[1]. The covenants that one has with Allāh or the contracts with people. This also includes promises, pledges, vows, oaths, etc.
[2]. The four sacrosanct months are Dhul-Qi‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muḥarram, and Rajab.
[3]. Excluding dead sea creatures consumed as food.
[4]. Blood that has been shed from an animal is not to be eaten. Blood that is still inside an animal after slaughter is not to be eaten.
[5]. Strangled animals are that has not been killed in the prescribed manner by God. The prescribed manner is slaughter by exsanguination, or bleeding out. And from things strangled – That is, from animals or birds that were killed without shedding their blood. The reason why these are considered unlawful to be eaten is, that thus they would be under a necessity of eating blood, which is forbidden in Islam. When any beast or fowl is taken in a snare, the blood should be poured out before it is lawful to be eaten. From things strangled; such as animals that die of themselves, or are torn with beasts, or are not killed in a proper way, by letting out their blood; but their blood is stagnated or congealed in the veins. Allāh permitted mankind to eat the flesh of animals. Since they are Allah’s creatures, Allāh had the right to tell man how they should slaughter and eat His animals.
[6]. This was a pagan practice before Islam, whereby they had three lots (flat marked pieces of wood) dedicated to divinations. On each there was written either: “My Lord commanded me”, “My Lord forbade me”, or nothing at all. A person would abide by what the lot told him, but if he drew the empty one, he would recast again until he drew either one of the other two.
[7]. To eat unlawful substances such as the meat of dead animal to save his life.
[8]. All good food that causes no harm to the body or the intellect.
[9]. A companion of the Prophet said: “O Messenger of God ﷺ, I set my dog on a prey and mention Allah’s Name ”. He ﷺ replied: “When you set your dog and mention Allah’s Name and he catches, kills and eats, then do not eat of the prey because he caught it for itself”. Then I said: “Sometimes I set my dog on a prey and he gets joined by another dog ˹which is not mine˺ and I do not know which one of them caught it”. He answered: “Then do not eat it because you mentioned Allah’s Name for your dog not the other”.
[10]. Except the forbidden categories of meat. The Jews and Christians are closer to and share a degree of commonality with the Muslims because they are originally monotheistic, unlike the outright idolaters of them, which makes eating their slaughtered cattle, eatable animals and marrying their women unlawful.
[11]. By neglecting the pillars of Islam such as the prayer, alms giving, fasting, hajj, or by keeping an alliance and intimacy with the disbelievers.
[12]. Urine or stool or wind from anus.
[13]. I.e., had sexual intercourse with your wives.
[14]. This is the act of tayammum - dry ablution.
[15]. This verse which strongly reminds the believers of their binding pledge with Allāh, including that of respecting His ordained laws, is central to the believing community.
[16]. That is to be ardent upholders of Allah’s rights, not seeking fame or worldly gain.
[17]. A group of unbelieving Jews.
[18]. Naqīb is the chief of a clan. They were charged with taking the oaths of those for whom they were responsible such that they would listen to and obey Allah’s commandments. They were also required to guide and encourage believers to adhere to these commandments.
[19]. Whose last is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
[20]. Give charity generously for the Cause of Allāh.
[21]. In the Torah, concerning the coming of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
[22]. In the Gospel, concerning the coming of the Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.
[23]. Of your sin in that regard.
[24].The first and only Prophet of God that was sent to humanity after Jesus is Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in one of his sermons: “Indeed, Allāh, my Lord has commanded me to tell you something which you do not know about which He told me today. ˹Allah, glory be His, said:˺… ‘I created all My servants rightly-oriented 'to the true religion of Islam' then the devils came and swerved them away from their religion; they made unlawful for them what I made lawful and bade them to associate with Me that for which I made no authority’. ˹The Messenger of God ﷺ continued˺ “Then Allāh, looked at the dwellers of Earth and He held them all in disfavour, Arabs and non-Arabs, except some remaining few of the People of the Scripture and He said: ‘I sent you to try you and try by you and I sent down to you a Book (the Qur’an) that will be protected from distortion; you read it awake and asleep…’ .
[25]. Of eternal Bliss for whoever believes in Allāh and does righteous deeds.
[26]. Of Chastisement for whoever associates any partner with Allāh and works evil.
[27]. All that you need - specifically, homes, wives and servants. Or "sovereigns," i.e., those of independent authority.
[28]. Those remaining of the people of ‘Ād who were idol worshippers.
[29]. Joshua and Caleb. They were heroes in the history of the Muslims of the children of Israel. when Moses sent Scouts into the land of canaan, Joshua and Caleb were the two courageous men from the group who reported that the Canaanites could be defeated. Moses promised Caleb that his family would have a particularly good section of the land that was to be conquered. His faith and devotion to Allāh had sustained him through decades of wilderness living and wars to secure the inheritance Allāh had promised the Muslims of children of Israel. Caleb said, “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then”. Caleb declared that by “Allāh helping me, I will drive them out just as he said”.
Regardless of age, stage in life, or circumstances, Allāh will help all who wholeheartedly trust Him. The Qur’an inspire faith in Allāh through following God's last messenger, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He demonstrated God’s care and compassion for all who looked to Him for help, “Allāh is Our helper; we will not be afraid.”
[30]. Allāh, the Most High, decreed that they should be wandering in the land for a period of 40 years as punishment for their iniquities.
[31]. I.e., Abel, as he offered the best from his flocks of sheep.
[32]. I.e., Cain, as he offered the worst of his harvest.
[33]. The sin of killing me.
[34]. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “No soul ever gets killed unjustifiably, unless the early son of Adam 'Cain' shoulders some of the burden of its blood, for he was the first human to spill blood ˹on Earth˺.
[35]. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "The biggest of sins are: (1) To associate partners with Allah, (2) to murder a human being, (3) to disobey your parents (4) and to give a false testimony".
[36]. I.e., the armed individuals or groups who commit crimes against civilians.
[37]. This verse details the penal code for such acts as highway robbery and banditry.
38. By doing what pleases Almighty Allāh.
[39]. Theft proven either by confession or by the testimony of two reliable eye witnesses, and it is not an opportunistic theft but rather a deliberate break in to property.
[40]. Those who were given the Scripture before Islam are better off either following the doctrines of the Qur’an or reinstating their own respective Scriptures in their pristine, uncorrupted, devoutly acting and ruling by them and purifying their hearts. Purification is a way to prepare for drawing near to Allāh. It can also be a way to cleanse oneself of sins and receive forgiveness and salvation.The Qur’an and the Sunnah speaks often of the heart, usually in reference to our spiritual state. The heart is the center of our being, where our thoughts and emotions originate. A clean heart is essential to a right relationship with Allāh. Allāh says, "No, rather what they used to do 'of sins' has placed rust upon their hearts." Qur’an chapter 83:14.
How can our heart be pure, if we are sinful? The answer is that Allāh cleanses our hearts when we repent and turn to Him. He washes away our sin and gives us a new heart - one that is full of His love and desire to please Him. What does it mean in the Qur’an to love Allāh and His messenger, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with a pure heart? It means having an undivided loyalty to Allāh - loving Him above all else and following His messenger, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This kind of love comes from a clean heart. When we have this kind of love for Allāh, it will overflow into every area of our lives - including our relationships with others. Otherwise we will be exactly the opposite, deniers of the Truth, opposers of peace, just like the unbelieving Jewish.
[41].This also underlines the insincerity of the Jewish. How could the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) be hopeful that they would resort to and abide by his code of law when they were irreverent of the very code of law (the Torah) they outwardly and to all appearances subscribed to!
[42]. Those who were entrusted with preserving the Scripture of God, the Torah, at the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are especially cautioned not to make fear of influential people nor following their vain desires and greed put them off from fulfilling their task of safeguarding it against alteration and distortion. The guardians of Divine law should bear the fear of God first and foremost in their minds and not that of fellow men. They should pronounce the judgement of God as found in His Writ irrespective of the status or influence of the person who is affected by it. Nor are they to be swayed by bribes and worldly gains.
[43]. A person who is injured should not be driven by spitefulness and the desire to exact revenge. This spirit of forgiveness is not only encouraged by Allāh but is also generously rewarded for.
[44]. Muhammad, God’s Messenger ﷺ said, "I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary, and all the Prophets are paternal brothers, and there has been no prophet between me and him (Jesus)."
[45]. Guardian over it, is encompassing the laws and dictates found in earlier Scriptures; establishing those which are still valid and overruling those which are not.
[46]. Those who do not surrender to the ruling of God and His messenger are only opting for the ruling of ignorance itself; nothing but groundless laws set by people following their vain desires and basing them not on any of the Scriptures of God which are light and guidance to people.
[47]. Who are at war with you or who demean people of Faith.
[48]. I.e., aids them against the believers, or opts for their religion over Islam.
[49]. These hypocrites, honoring Allāh with their lips while their hearts are far from Him. They worship Allāh in vain, He avers, since they have abandoned “the commandment of Allāh and hold in its place the tradition of men. Besides earning the Anger of Allāh and having their thin cover blown, all what they bargained for and threw their weight behind came to nothing. Thus, the immensity of their loss.
[50]. Disregarding the commandment of not aligning one’s self with the enemies of the believers is considered a renouncement of religion.
[51]. This inspire us to receive Allah’s love and then demonstrate it to others through acts of service, patience, humility, and sacrifice.
[52]. If we love God, we must keep to His commandments and follow His last and final messenger, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
[53]. Prayer is singled out here because it is the most outwardly distinctive feature that defines the believing community and sets it apart from the unbelievers. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: The Covenant that stands between Us and them is the Prayer. Whoever abandons It, he has Committed disbelief. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that prayer is the covenant between Muslims and Allāh, and abandoning it is considered disbelief. He also said: "Between a man and disbelief and paganism is the abandonment of Salat (prayer)".
[54]. Of the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, etc.
[55]. This is yet another example highlighting how rude the Jewish had become in their rebelliousness against God, not only by their sinful actions and their disregarding of His law but more seriously by slandering and speaking profanely against Almighty God. For this, they deservedly earned His Wrath and Damnation.
[56]. E.g., the Psalms, without alteration, omission, or additions to the original text.
[57]. They deceived themselves by selfishly thinking that they would not be ‘tried’ for their grievous offences. Such self-deceit blinded and deafened them to seeing and hearing the Truth of Islam, thus they will not find a way to it. Even after Allāh relented towards them and guided them at a certain juncture of time, a great many of them still fell back into their old ways.
[58]. It is the wrong belief that Allāh consists of three equal persons in one Godhead. God the Father, god the son and the holy ghost. A difficult concept to comprehend often referred as a “mystery”. With the exception of one disputed and rejected verse as it is erroneously rendered in the King James Version and a few others (1 John 5:7-8), there is NO scripture that supports a Triune God or a Trinity. The word Trinity appears nowhere in any bible version. The concept began to take shape at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. There was decided and accepted that God the Father and jesus christ were of the “same substance” yet separate beings.The Council of Constantinople in 381 AD declared that the holy spirit or holy ghost was god. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD declared that Jesus Christ was both man and God. It would appear that at this point the concept of a Triune God was now accepted as doctrine regardless what is stated in the bible. However historical documents tie the trinity concept to various ancient beliefs all the way back to Nimrod of Babel, his mother/wife Semiramis and the child Tammuz. Even the trinitarian Roman Catholic Church states this: “The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.”—(1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299.”
[59]. Allāh has never had any offspring, nor is there any god besides Him.
[60]. They both were in need of sustenance, proving that they were not divine beings, unlike Allāh Almighty Who is in no need of anything while everything is in need of Him.
[61]. In reference to Psalms 28, 21 -22, 31- 33, and Matthew 12: 34, 23: 13-38.
[62]. Muhammad, God's messenger ﷺ said, “Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allāh alone without any partners, that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger, that Jesus is the servant of Allāh and His messenger, His word which He bestowed upon Mary and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise is true and Hellfire is true, Allāh will admit him into Paradise by whatever good deeds he had done.”
Jesus Christ described Himself as a servant, when He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve Allāh.” (Mark 10:45). Jesus Christ modeled complete servanthood as He lived among the children of Israel as a man and a messenger of Allāh to Israelites. He obeyed Allah's will. Allah's servants were those who worshiped him and carried out his will, often in important leadership roles. Individuals such as Abraham ( Gen 26:24 ), Moses ( Exod 14:31 ; Deut 34:5 ), David ( 2 Samuel 7:5 2 Samuel 7:8 ), Isaiah (20:3), and Jesus were all called Allah’s "servants" as they obediently served their Lord - Allāh.
[63]. The Prophets and those who believed in their Message and followed them.
[64]. I.e., their admission and acceptance of the truth and commitment to God's true religion (of Islām).
[65]. These laws are ever binding and should not be taken liberty with. Nor are they to be disregarded as did earlier nations.
[66]. I.e., out of habit or without true intent.
[67]. I.e., do not swear much; do not swear while lying; honor your oaths, honor your vows. Do not misuse the Name of Allāh your Lord, as Allāh will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His Name.
[68]. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: God has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who serve it, and the one to whom it is served.
[69]. Gambling is playing games of chance for money. It’s a risky wager, where you stake something of value (usually your money) on the outcome of a game.
Types of gambling vary. For example, there’s the lottery, where you buy a lottery ticket for a small amount and if you happen to pick the lucky numbers, you could win millions. There’s also sports betting, where you bet on the outcome of a race or game, such as a horse, dog race or cock fighting, and your winnings vary depending on how your pick performs. Casino gambling encompasses games of chance and skill played at tables and machines, at a luxurious resort or a small card room. Online gambling is also on the rise. Some people might win big when gambling and then stop. Others win, then lose, then risk more and more money gambling until they have gotten themselves into a difficult situation. Some people with gambling problems have been known to cash their paycheck and try to double it by gambling — only if they lose, they’ve lost their entire paycheck. It’s one thing when people are gambling extra money, but when their family is depending on that paycheck, consequences can be disastrous. That is why Islam prohibited gambling of all kinds.
Dishonest money as hasty, as in easy money or get-rich-quick scenarios dwindles away, but whoever gathers lawful money little by little makes it grow. We are supposed to acquire money by working for it. The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat. We are supposed to be Allah’s servants, tending the land and cultivating it. All we have is only because Allāh provided, and we are supposed to share what we have with others as charity.
[70]. Restraining one’s self from sinning while hidden from the eyes of others and that the sin being so attractive and tempting is a great test of Faith.
[71]. Qiyām traces its meaning to erectness and/or taking care of affairs. That God made the Kaʿbah qiyāman li al-nās signifies both their religious, e.g. Prayers, Hajj, ʿumrah, etc., and worldly affairs, e.g. trade in all sorts of produce, getting together and knowing each other, etc., are upheld and safeguarded in and around it.
[72]. All that is bad as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, and foods.
[73]. All that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, and foods.
[74]. Fear Allâh: i.e. abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden and love Allâh much by performing all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained.
[75]. I.e., especially contrived questions, if responded to will widen the circle of divine ordinances, which might cause difficulty for the believers to act on them.
[77]. Categories of particular animals which were dedicated to the idols and set free to pasture, liberated from the service of man.
[78]. After you call them to guidance, their rejection will not harm you.
[79]. They are made to take such an oath because the judge has justifiable doubts about their truthfulness not because they are non-Muslim.
[80]. The two non-Muslim witnesses. When doubted, it has to be made absolutely sure that their testimony is trustworthy and that if challenged, even if by Muslims, the challengers will undergo equally scrupulous measures.
[81]. The two original witnesses.
[82]. Jesus of all the other Messengers of God is singled out here and is minutely ‘questioned’ because the most deserving of admonishment are those who claim to be his followers 'Christians'. Other nations may have denied their Messengers but the Christians made the single and most false claim about Almighty God Himself, whereby He has a mother, wife and a child, and around which they built their whole religion. The favours detailed here show in reality that Jesus is no more than a mere human Messenger of God.
In Matthew 7:22–23:
"Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
This passage from the Gospel of Matthew is one of the clearest and strongest evidences from the Bible that Jesus (peace be upon him) will disown those who worshipped him and claimed to perform miracles in his name, because he never commanded such acts. This directly opposes the claim of his divinity and affirms instead that he was a prophet and servant of God.
[83]. This is further admonishment for those who claim to be followers of Jesus but who distorted his teachings. Although him being the direct addressee, Allāh wants him to stand witness against them as will do every Messenger against his nation:
[84]. In both body and spirit to the heaven.
[85]. The messengers and their followers.
[86]. Conveyance of the message of Islam.