The Table (al-Ma’idah)

¹ Muslims, fulfill your commitments.

Livestock animals are allowed except those specified. Wild game is not allowed while you are in pilgrim sanctity.

² Do not violate:

• Allah’s sacraments
• the Sacred Month
• the offerings
• the garlanded
• those heading for the Sacred House seeking blessings from their Lord and approval.

When you have left the pilgrim sanctity, you may hunt.

And let not the hatred of people who barred you from the Sacred Mosque incite you to aggression. And cooperate with one another in virtuous conduct and conscience, and do not cooperate with one another in sin and hostility. And fear Allah. Allah is severe in punishment.

³ Prohibited for you are:

• carrion
• blood
• the flesh of swine and animals dedicated to other than Allah
• the flesh of animals strangled, killed violently, killed by a fall, gored to death, mangled by wild animals—except what you rescue, and animals sacrificed on altars; and the practice of drawing lots.

Those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion.

• Do not fear them, but fear Me.

Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My favor upon you, and have approved Islam as a religion for you.

But whoever is compelled by hunger, with no intent of wrongdoing—Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

⁴ They ask what is permitted for them.

Say, “Permitted for you are all good things, including what trained dogs and falcons catch for you.”

You train them according to what Allah has taught you.

So eat from what they catch for you, and pronounce Allah’s name over it.

⁵ Today all good things are made lawful for you. And the food of those given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste believing women, and chaste women from the people who were given the Scripture before you, provided you give them their dowries, and take them in marriage, not in adultery, nor as mistresses.

But whoever rejects faith, his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

⁶ When you rise to pray:

• wash your faces, hands, arms to the elbows
• wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles.

If you had intercourse, then purify yourselves.

If you are ill, or travelling, or one of you returns from the toilet, or you had contact with women, and could not find water, then use some clean sand and wipe your faces and hands with it.

Allah intends:

• to purify you, not to burden you
• to complete His blessing upon you, that you may be thankful.

⁷ Remember:

• Allah’s blessings upon you
• His covenant which He covenanted with you

Remain conscious of Allah, for Allah knows what the hearts contain.

⁸ Be upright to Allah, 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.

⁹ Allah has promised those who believe and work righteousness: they will have forgiveness and a great reward.

¹⁰ Those who disbelieve and reject Our revelations are the inmates of Hell.

¹¹ Remember Allah’s blessings upon you; when certain people intended to extend their hands against you, and He restrained their hands from you. So reverence Allah, and in Allah let the believers put their trust.

¹² Allah received a pledge from the Jews, and We raised among them 12 chiefs.

Allah said, “I am with you. I will remit your sins, and admit you into Gardens if you:

• perform the prayer
• pay the alms
• believe in My messengers and support them
• lend Allah a loan of righteousness

But whoever among you disbelieves afterwards has strayed from the right way.

¹³ They break their pledge so We cursed them and made their hearts hard.

They:

• twist the words out of their context, and
• disregarded some of what they were reminded of.

You will always witness deceit from them, except for a few of them.

• But pardon them, and overlook.