The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 355
PT. 6 AL-MĀ'IDAH CH. 5 وَإِذَا جَاء وَكُمْ قَالُوا أَمَنَا وَقَدْ تَخَلُوا And when they come to. 62 you, they say, 'We believe,' بِالْكُفْرِ وَهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا بِهِ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ while they enter with unbelief بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْتُمُونَ and go out therewith; and Allah what they best knows conceal. 692 وَتَرَى كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْإِثْمِ And thou seest many of. 63 وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا transgression and the eating of كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ them hastening towards sin and things forbidden. Evil indeed is that which they practise. 693 لَوْلَا يَنْههُمُ الرَّبَّنِيُّونَ وَالْاَحْبَارُ عَنْ Why do not the divines and. 64 those learned in the Law قَوْلِهِمُ الْإِثْمَ وَالِيهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ prohibit them from uttering مَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ falsehood and eating things forbidden? Evil indeed is that which they do. 694 a5:43. b5:80. noted for its mimicry (see 2:66). The swine is characterized by filthy and shameless habits and also by its foolishness. See also 2:174. Though the Holy Prophet himself never used these words about the Jews, yet the Quran does so, because God as Judge and Master is justified and entitled to do so. A judge is often called upon to use expressions that may be necessary fully to describe the guilt of the condemned party. In fact, he would be failing in his duty if he did not do so. Jesus used similar expressions with regard to the Jews of his day. He did not abuse them; but only condemned them as a judge and vicegerent of God. See also note on 2:66. 692. Commentary: words, We believe, the Jews merely copied the believers' mode of expressing their belief without under- standing and realizing the real import of these words; and thus they displayed (as hinted in the foregoing verse) the mimicking characteristic of the ape. See also the next verse. 693. Commentary: This and the preceding verse give the reasons why the Jews have been called apes and swine in 5:61. Whereas the ape imitates and mimics, the swine eats filth and is aggressive in attack, beside being extra filthy in some of its habits. 694. Commentary: The words falsehood) literally uttering) قولهم الاثم mean "their By hypocritically uttering the uttering of sin". As (sin), in spite 795