يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحِلُّوا۟ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلْهَدْىَ وَلَا ٱلْقَلَـٰٓئِدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَٰنًا ۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَٱصْطَادُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا۟ ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ 2
Translations
O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allāh or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect the marking of] the sacrificial animals and garlanding [them] or [violate the safety of] those coming to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] approval. But when you come out of iḥrām, then [you may] hunt. And do not let the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām lead you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is severe in penalty.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu la tuhllu shaea'ira allahi wa la al-shahru al-haram wa la al-hady wa la al-qala'id wa la ammeen al-bayt al-haram yabtaghun fadlan min rabbihim wa ridwanan. Wa idha hallaltum fastad. Wa la yajrimankum shana'anu qawmin an saddukum an al-masjid al-haram an ta'tadu. Wa ta'awanu ala al-birr wa al-taqwa wa la ta'awanu ala al-ithm wa al-udwan. Wa ittaqu allah inna allah shadid al-iqab.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the believers to respect the sacred rites and sanctity of Allah, including the Sacred Month (Dhu al-Hijjah), sacrificial animals marked for offering (hady), the garlands placed on them (qala'id), and pilgrims seeking Allah's favor and pleasure en route to the Sacred House. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that Muslims must not violate these sanctities, and importantly, believers should not commit transgression against those who oppressed them—rather, they should cooperate in righteousness and piety while avoiding sin and aggression, concluding with a warning about Allah's severe punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period (likely around the year 5 or 6 AH), addressing the tensions between Muslims and the Quraysh regarding access to sacred rites and pilgrimage. The broader context of Surah Al-Ma'idah emphasizes lawful conduct and respecting Islamic law. The specific occasion relates to the incident when the Quraysh prevented Muslims from performing umrah (the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is the historical backdrop), teaching Muslims to maintain moral standards even when wronged.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding the Sacred Months and sanctities: 'Indeed, the time has gone around to how it was when Allah created the heavens and the earth' (Sahih Bukhari 1741). Additionally, Hadith Qudsi in Muslim relates to protecting sacred sanctities: 'My wrath becomes severe when someone violates what I have made sacred' (thematic reference).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that maintaining moral integrity and respecting sacred values is paramount, even when facing injustice or provocation from others. The lesson emphasizes that responding to aggression with restraint and focusing on cooperative righteousness rather than retaliation is a mark of true faith and piety.
Related Ayahs
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِم مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا۟ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم ۚ مِّنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُّقْتَصِدَةٌ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ سَآءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ
And if only they had upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord [i.e., the Qur’ān], they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them are a moderate [i.e., acceptable] community, but many of them - evil is that which they do.
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَـٰبٌ مُّبِينٌ
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allāh a light and a clear Book [i.e., the Qur’ān]
قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَٰلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ مَن لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْقِرَدَةَ وَٱلْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَآءِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
Say, "Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from Allāh? [It is that of] those whom Allāh has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of ṭāghūt. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way."
لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـٰقَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا ۖ كُلَّمَا جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌۢ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰٓ أَنفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا۟ وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ
We had already taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and had sent to them messengers. Whenever there came to them a messenger with what their souls did not desire, a party [of messengers] they denied, and another party they killed.