but He wishes to purify you and to fulfil his favour upon you; that you may give thanks.

Hilali & Khan

Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, etc., milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.). The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends. And whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the other Articles of Faith [i.e. His (Allah's), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They ask thee as to what is allowed them. Say: The good things are allowed to you, and what you have taught the beasts and birds of prey, training them to hunt -- you teach them of what Allah has taught you; so eat of that which they catch for you and mention the name of Allah over it; and keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah is Swift in reckoning.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

This day (all) the good things are allowed to you; and the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them; and the chaste from among the believing women and the chaste from among those who have been given the Book before you (are lawful for you); when you have given them their dowries, taking (them) in marriage, not fornicating nor taking them for paramours in secret; and whoever denies faith, his work indeed is of no account, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honour, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denieth the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.

Muhammad Sarwar

On this day, all pure things are made lawful for you (as food). The food of the People of the Book is made lawful for you and your food is made lawful for them. It is lawful for you to marry chaste Muslim women and chaste women of the People of the Book, provided, you pay their dowry, maintain chastity, and avoid fornication or lustful relations outside of marriage. The deeds of anyone who rejects the faith, certainly, become fruitless. He will be of those who lose on the Day of Judgment.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The good things have this day been made lawful to you. The food of those to whom the Book was given is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them. Lawful to you (in marriage) are the free believing women and the free women from among those who were given the Book before you, provided that you give them their dowries in marriage, neither committing fornication nor taking them as mistresses. Whosoever denies the belief, his labors will be annulled. In the Everlasting Life he is of the losers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat. The food of the People of the Scripture is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture before your time when you have given them their due, desiring chastity, not illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girlfriends (or lovers). And whosoever rejects faith, then fruitless is his work; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

Wahiduddin Khan

Today, all good things have been made lawful to you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them. The chaste believing women and the chaste women of the people who were given the Book before you, are lawful to you, provided that you give them their dowers, and marry them, neither committing fornication nor taking them as mistresses. The deeds of anyone who rejects the faith will come to nothing, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

Talal Itani

Today all good things are made lawful for you. And the food of those given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste believing women, and chaste women from the people who were given the Scripture before you, provided you give them their dowries, and take them in marriage, not in adultery, nor as mistresses. But whoever rejects faith, his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

Tafsir jalalayn

Today the good, the delicious, things are permitted to you, and the food of those who were given the Scripture, that is, animals slaughtered by the Jews and Christians, is permitted to you, and permitted to them is your food. Likewise, the believing, free, married women, and the married women of those who were given the Scripture before you, are permitted to you for marriage, if you give them their wages, their dowries, in wedlock, in marriage, and not illicitly, fornicating overtly with them, or taking them as lovers, so as to fornicate with them secretly. Whoever disbelieves in faith, that is, [whose] apostatises, his, prior good, work has indeed failed, and so it counts for nothing and he will not be rewarded for it, and in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers, if he dies in this state [of unbelief]. 2848851345

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Permitting the Slaughtered Animals of the People of the Book

After Allah mentioned the filthy things that He prohibited for His believing servants and the good things that He allowed for them, He said next,

الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ

Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat.

Allah then mentioned the ruling concerning the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians,

وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ

The food of the People of the Scripture is lawful to you...,

Ibn Abbas, Abu Umamah, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ikrimah, Ata', Al-Hasan, Makhul, Ibrahim An-Nakhai, As-Suddi and Muqatil bin Hayyan stated,

meaning, their slaughtered animals.

This ruling, that the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book are permissible for Muslims, is agreed on by the scholars, because the People of the Book believe that slaughtering for other than Allah is prohibited. They mention Allah's Name upon slaughtering their animals, even though they have deviant beliefs about Allah that do not befit His majesty.

It is recorded in the Sahih that Abdullah bin Mughaffal said,

"While we were attacking the fort of Khyber, a person threw a leather bag containing fat, and I ran to take it and said, `I will not give anyone anything from this container today.' But when I turned I saw the Prophet (standing behind) while smiling."

The scholars rely on this Hadith as evidence that we are allowed to eat what we need of foods from the booty before it is divided.

The scholars of the Hanafi, the Shafii and the Hanbali Madhhabs rely on this Hadith to allow eating parts of the slaughtered animals of the Jews that they prohibit for themselves, such as the fat. They used this Hadith as evidence against the scholars of the Maliki Madhhab who disagreed with this ruling.

A better proof is the Hadith recorded in the Sahih that;

the people of Khyber gave the Prophet a gift of a roasted leg of sheep, which they poisoned. The Prophet used to like eating the leg of the sheep and he took a bite from it, but it told the Prophet that it was poisoned, so he discarded that bite. The bite that the Prophet took effected the palate of his mouth, while Bishr bin Al-Bara bin Ma`rur died from eating from that sheep.

The Prophet had the Jewish woman, Zaynab, who poisoned the sheep, killed. Therefore, the Prophet and his Companions wanted to eat from that sheep and did not ask the Jews if they removed what the Jews believed was prohibited for them, such as its fat.

Allah's statement,

وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلُّ لَّهُمْ

and your food is lawful to them.

means, you are allowed to feed them from your slaughtered animals.

Therefore, this part of the Ayah is not to inform the People of the Scriptures that they are allowed to eat our food -- unless we consider it information for us about the ruling that they have -- i.e., that they are allowed all types of foods over which Allah's Name was mentioned, whether slaughtered according to their religion or otherwise.

The first explanation is more plausible. So it means;

you are allowed to feed them from your slaughtered animals just as you are allowed to eat from theirs, as equal compensation and fair treatment.

The Prophet gave his robe to Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, who was wrapped with it when he died. They say that he did that because Abdullah had given his robe to Al-Abbas when Al-Abbas came to Al-Madinah.

As for the Hadith,

لَاا تَصْحَبْ إِلاَّ مُوْمِنًا وَلَاا يَأْكُلْ طَعَامَكَ إِلاَّ تَقِي

Do not befriend but a believer, nor should other than a Taqi (pious person) eat your food.

This is to encourage such behavior, and Allah knows best.
The Permission to Marry Chaste Women From the People of the Scriptures

Allah said,

وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُوْمِنَاتِ

(Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers.

The Ayah states;you are allowed to marry free, chaste believing women.

This Ayah is talking about women who do not commit fornication, as evident by the word `chaste'. Allah said in another Ayah,

مُحْصَنَـت غَيْرَ مُسَـفِحَـتٍ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ

Desiring chastity not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as boyfriends (lovers). (4;25)

Abdullah Ibn Umar used to advise against marrying Christian women saying,

"I do not know of a worse case of Shirk than her saying that `Isa is her lord, while Allah said,
وَلَا تَنكِحُواْ الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُوْمِنَّ
(And do not marry idolatresses till they believe)." (2;221)

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Malik Al-Ghifari said that Ibn Abbas said that;

when this Ayah was revealed,
وَلَا تَنكِحُواْ الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُوْمِنَّ
(And do not marry idolatresses till they believe), the people did not marry the pagan women. When the following Ayah was revealed,

وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ

(Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture before your time) they married women from the People of the Book."

Some of the Companions married Christian women and did not see any problem in this, relying on the honorable Ayah,
وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
((Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from those who were given the Scripture before your time), therefore, they made this Ayah an exception to the Ayah in Surah Al-Baqarah,
وَلَا تَنكِحُواْ الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُوْمِنَّ
(And do not marry the idolatresses till they believe), considering the latter Ayah to include the People of the Book in its general meaning. Otherwise, there is no contradiction here, since the People of the Book were mentioned alone when mentioning the rest of the idolators. Allah said,

لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ


Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Scripture and the idolators, were not going to leave (their disbelief) until there came to them clear evidence. (98;1)

and,

وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ الْكِتَابَ وَالاُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُواْ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ

And say to those who were given the Scripture and to those who are illiterates;"Do you (also) submit yourselves!" If they do, they are rightly guided. (3;20)

Allah said next,

إِذَا اتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ

When you have given them their due,

This refers to the Mahr, so just as these women are chaste and honorable, then give them their Mahr with a good heart.

We should mention here that Jabir bin Abdullah, `Amir Ash-Sha`bi, Ibrahim An-Nakhai and Al-Hasan Al-Basri stated that;

when a man marries a woman and she commits illegal sexual intercourse before the marriage is consummated, the marriage is annulled. In this case, she gives back the Mahr that he paid her.

Allah said,

مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ

Desiring chastity, not illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends (or lovers).

And just as women must be chaste and avoid illegal sexual activity, such is the case with men, who must also be chaste and honorable. Therefore, Allah said,
غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ
(...not illegal sexual intercourse) as adulterous people do, those who do not avoid sin, nor reject adultery with whomever offers it to them.

وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ
(nor taking them as girl-friends (or lovers),

meaning those who have mistresses and girlfriends who commit illegal sexual intercourse with them, as we mentioned in the explanation of Surah An-Nisa'.

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالاِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الاخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ



And whosoever rejects faith, then fruitless is his work; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers