By intoxicants and games of chance Satan only desires to create enmity and hatred between you, and to turn you away from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer. Will you, then, desist? (5:91)
Meaning of Ansab and Azlam: Al-Ansab were altar stones, in whose vicinity sacrifices were offered (during the time of Jahiliyyah), according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ata', Sa`id bin Jubayr and Al-Hasan. They also said that Al-Azlam were arrows that they used for lotteries to make decisions, as Ibn Abi Hatim narrated.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "There were three stages to prohibiting Khamr (intoxicants). When the Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, the people were consuming alcohol and gambling, so they asked the Messenger of Allah about these things, Allah revealed,
(They ask you about alcoholic drinks and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men.'') [2:219], until the end of the Ayah. The people said, `They (intoxicants and gambling) were not prohibited for us. Allah only said,
(In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men.)' So they went on drinking Khamr until one day, one of the emigrants lead his companions in the Maghrib prayer and mixed up the Ayat in his recitation. Thereafter, Allah sent down a tougher statement,
(O you who believe! Approach not the Salah (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning of) what you utter.)﴿4:43﴾ xThen, the people would drink before the time of the prayer so that they would attend the prayer while sober. A firmer Ayah was later revealed,
(O you who believe! Khamr, Maysir, Ansab, and Azlam are an abomination of Shaytan's handiwork. So avoid that in order that you may be successful.)﴿5:90-91﴾ So they said, `We abstained, O Lord!' Later, some people said, `O Allah's Messenger! Some people died in the cause of Allah, while some others died in their beds, but they used to drink alcohol and indulge in gambling, which Allah has made a Rijs of the work of Shaytan.' So, Allah sent down: (Those who believe and do righteous good deeds, there is no sin on them for what they ate...) ﴿5:93﴾, until the end of the Ayah.
(O you who believe! Do not approach the Salah when you are in a drunken state.)[4:43]
They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin and some profit for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus, doth Allah make clear to you His Signs: in order that ye may consider.
Wine: Khamr: literally understood to mean the fermented juice of the grape; applied by analogy to all fermented liquor, and by further analogy to any intoxicating liquor or drug. There may possible be some benefit in it, but the harm is greater than the benefit, especially if we look at it from a social as well as an individual point of view.
Gambling: maisir: literally, a means of getting something too easily, getting a profit without working for it; hence gambling. That is the principle on which gambling is prohibited. The form must familiar to the Arabs was gambling by casting lots by means of arrows, on the principle of a lottery: the arrows were marked, and served the same purpose as a modern lottery ticket. Something e.g., the carcase of a slaughtered animal, was divided into unequal parts. The marked arrows were drawn from a bag. Some were blank and those who drew them got nothing. Others indicated prizes, which were big or small. Whether you got a big share or a small share, or nothing, depended on pure luck, unless that was fraud also on the part of some people concerned. The principle on which the objection is based is: that, even if there is no fraud, you gain what you have not earned, or lose on a mere chance. Dice and wagering are rightly held to be within the definition of gambling. But insurance is not gambling, when conducted on business principles. Here the basis for calculation is statistics on a large scale, from which mere chance is eliminated. The insurers themselves pay premia in proportion to risks, exactly and statistically calculated.
… It is a fact that a society in which these epidemic spreads in the first place becomes devoid of sensitivity towards modesty, chastity, honour and faithfulness (as is evident today from societies afflicted with western culture) and this in itself is a great disaster, and if there remains any trace of these values, then it is essential that every now and then due to them the society remain at war. Arabs were very sensitive to modesty, chastity, honour and integrity and this was a great quality in them. However, at the same time they were very fond of liquor and gambling. For this reason, bouts of liquor drinking and scuffles would cost them a lot. Wherever a person intoxicated with liquor attacked the honour of someone, belittled someone, teased someone or cheated in gambling (and such things are part and parcel of liquor and gambling), they would unsheathe their swords in the blink of any eye. This skirmish between two individuals would become a brawl between tribes and nations and such a progression of revenge after revenge would take place that this would not just be spread over months and years; even after a century this fire would seldom be extinguished. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 2, 590)
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
- Tafsir Ibn Khatir
- Muhammad Asad Translation
- Yusuf Ali Translation
- Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
- Qur'an Wiki
- Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
- Towards Understanding the Quran
1 comments:
Suffice to understand. TY.
I firmly believe that Satan is always in action to deceive man kind. I seek shelter of Allah from Satan. Thanks Almighty Allah who has given me life again after temporary death of yesternight.
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