Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 90

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe! Wine, gambling, altars and divining arrows are filth, made up by Satan. Therefore, refrain from it, so that you may be successful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions[[ See footnote for {5:3}.]] are all evil of Satan’s handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, idols and divining arrows are evil, of Satan’s work; therefore avoid such [evil], so that you may be successful.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, wine and arrow-shuffling, idols and divining-arrows are an abomination, some of Satan's work; so avoid it; haply So you will prosper.

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, intoxicants and gambling, idolatrous practices, and [divining with] arrows are repugnant acts- Satan’s doing- shun them so that you may prosper.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye who believe! wine and gambling and stone altars and divining arrows are only an abomination, a handiwork of Satan, shun it wherefore, that haply ye may fare well.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork; eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers! Intoxicants, games of chance, idolatrous sacrifices at altars, and divining arrows are all abominations, the handiwork of Satan. So turn wholly away from it that you may attain to true success.

Ahmed Ali

O believers, this wine and gambling, these idols, and these arrows you use for divination, are all acts of Satan; so keep away from them. You may haply prosper.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Wine (all intoxicants), and gambling, and idols, and the darts are impure – the works of Satan, therefore keep avoiding them so that you may succeed.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Indeed wine, gambling, idols, and the divining arrows are abominations of Satan’s doing, so avoid them, so that you may be felicitous.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Intoxicants, games of chance, sacrifices to (anything serving the function of) idols (and at places consecrated for offerings to other than God), and (the pagan practice of) divination by arrows (and similar practices) are a loathsome evil of Satan’s doing; so turn wholly away from it so that you may prosper (in both worlds).

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance, and alters set up for false deities and divining arrows are only abominations, some of satan´s handiworks, therefore shun each one (of these abominations) so that you may attain your goal.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, that the intoxicants , and the gambling and the monuments , and the featherless arrows (are) sin/crime from the devil`s making/work, so avoid it , maybe you succeed/win.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Wine (all intoxicants), and gambling, and idols, and the darts are impure - the works of Satan, therefore keep avoiding them so that you may succeed.

Hamid S. Aziz

Satan only desires to place enmity and hatred between you by wine and maisar, and to turn you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer; will you not, then, desist.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Allah will not call you to account for that which is vain in your oaths, but He will call you to account for the making of deliberate oaths; so its expiation is the feeding of ten poor men with the average (food) you feed your families with, or their clothing, or the freeing of a neck. But whoso finds not (means) should fast for three days. This is the expiation of your oaths when you swear. And keep your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you his messages that you may give thanks.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan's work; shun it therefore that you may be successful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, wine, gambling, the stone altars and arrows (that the pagans associate with certain divine characters) are all abominable acts associated with satanic activities. Avoid them so that you may have everlasting happiness.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, wine and gambling, idols and divining arrows are abominations from the work of satan. Avoid them, in order that you prosper.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Khamr, Maysir, Ansab, and Azlam are a Rijs of Shaytan's handiwork. So avoid that in order that you may be successful.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, intoxicants and gambling and [occult dedication of] stones and divining arrows are abominations devised by Satan. Avoid them, so that you may prosper.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, idolatry, and divination are abominations of Satan’s doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, verily wine, that intoxicates and overcomes the mind, and games of chance, gambling, and idols, and divinatory arrows are an abomination, an evil deemed vile, of Satan's work, which he adorns; so avoid it, this abomination consisting of the things mentioned, do not do it; so that you might prosper.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Prohibiting Khamr (Intoxicants) and Maysir (Gambling)

Allah says;

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالَانصَابُ وَالَازْلَامُ



O you who believe! Khamr, Maysir, Ansab, and Azlam are,

Allah forbids His believing servants from consuming Khamr and Maysir which is gambling.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ali bin Abi Talib, the Leader of the Faithful, said that;

chess is a type of gambling.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ata, Mujahid and Tawus, or , two of them, said that;

every type of gambling, including children's playing with (a certain type of) nuts, is Maysir.

Ibn Umar said that;
Al-Maysir means gambling,

and this is the same statement that Ad-Dahhak reported from Ibn Abbas, who added,

"They used to gamble during the time of Jahiliyyah, until Islam came. Allah then forbade them from this evil behavior."
Meaning of Ansab and Azlam

According to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ata', Sa`id bin Jubayr and Al-Hasan,
Al-Ansab were altar stones, in whose vicinity sacrifices were offered (during the time of Jahiliyyah).

As Ibn Abi Hatim narrated they also said that;
Al-Azlam were arrows that they used for lotteries to make decisions.

Allah said,

رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ

A Rijs of Shaytan's handiwork,

meaning, abomination of Shaytan's handiwork, according to Ali bin Abi Talhah who reported it from Ibn Abbas.

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that;
Rijs means `sin'.

while Zayd bin Aslam said;

"An evil handiwork of Shaytan."

فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ

So avoid that,

avoid all of these abominations,

لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ



in order that you may be successful.

and this is a statement of encouragement.

Allah said next,

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاء فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَةِ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ