وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِم مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا۟ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم ۚ مِّنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُّقْتَصِدَةٌ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ سَآءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ 66
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Wa law annahum aqamū at-Tawrāta wa-al-Injīla wa-mā unzila ilayhim min rabbihim la-akalū min fawqihim wa-min tahti arjulihim. Minhum ummah muqtasidah wa-kathīr minhum sā'a mā yaʿmalūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a conditional statement that if the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) had truly upheld the Torah, the Gospel, and the revelation given to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed abundant blessings from above and below. However, the ayah acknowledges that among them is a righteous community that does follow this path, while many others engage in evil deeds. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir interpret the abundance ('eating from above and below') as metaphorical prosperity—spiritual and material blessing—contingent upon obedience to divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Ma'idah's broader theme addressing the People of the Book and their deviation from their scriptures. Revealed in Madinah during the later Meccan period, this passage addresses the historical reality of Jewish and Christian communities in Arabia who had distorted or neglected portions of their revealed books, serving as a warning to the Muslim community about the importance of adhering faithfully to the Qur'an.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) warned against following the paths of the People of the Book: 'You will follow the ways of those before you, hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit.' Additionally, Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:48 discusses how each community had been given a law and a way, emphasizing accountability for how one upholds received guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true blessing and prosperity—both spiritual and material—come from sincere adherence to God's revelation and commandments, not merely nominal belief. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to guard the Qur'an and Sunnah carefully and to implement them fully in daily life, lest we fall into the patterns of those who received guidance yet abandoned it.