Surah Al-Ma'idah, Chapter 5, Introduction

Introduction to the Surah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah The Beneficent The Merciful

This Surah has been called Al-Ma'idah (the food), because of the invocation of Jesus (as) that he asked for the descent of heavenly food, mentioned in this Surah, verse 114.

The Arabic term /Ma'idah/ originally is used for a tray with food inside.

Surah Al-Ma'idah contains 120 verses, and, comparing all Suras of the Qur'an, the most frequency of the phrase 'O' you who have Faith!' has occurred in this Surah. For example, in Surah Al-Baqarah, No.2, this phrase has been repeated eleven times, but in this Surah it has been recited 16 times.

The subject matters referred to in this Surah are questions such as: master ship and leadership, rejecting the belief of trinity in Christians, fulfilling the promise, testifying with justice, prohibition of murder, some commandments upon edibles, ablution, dry ablution, social justice, and so on.

Since it is the last Surah which was revealed, at the beginning of the Surah it enjoins to fulfilling all the promises and pledges by the phrase: 'fulfil the promises '.