JUZ SIX
The sixth juz of the Qur’an begins at verse 148 of Surah al-Nisaʾ and ends at verse of Surah al-Maʾidah. Surah al-Maʾidah was revealed many years after Surah al-Nisaʾ at a very different stage in the Prophet’s life صلى الله عليه وسلم .Surah al-Maʾidah was one of the last surahs to be revealed during the final years of the prophetic era. It was revealed after the conquest of Makkah when Muslims were finally in a position of power. During this phase of power, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم began to send letters to the kings of various countries inviting them and their people to Islam. The themes of Surah al-Maʾidah reflect the time in which it was revealed.
The first few surahs of the Qur’an give us a glimpse of the Madinan phase of history. Surah al-Baqarah shows us what Islam was like before Badr, while Surah Al ʿImran and al-Nisaʾ show us glimpses of life after Uḥud. Surah al-Maʾidah then shows us the final phase of the Daʿwah, the perfection of the law43 after the conquest of Makkah. Surah al-Maʾidah essentially revolves around two themes, the final laws of Islam and the principles of daʿwah to the people of the book and other nations.
As this was the final lengthy surah that was revealed, it contains a lot of details on the various laws of Islam. This includes dietary laws, marriage laws, pilgrimage laws, criminals law as well as the foundations and spiritual frameworks of these laws. The surah begins with a call on us to fulfill our covenant with Allah. This is a call for us to take the law seriously and obey it. This includes fulfilling our covenants with people as that is part
of obedience to Allah.
This is followed by a series of verses describing the final laws of Islam. In these verses, Allah informs us of the types of food that we are permitted to eat, as well as those that are prohibited. The permission to eat food slaughtered by the People of the Book and to marry chaste women of the People of the Book is also revealed in this surah. These verses show us how Muslims lived in harmony with the People of the Book in a post-Hudaibiyah
society.
The previous two surahs reminded us that victory lies in the obedience of Allah. This surah, revealed post-victory, includes a reminder that Allah fulfilled that promise with the conquest of Makkah.
And Remember God’s blessings upon you, and His covenant which He contracted with you; when you said, we hear, and we obey. And remain conscious of God, for God knows what the hearts contain.
O you who believe! Remember God’s blessings upon you; when certain people intended to extend their hands against you, and He restrained their hands from you. So, reverence God, and in God let the believers put their trust.
In between these two verses, Allah reminds us to remain firm upon justice, and not to allow our hatred for anyone to cause us to be unjust. It is significant that this verse was revealed after the Muslims were victorious as people often carry out injustices after gaining power. This verse is a powerful reminder to Muslims to remain committed to justice, especially when we have the power to oppress.
O you who believe! Be upright to God, witnessing with justice; and let not the hatred of a certain people prevent you from acting justly. Adhere to justice, for that is nearer to piety, and fear God. God is informed of what you do.
A large portion of this surah focuses on the story of Jesus , as the Muslims were interacting more with the Christians in this phase, reminders about tawhid and how to invite Christians to Islam are frequent throughout this surah.
Surah al-Maʾidah also includes the story of Cain and Abel, the two sons of Adam : the story of the first murder. This once again reminds us that power and greed should not corrupt us and cause us to oppress anyone. This passage includes the famous reminder that killing one innocent person is equivalent to killing all of humanity, and saving a single soul earns one the reward of saving all of humanity.
Surah al-Maʾidah is a reminder of how Muslims should operate when we are in a position of power. Justice, dedication to the law, daʿwah, and the fulfillment of covenants all remain priorities for the believer no matter how much worldly power we attain.
By
Dr. Omar Suleiman & Sh. Ismail Kamdar
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