Surah Al-Ma’idah Overview — The Table Spread (Chapter 5)

• 1Lawfulness of grazing livestock and prohibition of hunting in Ihram
• 1Obligation of fulfilling contracts and covenants
• 2Cooperation in righteousness and piety, avoiding sin and aggression
• 2Sanctity of divine symbols, sacred months, and sacrificial offerings
• 3Perfection and completion of the Islamic religion and divine favor
• 3Prohibited meats, animal slaughter, and exception in severe hunger
• 4Lawfulness of wholesome foods and game caught by trained animals
• 5Lawfulness of food of the People of the Scripture
• 5Marriage to chaste believing women and chaste women of the Scripture
• 6Prescription of Wudu, Ghusl, and dry ablution (Tayammum)
• 7Divine knowledge of deceitful eyes and secrets concealed within breasts
• 7Remembrance of the divine covenant of hearing and obedience
• 8Standing firm for justice without allowing enmity to cause oppression
• 9Divine promise of forgiveness and immense reward for righteous believers
• 10, 86Hellfire as the eternal recompense for deniers of divine signs
• 11Divine protection restraining hostile hands and relying on God
• 12Covenant with the Children of Israel and appointing twelve leaders
• 13Breach of covenant, hardening of hearts, and distortion of Scripture
• 14Covenant of the Christians, negligence of revelation, and sectarian enmity
• 15The Messenger coming with illuminating light and a clarifying Scripture
• 16Guiding to paths of peace and bringing forth from darkness into light
• 17Refuting the deification of the Messiah son of Mary and asserting God's sovereignty
• 18Refuting false claims of divine sonship and favoritism among Jews and Christians
• 19Arrival of the final warner after a cessation of prophetic missions
• 20Moses reminding Israelites of divine favors: prophethood and kingdom

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• 21Moses commanding entry into the Holy Land and warning against retreat
• 22Israelites' cowardice and refusal to enter due to tyrannical inhabitants
• 23Exhortation of the two godfearing men to advance and trust in God
• 24Insolent defiance of the Israelites telling Moses to fight with his Lord alone
• 25Moses' supplication to separate him and his brother from the defiantly rebellious
• 26Punishment of forty years wandering in the wilderness for disobedience
• 27Story of the two sons of Adam and acceptance of sacrifice from the godfearing
• 28The righteous brother's refusal to kill out of fear of God, Lord of the worlds
• 29The murderer bearing sins and becoming a companion of the Fire
• 30Submission to the murderous impulse and falling into eternal loss
• 31God sending the raven to teach burial and the murderer's bitter remorse
• 32Universal sanctity of life: killing one soul is like killing all mankind
• 33Prescribed penalties for armed banditry, treason, and spreading corruption (Hirabah)
• 34Pardon and remission of penalties for those who repent before apprehension
• 35Attaining piety, seeking means of nearness (Wasilah), and striving for success
• 36Inability to ransom with earth's treasures and emergence of unexpected divine judgment
• 37Inability to escape from Hellfire and the enduring eternal punishment
• 38Prescribed legal penalty for theft as deterrence from God
• 39Divine acceptance of sincere repentance and reform after wrongdoing
• 40Absolute dominion over the heavens and earth, punishing and forgiving by divine will

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• 41Consolation regarding hypocrites and distorters of scripture racing into disbelief
• 42Condemnation of consuming illicit gain and discretion to judge between them with justice
• 43Astonishment at their seeking judgment while turning away from the Torah
• 44Revelation of the Torah as guidance and light, and disbelief of those not judging by God's law
• 45Injustice of failing to judge by divine revelation
• 45Law of equal retaliation (Qisas) in the Torah and charity as expiation
• 46Sending Jesus with the Gospel confirming Torah as guidance and admonition
• 47Obligation upon People of the Gospel to judge by revelation and deviance of neglecting it
• 48Command to govern strictly by divine revelation without yielding to vain desires
• 48The Quran as guardian and judge over previous Scriptures and competing in good works
• 49Warning against being tempted away from any part of divine revelation
• 50Condemning the judgment of pagan ignorance (Jahiliyyah) versus the supreme judgment of God
• 51Prohibition of taking disbelievers as intimate allies over the believers
• 52Diseased hearts rushing to ally with enemies out of fear of worldly misfortune
• 53Exposure of hypocrites' false oaths and the nullification of their deeds
• 54Warning against apostasy and replacing apostates with a beloved, steadfast people
• 55True loyalty belongs exclusively to God, His Messenger, and humble steadfast believers
• 56The party of God (Hizbullah) are the ultimate victors
• 57Prohibition of allying with those who take the Islamic faith in mockery and play
• 58Mockery of the call to prayer by people devoid of understanding
• 59Addressing the hostility of the Scripture people directed at pure faith in God
• 60Divine curse, transformation into apes and swine, and serving false tyrants (Taghut)

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• 61Hypocrisy of entering with disbelief and leaving with it while God knows their secrets
• 62Condemning the swift pursuit of sin, aggression, and consumption of illicit wealth
• 63Failure of religious scholars and rabbis to forbid evil speech and unlawful gains
• 64Refuting blasphemy of God's hand being chained and affirming His bountiful generosity
• 65Expiation of sins and entry into Gardens of Delight conditional on faith and piety
• 66Abundant worldly provision resulting from upholding the Torah, Gospel, and Quran
• 67Divine command to convey the entire revelation and guarantee of protection from people
• 68People of Scripture have no true foundation until they uphold all divine revelations
• 69Safety from fear and grief for all who genuinely believe in God, the Last Day, and do good
• 70Israelites' covenant breach: denying and slaying messengers who opposed their desires
• 71Presuming immunity from trial, persistent blindness and deafness to the truth
• 72Disbelief in deifying the Messiah, his call to monotheism, and prohibition of Paradise for polytheists
• 73Refutation of the Trinity doctrine and affirming the absolute oneness of God
• 74Exhortation to repent and seek divine forgiveness from the Merciful
• 75Human nature of Jesus and his truthful mother: mortal messengers eating food
• 76Futility of worshipping idols possessing neither harm nor benefit instead of God
• 77Prohibition of religious extremism (Ghuluw) and following misguided predecessors
• 78Cursing of disbelieving Israelites by David and Jesus for persistent transgression
• 79Condemnation of failing to forbid one another from evil deeds committed
• 80Condemning alliance with disbelievers incurring divine wrath and eternal torment

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• 81True faith in God and revelation prevents taking disbelievers as protectors
• 82Enmity of polytheists and Jews versus the affection of humble Christian monks and priests
• 83Tears of sincerity upon hearing the Quran, recognizing truth, and declaring faith
• 84Yearning for divine acceptance and admission into Paradise with the righteous
• 85Divine reward of Gardens beneath which rivers flow for truthful believers
• 87Prohibition of forbidding good lawful things and warning against transgression
• 88Enjoying lawful wholesome sustenance provided by God with piety
• 89Rulings on deliberate vs. unintentional oaths and their legal expiations (Kaffarah)
• 90Prohibition of intoxicants, gambling, idolatrous altars, and divining arrows as Satanic filth
• 91Satanic plot to breed hatred and divert from God's remembrance and prayer through alcohol and gambling
• 92Obedience to God and His Messenger, and the duty of clear notification
• 93Absolution of past consumption for those who maintain piety, faith, and good works
• 94Divine test of prohibiting hunting game within easy reach during Ihram to distinguish unseen fear of God
• 95Prohibition of killing game during Ihram and detailed legal penalties of compensation
• 96Lawfulness of marine game and seafood versus prohibition of land hunting during Ihram
• 97The Kaaba as an established sanctuary, sacred months, and sacrificial cattle for humanity
• 98Certainty of God being severe in retribution and Forgiving, Merciful
• 99Messenger's sole responsibility of conveyance and God's absolute knowledge of deeds
• 100Inequality between the impure and wholesome despite the abundance of evil

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• 101Prohibition of excessive inquisitive questioning about matters left pardoned
• 102Earlier communities demanding unnecessary details and falling into disbelief
• 103Refuting pagan superstitious dedications of livestock: Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah, Hami
• 104Blind imitation of misguided ancestors
• 105Personal responsibility for guidance and protection from the harm of the misguided
• 106Legal testimony and sworn oaths required upon bequests at the time of death
• 107Procedure when witnesses commit perjury: replacement by heirs taking corrective oaths
• 108Preserving truthful testimony and fearing God against deliberate false oaths
• 109Assembling messengers on Judgment Day and their declaration of God's all-encompassing knowledge
• 110Recounting divine favors upon Jesus: Holy Spirit, speaking in cradle, miracles of clay bird, healing, and resurrection
• 111Divine inspiration to the Disciples (Hawariyyun) to believe and submit to God
• 112Disciples asking Jesus if his Lord would send down a heavenly table spread (Ma'idah)
• 113Disciples' request for the table spread to reassure hearts and bear witness
• 114Jesus' supplication for the heavenly table spread as a recurring festival and divine sign
• 115Divine grant of the table spread and severe warning of unprecedented torment for subsequent disbelief
• 116Divine interrogation of Jesus regarding worship of him and his mother, and his absolute glorification of God
• 117Jesus testifying that he only commanded pure worship of God alone and his witnessing over his people
• 118Jesus submitting mankind to divine sovereign mercy and justice: 'If You punish them, they are Your servants'
• 119The Day when the truthful benefit from their truthfulness: Gardens of Paradise and divine pleasure
• 120To God belongs the absolute sovereignty over the heavens, the earth, and everything within them

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