Surah The Table Spread [Al-Maeda] in English

O ye who believe! fulfil the compacts. Allowed unto you is the beast of the flock except that which is rehearsed unto you, not allowing the chase while ye are in a state of sanctity. Verily Allah ordaineth whatsoever He will.

O ye who believe! profane not the landmarks of Allah nor any sacred month nor the offering nor the victims with the garlands nor those repairing to the Sacred House seeking the grace of their Lord and His goodwill. And when ye have put off the state of sanctity, ye may chase. And let not the hatred against a people, because they kept you from the Sacred Mosque, incite you to trespass. Assist each other to virtue and piety, and assist not each other to sin and transgression, Fear Allah: verily Allah is Severe in chastising.

Forbidden unto you are the deadmeat, and blood, and the flesh of the swine, and that over which is invoked the name of other than Allah, and the strangled, and the felled, and the tumbled, and the gored, and that which wild animals have devoured, unless ye have cleansed, and that which hath been slaughtered on the altars, and that ye seek a division by means of the divining arrows: all that is an abomination. To- day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion; wherefore fear them not, and fear Me. To-day I have perfected for you your religion, and have completed My favour upon you, and am well-pleased with Islam as your religion. Then whosoever is driven to extreme hunger not inclining to sin, verily then Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

They ask thee as to whatever is allowed unto them. Say thou: allowed unto you are all clean foods, and as to the animals of prey which ye have taught even as Allah hath taught you, eat of that which they have caught for you, and mention the name of Allah over it; and fear Allah, verily Allah is swift in reckoning.

To-day are allowed unto you all clean foods, and the meat of those vouchsafed the Book is allowable for you, and your meat is allowable for them as also are the wedded believing women and the wedded women of those vouchsafed the Book before you, when ye have given them their dowers, taking them in wedlock, neither fornicating, nor taking them is secret paramours. And who soever rejecteth the faith, his work will surely come to naught, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the losers.

O ye who believe! when ye stand up for the prayer wash your faces and your hands unto the elbows, and wipe your heads, and wash your feet unto the ankles. And if ye be polluted, then purify yourselves And if ye be ailing or on a journey or one of you cometh from the privy or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then betake yourselves to clean earth and wipe your faces and hands therewith. Allah intendeth not to lay upon you a hardship, but intendeth to purify you and to complete His favour upon you, that haply ye may return thanks.

And remember Allah's favour on you and His bond wherewith He bound you firmly when ye said: we hearken and we obey. And fear Allah: verily Allah is Knower of that which is in the breasts.

O ye who believe! be maintainers of your pact with Allah and witnesses in equity, and let not the hatred of a people incite you not to act fairly; act fairly; that is highest unto piety. And fear Allah; verily Allah is Aware of that which ye work.

Allah hath promised those who believe and work righteous works that for them shall be forgiveness; and a mighty hire.

And those who disbelieve and belie Our signs, they shall be the fellows of the Flaming Fire.

O ye who believe! remember Allah's favour on you when a people determined to stretch forth their hands against you, but he withheld their hands from you, And fear Allah, and in Allah let the believers trust.

And assuredly Allah took a bond from the Children of Isra'il, and We raised from amongst them twelve wardens. And Allah said: verily I am with you, if ye establish prayer and give the poor-rate and believe in My apostles and support them and lend unto Allah a goodly loan, I shall surely expiate for you your misdeeds and surely shall make you enter the Gardens whereunder rivers flow; then whosoever of you shall disbelieve thereafter, he hath surely strayed from the level way.

Wherefore for their breach of their bond We accursed them and We made their hearts hard. They pervert the words from the meanings thereof and have abandoned a good portion of that wherewith they were admonished. And thou wilt not cease to light upon defrauding on their part, save a few of them; yet pardon thou them and overlook them, verily Allah loveth the well-doers.

And of them who say: verily we are Nazarenes, We took a bond from them, but they have abandoned a good portion of that wherewith they were admonished. Wherefore We have occasioned enmity and hatred amongst them till the Day of Judgement, and presently Allah shall declare unto them that which they have been performing.

O ye people of the Book! surely there hath come Our apostle unto you expounding unto you much in the Book that ye were wont to hide, and much he passeth over. Of a surety, there hath come unto you from Allah a light and a Book luminous.

Therewith Allah guideth those who follow His goodwill unto the ways of safety, and bringeth them forth out of darkness into the light by His leave, and guideth them onto the right path.

Assuredly they have disbelieved who say. verily God! He is the Masih, son of Maryam. Say thou; who can avail in aught against Allah, if He intended to destroy Masih, son of Maryam, and his mother and thou on the earth altogether? And Allah's is the dominion of the heavens and the earth and that which is in between the twain. He createth whatsoever He will, and Allah is over everything Potent.

And the Jews and the Nazarenes say: we are the children of God and His loved ones. Say thou: wherefore then doth He torment you for your sins? Aye! ye are but men, part of those whom He hath created. He forgiveth whomsoever He will and tormenteth whomsoever He will. And Allah's is the dominion of the heavens and the earth and that which is in- between the twain, and unto Him in the return.

O people of the Book! surely there hath come unto you Our apostle, after a cessation of the apostles, expounding unto you, lest ye may say: there came not unto us a bearer of glad tidings nor a warner. So now there surely hath come unto you a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and Allah is over everything Potent.

And recall what time Musa said unto his people: O my people! remember the favour of Allah on you when he made amongst you prophets and made princes, and vouchsafed unto you that which he vouchsafed not to anyone in the world.

O my people! enter the holy land which Allah hath prescribed for you and turn not back to your rearward for then ye become losers.

They said: O Musa! verily therein are a people high handed, and verily we shall never enter it until they go forth therefrom; so if they go forth thence, we shall verily enter in.

Thereupon spake two men of those who feared and whom Allah had favoured; enter ye the gate against them, then as ye enter it ye are the over - and put your trust in Allah, if ye are indeed believers.

They said: O Musa! verily we shall never enter it so long as they remain therein; go thou and thy Lord, and fight ye twain, we shall remain here sitting.

Said he: my Lord control not but myself and my brother, so decide Thou between us and this transgressing people.

Said He: verily then it is forbidden unto them for forty years, while they shall wander about in the earth, so mourn not thou over this transgressing people.

And rehearse thou unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, when the twain offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, and was not accepted from the other; he said: surely I will slay thee. Said the other: Allah accepteth only from the God- fearing.

If thou stretchest forth thine hand against me to slay me, I shall not be stretching forth my hand against thee to slay thee, verily I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Verily would that thou bear my sin and thine own sin, and then thou become of the fellows of the Fire; that is the meed of the wrong-doers.

Then his soul made the slaying of his brother agreeable to him, so he slew him, and he became of the losers.

Then Allah sent a raven scratching in the earth to show him in what wise he might cover the corpse of his brother. He said: woe unto me was incapable of being like unto this raven so that I might cover the corpse of my brother! And he became of the remorseful.

Because of that We Prescribed unto the Children of Isra'il: whosoever slayeth a person, except for a person, or for corruption in the land, it shall be as through he had slain all mankind, and whosoever bringeth life to one it shall be as though he had brought life to all mankind. And assuredly there came unto them Our apostles with evidences, yet even thereafter many of them are acting on the earth extravagantly.

The meed of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and go about in the land corrupting is only that they shall be slain or crucified or their hands and feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be banished from the land. Such shall be their humiliation in the world, and theirs shall be in the Hereafter a mighty torment.

Save those who repent ere ye have them in your power; for know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

O ye who believe! fear Allah and seek approach unto Him and strive hard in His way, that haply ye may fare well.

Verily those who have disbelieved, if they had all that is in the earth and with it as much again whereby to ransom themselves from the torment on the Day of Judgement, it shall not be accepted of them, and theirs shall be a torment afflictive.

They will desire to come forth from the Fire, but they shall not be able to come forth therefrom, and theirs shall be a torment lasting.

As for the man-thief and the woman-thief, cut off their hands as a meed for that which they have earned; an exemplary punishment from Allah. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.

Then whosoever repenteth after his wrong-doing and amendeth, verily Allah shall relent toward him. Verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Knowest thou not that Allah! - verily His is the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He chastiseth whomsoever He will and forgiveth whomsoever He will; and Allah is over everything Potent.

O apostle! let not those grieve thee that hasten after infidelity from among these who say with their mouths: we believe, yet their hearts believe not, and from among those who are Judaised: listeners to falsehoods, listeners to anot her people who come not unto thee; they pervert the words after they have been set in their places, saying: if that which is given you be this accept it, but if that is not given you, beware. And whosesoever temptation Allah Willeth, thou shalt not avail him against Allah in aught. These are they whose hearts Allah would not cleanse; theirs is humiliation in this world and theirs shall be in the Hereafter a mighty torment.

Listeners are they to falsehood, devourers of the forbidden. Wherefore if they come to thee, either judge between them or turn away from them. And if thou turnest away from them, they shall not be able to hurt thee in aught; and if thou judgest, judge between them with equity, verily Allah loveth the equitable.

And how shall they ask thee for judgement, whereas with them is the Taurat wherein is Allah's judgement? And they turn away thereafter? And those are no believers.

Verily We sent down the Taurat wherein was a guidance and a light. By it the prophets who submitted themselves judged those who were judaised, and so did the divines and the priests by that wherewith they were entrusted of the Book of Allah and they had become witnesses thereof. Wherefore fear not the mankind but fear Me, and barter not My revelations for a small price, And whosoever judgeth not by that which Allah hath sent down - those then they are the infidels.

And We prescribed unto them therein: a life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and wounds in reprisal, then whosoever forgoeth it, then it shall be for him an expiation. And whosoever judgeth not by that which Allah hath sent down - those then! they are the wrong-doers.

And in their footsteps We caused 'Isa, son of Maryam, to follow, confessing to that which had preceded him, the Taurat, and We vouchsafed unto him the Injil wherein was a guidance and a light, confirming that which had preceded it, the Taurat, and a guidance and an admonition unto the God-fearing.

And let the people of the Injil judge by that which Allah hath sent down therein; and whosoever judgeth not by that which Allah hath sent down, then those! - they are the transgressors.

And We have sent down the Book unto thee with truth; and confirming that which hath preceded it of the Book, and a guardian thereof. Wherefrom judge thou between them by that which Allah hath sent down, and follow thou not away from that which hath their desires come to thee of the truth. Unto each of you We appointed law and a way. And had Allah listed, He would have made you all a single community, but He willed not in order that he may prove you by that which He hath vouchsafed unto you. Hasten wherefore to the virtues; unto Allah is the return of you all; then He shall declare unto you concerning that wherein ye have been disputing.

And judge thou between them by that which Allah hath sent down, and follow thou not their desires, and beware thou of them lest they tempt thee away from any part of that which Allah hath sent down unto thee. Then if they turn away, then know thou that Allah only intendeth to afflict them for some of their sins. And verily many of the mankind are transgressors.

Seek they then the judgement of Paganism? And who is better than Allah in judgement unto a people who are convinced?

O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Nazarenes as friends: friends they are to each other: and whosoever of you befriendeth them, verily he is of them; verily Allah guideth not a wrong-doing people.

Wherefore thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease hasten toward them saying: we fear lest there may befall us a reverse. But belike Allah may bring a victory or some affair from Himself; then they shall find themselves, for which they hide in their souls, remorseful.

And those who believe will say: are those they who swear by Allah say their solemn oaths that they were verily with you? Their works came to naught, and they found themselves losers.

O ye who believe! whosoever of you apostateth from his religion, then presently Allah shall bring a people whom He shall love and who shall love Him, gentle toward the believers, stern toward the infidels, striving hard in the way of Allah, and fearing not the reproof of any reprover. This is the grace of Allah; He bestoweth it on whomsoever He will. And Allah is Bountiful, Knowing.

Your friend is but Allah and His apostle and those who have believed- those who establish the prayer and give the poor-rate while they bow down.

And whosoever befriendeth Allah and His apostle and those who have believed, then verily the party of Allah! - they are the overcomers.

O ye who believe! take not as friends those who make a mockery and fun of your religion from among those who have been vouchsafed the Book before you and other infidels. And fear Allah if ye are believers.

And when ye call for the prayer they make a mockery and fun thereof. This because they are a people who understand not.

Say thou: O people of the Book! what is it that ye persecute us for save that we believe in Allah and in that which hath been sent down unto us and that which hath been sent down aforetime? and most of you are transgressors.

Say thou: shall I declare unto you something worse as a way with Allah than that? Whomsoever Allah hath accursed and is angered with, and of whom some He hath made apes and swine and slaves of the devil - those are worst in abode and furthest astray from the level way.

And when they come to you they say: we believe; whereas surely with infidelity they entered and surely with it they went forth. And Allah is Knower of that which they have been concealing.

And thou shalt see many of them hastening toward sin and transgression and their devouring of the forbidden. Vile indeed is that which they have been doing!

Wherefore is it that the divines and priests forbid them not of their speaking of sin and their devouring of the forbidden? Vile indeed is that which they have been performing!

And the Jews say: the hand of God is fettered. Fettered be their own hands, and cursed be they for that which they have said! Aye! His both hands are wide open. He expendeth howsoever He listeth. And surely that which hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord increaseth many of them in exorbitance and infidelity. And We have cast among them enmity and spite till the Day of Judgement: so oft as they kindle the fire of War Allah extinguisheth it, and they strive after corruption in the land, and Allah approveth not the corrupters.

And had the people of the Book believed and feared, We would surely have expiated from them their misdeeds and would surely have made them enter the Garden of Delight.

And had they established the Taurat and the Injil and that which hath now been sent down unto them from their Lord, they would have devoured from above them and from beneath them. Among them is a community right-doing; but many of them - vile is that which they work!

O Apostle! preach thou all that hath been sent down unto thee from thy Lord; and if thou do it not, thou wilt not have preached His message. Allah shall protect thee from mankind; verily Allah shall not guide a disbelieving people.

Say thou: people of the Book! ye rest not on aught until ye establish the Taurat and the Injil and that which hath now been sent down unto you from your Lord. And that which hath been sent down unto thee will surely increase many of them in exorbitance and infidelity; so mourn thou not over and disbelieving people.

Verily those who believe, and those who are Judaised, and the Sabians and the Nazarenes - whosoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and worketh righteously, no fear shall come on them, nor shall they grieve.

Assuredly We took a bond from the Children of Isra'il and We sent unto them apostles. Whenever there came unto them an apostle with that which their souls desired not, a party of them they belied and a party they slew.

And they imagined that there would be no trial; so they blinded and deafened themselves. Thereafter Allah relented toward them, then they again blinded and deafened themselves. And Allah is Beholder of that which they Work.

Assuredly they have disbelieved who say: verily God: He is the Masih, son of Maryam, whereas the Masih had said: Children of Isra'il! worship Allah, mine Lord and your Lord; verily whosoever associateth aught with Allah, Allah shall surely forbid the Garden unto him, and his resort is the Fire; and for the wrong-doers there shall be no helpers.

Assuredly they disbelieve who say: God is the third of the three; whereas there is no god except the One God. And if they desist not from that which they say, there shall surely befall those of them who have disbelieved a torment afflictive.

Wherefore turn they not toward Allah and ask His forgiveness? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

The Masih, son of Maryam, was naught but an apostle; surely there passed away apostles before him and his mother was a saintly woman; both of them were wont to eat food. Behold! how We expound unto them the evidences! Then behold! whither they are deviating!

Say thou: worship ye, beside Allah, that which availeth you not for hurt nor for profit! whereas Allah! He is the Hearer, the Knower.

Say thou: O people of the Book! exceed not the just bounds in your religion except with truth, and follow not the vain desires of a people who have strayed aforetime and have led many astray and have strayed from the level way.

Cursed were those who disbelieved from among the Children of Isra'il by the tongue of Daud and 'Isa, son of Maryam. That is because they disobeyed and were ever transgressing.

They were wont not to desist from the evil they committed; vile is that which they have been doing!

Thou wilt see many of them befriending those who disbelieve; vile surely is that which their souls have sent forth for them, so that Allah became incensed against them; and in torment they shall be abiders.

And had they believed in Allah and the prophet and that which is sent down unto him, they would not have taken them for friends, but many of them are transgressors.

Surely thou wilt find the Jews and those who associate the bitterest of mankind in enmity toward those who believe. And surely thou wilt find the highest in affection to those who believe those who say: we are Nazarenes. That is, because among them are divines and monks and because they are not stiff-necked.

And when they hear that which hath been sent down unto the apostle, then thou beholdest their eyes overflow, with tears because of the truth they have recognised. They say: Our Lord! we believe, so write us down with the witnesses.

And what aileth us that we should not believe in Allah and that which hath come unto us of the truth; and we long that our Lord will enter us with the righteous people.

Wherefore Allah will reward them, for that which they said, with Gardens whereunder rivers flow as abiders therein: such is the recompense of the well-doers.

And those who disbelieved and belied Our signs, they shall be the fellows of the Flaming Fire.

O ye who believe! forbid not the clean things of that which Allah hath allowed unto you, and trespass not verily Allah approveth not the trespassers.

And eat of that wherewith Allah hath provided you as lawful and clean; and fear Allah in whom ye are believers.

Allah shall not take you to task for the vain in your oaths; but he shall take you to task for that which your oaths make binding. The expiation thereof is the feeding of ten of the needy with the middle sort of that wherewith ye feed your households, or the clothing of them or the freeing of a neck; but whosoever cannot find, far him is a fasting of three days. That is the expiation of your oaths when ye have sworn and bear in mind your oaths. Thus doth Allah expound unto you His commandments, that haply ye may return thanks.

O ye who believe! wine and gambling and stone altars and divining arrows are only an abomination, a handiwork of Satan, shun it wherefore, that haply ye may fare well.

Satan only seeketh to breed animosity and spites among you by means of wine and gambling and would keep you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer; will ye not then desist?

Obey Allah and obey the apostle, and beware; but if ye turn away, then know that upon Our apostle resteth only the plain preaching.

No sin is on those who believe and work righteous works for that which they have eaten when they have abstained, and believed and work righteous works, and shall again abstain and believe, and shall again abstain and do well; and Allah loveth the well-doers.

O ye who believe! Allah shall surely prove you with aught of the chases which your hands and your lances may reach, in order that Allah may know whosoever feareth Him unseen; so whosoever shall trespass thereafter, for him is a torment afflictive.

O ye who believe! slay not chase while ye are in a state of sanctity; and whosoever of you slayeth it wittingly, his compensation is the like of that which he hath slain, in domestic flocks, which two equitable persons among you shall judge: an offering brought to the Ka'ba; or as an expiation the feeding of the needy, or the equivalent thereof in fasts, that he may taste the grievousness of his deed. Allah hath pardoned that which is past, but whosoever returnoth, Allah shall take retribution from him; verily Allah is Mighty, Lord of Retribution

Allowed unto you is the game of the sea and the eating thereof: a provision for you and for the caravan; and forbidden unto you is the game of the land while ye are in the state of sanctity. And fear Allah unto whom ye shall be gathered.

Allah hath made the Ka'ba, the Sacred House, a maintenance for mankind and likewise the Sacred month, and so also the offering and the victims with garlands. That is in order that ye may know that Allah knoweth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and that of everything Allah is Knower.

Know that Allah is severe in chastising and that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Naught resteth there on the apostle except the preaching, and Allah knoweth that which ye disclose and that which ye hide.

Say thou: equal are not the foul and the pure, even though the abundance of the foul may astonish thee; wherefore fear Allah, ye men of understanding! that haply ye may fare well.

O ye who believe! ask not about things which if disclosed to you, may annoy you; and if ye ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they may be disclosed to you. Allah hath pardoned that; and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Surely people have asked questions before you, and were then found disbelievers therein.

Allah hath not appointed aught of the bahira or the sa'iba or the wasila or the ham, those who disbelieve have fabricated a lie against Allah, and most of them reflect not.

And when it is said unto them: come to that which Allah hath sent down and to the apostle, they say: enough for us is that whereon we found our fathers. What! even though their fathers knew not aught nor were guided.

O ye who believe! on you resteth the case of yourselves; it can hurt you not as to whosoever strayeth so long as ye keep yourselves guided. Unto Allah is the return of you all; then He shall declare unto you that which ye were wont to work.

O ye who believe! the testimony amongst you, when death presenteth itself to you, at the making of a bequest shall be that of two equitable persons from amongst you, or two others from amongst those not of you, if ye be journeying in the earth and the affliction of death afflicteth you. O Ye shall detain the twain after the prayer, if ye be in doubt, and they shall swear by Allah affirming: we shall not barter it for a price, even though he be a kinsman, and we shall not hide the testimony of Allah, for then verily we shall be of the sinners.

If then it be lit upon that the twain had been guilty of a sin, then two othershall take their place from among those who were sinned against, the two nearest of kin, and they shall swear by Allah affirming: our testimony is worthier of credit than their testimony and we have not trespassed, for then verily we shall be of the wrong-doers.

That shall make it more likely that they shall produce the testimony according to the fact thereof or they shall fear that other oaths would be admitted after their oaths. And fear Allah and hearken; and Allah guideth not a transgressing people.

Beware of the Day whereon Allah shall assemble the apostles and say unto them: how were you answered? Then they will say: no knowledge have we; verily Thou! Thou art the Great Knower of the things hidden.

And call to mind what time Allah will say: 'Isa, son of Maryam, remember My favour unto thee and unto thine mother when I aided thee with the holy spirit so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle and in maturity, and when taught thee the Book and wisdom and the Taurah and the Injil, and when thou formedst out of clay as though the likeness of a bird by My command, and thou breathedest thereinto and it became a bird by My command, and thou healedest the blind from birth and the leprous by My command; and when thou causedest the dead to come forth by My command; and when I restrained the Children of Isra'il from thee when thou didst come to them with evidences, and those of them who disbelieved said: this is but magic manifest.

And recall what time I revealed to the disciples: believe in Me and My Apostle, they said: we have believed and bear thou witness that verily we are Muslims.

Recall what time the disciples said: O 'Isa, son of Maryam! is thine Lord able to send down unto us some food from the heaven? He said: fear Allah, if ye are indeed believers.

They said: we mean that we may eat thereof and we may set our hearts at rest and we be assured that thou hast spoken the truth unto us, and we should be of the witnesses thereof.

'Isa, son of Maryam, said: O Allah, our Lord send down unto us some food from the heaven, that it may become unto us an occasion of joy, unto the first of us and the last of us, and a sign from Thee. And provide us Thou; and Thou art the Best of providers.

Allah said: verily I am going to send it down to you, but whosoever of you disbelieveth thereafter, verily shall torment him with a torment wherewith I shall not torment any other of the worlds.

And call to mind what time Allah will say: O 'Isa, son of Maryam! was it thou who said to the people: take me and my mother as two god beside Allah! 'Isa will say: hallowed be Thou! it was not for me to say that to which had no right; had I said it, Thou would have surely known it; Thou knowest that which is in my mind and know not that which is in Thy mind. Verily Thou! Thou art the Great Knower of the things hidden.

I spake not unto them aught save that for which Thou badest me: worship Allah, mine Lord and your Lord. I was a witness over them so long as abode amongst them: then when Thou tookest up Thou hast been the Watcher. And over everything Thou art a Witness.

Shouldst Thou torment them, then verily they are Thine creatures; and shouldst Thou forgive them, then verily Thou! Thow art the Mighty, the Wise.

Allah will say: this is a Day whereon their truthfulness will benefit the truthful. Theirs are Gardens whereunder rivers flow; they shall be abiders therein for ever, well-pleased is Allah with them and well-pleased are they with Him: that is an achievement supreme.