Structure of Maide 5:109-120

Structure of El-Maide

M.K. Yaşaroğlu proposes a division of the 5th surah, Maide, into five sections:

(1) vv. 1-5 call for the observance of the duties associated with pilgrimage (including considering the signs of Allah, holy month, sacrificial animals, consecrated animals and pilgrims);

(2) vv. 6-11 deal with purification regulations;

(3) the third part (vv. 12-86) deals with the followers of earlier covenants (Jews and Christians) and the relationship of Muslims to them;

(4) in the fourth part (vv. 87-109), a warning is issued against overly strict religious practice, and the false practices of the Jāhiliyyah period (such as divination, alcohol, gambling, hunting and wills) are discussed;

(5) finally, the fifth part (vv. 110-120) focuses on ‘the privileges that Jesus was granted by Allah and the miracles peculiar to him are described, and after briefly mentioning the apostles, the superstitious beliefs of Christians about Jesus are corrected by means of a dialogue between Allah and Jesus. The sūrah ends with a verse expressing the absolute sovereignty and power of Allah.'1

In my opinion, in contrast to Yaşaroğlu, v. 109 also belongs to the last section (5). With the introduction ‘Yevme yecme'u’ ‘Day of Gathering’, a term is used that has become a fixed synonym of the Last Judgement in the Qur'an (see Hud 11:103; Shura 42:7; Teğabun 64:9).2 With the reference to the ‘Last Judgement’ in Maide 5:109, a new period of time, a new geographical location and a new scene - God speaks to the messengers and among them especially to Jesus - is introduced. The term ‘day of the assembly’ has no logical connection with the preceding verses (vv. 87-108), but it does with the verses that follow it (vv. 109-120): Themes such as judgement (vv. 115; 117-118), intercession (v. 118) and admission to paradise (v. 119) are all characteristic of the Last Judgement. Throughout the passage, the Messenger Jesus takes centre stage alongside Allah. The passage also forms a unity in terms of time: the time reference ‘Last Judgement’ is retained until the last verse (v. 120): Jesus will also have to give an account at the Last Judgement (vv. 116-118), before Allah receives the truthful in paradise (v. 119) and the rule of God is fully restored (v. 120). The whole event in vv. 109-120 takes place before Allah, and the audience also seems to remain the same. Therefore, we consider Maid 5:109-120 as a logically, geographically and temporally coherent passage.

The insertion of v. 109 into the fifth section gives the reported event a new meaning: In Maide 5:109-120, God speaks about Jesus before the assembled crowd of prophets during the Last Judgement (vv. 110-115), then asks Jesus a decisive question (v. 116), whereupon Jesus explains himself (v. 117-118) and God pronounces judgement on the truthful among Jesus' followers (vv. 119-120). Before we begin to interpret this decisive passage about God's view of the right relationship with Jesus, we are interested in the structure of this prophetic prediction:

(A.) God gathers the prophets in search of an intercessor, but none of the prophets is able to give an answer (Maide 5:109): ‘One day will Allah gather the messengers together [better: ON THE DAY when God shall assemble all the apostles (Muhammad Assad) ], and ask: "What was the response ye received (from men to your teaching)?" They will say: "We have no knowledge: it is Thou Who knowest in full all that is hidden."’

(A.I.) Jesus fulfils the first criterion for an intercessor (see TaHa 20:109): Since none of the prophets act as intercessors - all say: ‘... We have no knowledge: it is Thou Who knowest in full all that is hidden ...' (Maiden 5:109), God chooses Jesus as intercessor (Maiden 5:110a): ‘Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary!’

(A.I.I.) God introduces Jesus to all the messengers of human history and justifies his choice by emphasising His grace, gift or favour (ni'metî) shown to Jesus (Maide 5:110b). This grace encompasses:

(a)Jesus' birth (Maide 5:110ba): ‘… Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. ...’ (b) Equipping with the Holy Spirit (Maide 5:110bb): ‘… Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit ...’

(c) Jesus' Message (Maide 5:110bc): ‘...so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood (mahd) and in maturity ...’

(d) Allah taught Jesus the Holy Scriptures (Maide 5:110bd): ‘… Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel ...’

(e) God gave Jesus explicit permission to work miracles (Maide 5:110be+bg):

- Permission to create new life: ‘… and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave ...’ - Permission to cure diseases: ‘… and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave ...’ - Permission to raise the dead: ‘… And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave ...’

→ Miracles function as evidence: ‘… when thou didst show them the clear Signs [baiyinaat] ...’ → Reaction of the enemies: ‘… and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.'’

(A.I.II.) Allah cares for Jesus and his followers; it is about the right relationship with Jesus:

(f) God saves Jesus from his enemies (Maide 5:110bf): ‘… And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs ...’ (g) God works faith in the followers of Jesus (Maide 5:110c): ‘… And behold! I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and Mine Messenger: they said, 'We have faith, and do thou bear witness that we bow to Allah as Muslims'.’ (h) God strengthens the faith of Jesus' disciples and gives them a Table from Heaven (Maide 5:111-115):

- The disciples desire a Table from Heaven to support their faith and their testimony: ‘… "O Jesus the son of Mary! can thy Lord send down to us a table set (with viands) from heaven?" Said Jesus: "Fear Allah, if ye have faith." They said: "We only wish to eat thereof and satisfy our hearts, and to know that thou hast indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses [thereto (Muhammad Asad)] to the miracle." ...’ - Jesus asks for the Table from Heaven: ‘…Said Jesus the son of Mary: "O Allah our Lord (allaahumma rabbanaa)! Send us from heaven a table set (with viands), that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a solemn festival (`ied) and a sign from thee; and provide for our sustenance, for thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs)."’ - God provides the Table from Heaven with a stern warning: ‘… Allah said: "I will send it down unto you: But if any of you after that resisteth faith, I will punish him with a penalty such as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples (al-`aalamuun)."’

(A.II.) Jesus fulfils the second criterion of the intercessor: God reveals Jesus as a trustworthy intercessor (Maide 5:116-117):

- God's query: ‘And behold! Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah'?" ...’ - Jesus' response: ‘… He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things.’

Jesus elected from all the messengers of Allah

(B) Jesus intercedes for his followers (Maide 5:118): ‘If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise.’

(C) God accepts Jesus' intercession (Maide 5:119): 'Allah will say: "This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are gardens, with rivers flowing beneath,- their eternal Home: Allah well-pleased with them, and they with Allah: That is the great salvation, (the fulfilment of all desires). (al-fauz al-`aziem).’ As Maide 5:113 indicates, the ‘truthful to their truth’ are those who have partaken of the banquet from heaven:‘They said: "We desire to eat thereof and that our hearts might be set at rest ..., and so that we might know that you speak the truth to us, and so that we might be among the witnesses (to the meaning and truth of what is demonstrated to us)."' (Ali Unal). By participating in the Table from Heaven, they have gained certainty about the truth proclaimed by Jesus, and by witnessing to that truth, they have proven themselves to be truthful.

(D) The plan of God comes to its final completion (Maide 5:120): ‘To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. And He has full power over everything’ (Ali Unal).

In the structure proposed here, two different topics can be distinguished:

Firstly, the theme of the choice of intercessor with subsequent intercession and God's response to it. The main points are (A)-(D).

Secondly, the text contains the sub-theme of God's view of Jesus: points (A.I.-A.II.). In it, God decides on the differences in the understanding of Jesus that exist between the various monotheistic faiths (Jews, Christians and Muslims) until the Last Judgement (see Al-i Imran 3:55; Nisa 4:159). Firstly, we are interested in the second topic (A.I.-A.II.) in order to find out what it means according to the Qur'an that Jesus is the Messiah of God.

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1 Sûrenin son bölümünde (âyet 110-120) Hz. Îsâ’nın Allah tarafından nâil olduğu mazhariyetler, ona has mûcizeler anlatılmakta, kısaca havârilerden söz edildikten sonra Allah ile Îsâ arasında bir diyalog üslûbuyla hıristiyanların Hz. Îsâ hakkındaki bâtıl inançları düzeltilmektedir. Sûre Allah’ın mutlak hükümranlığını ve kudretini ifade eden âyetle sona ermektedir. (M. KÂMİL YAŞAROĞLU, "MÂİDE SÛRESİ", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/maide-suresi (24.04.2025)). 2 Zeynep Ceran, KUR’AN-I KERİM’DE AHİRET HAYATININ AŞAMALARINI ANLATAN KAVRAMLARIN TASNİF VE TAHLİLİ, in https://acikbilim.yok.gov.tr/bitstream/handle/20.500.12812/609133/yokAcikBilim_10012874.pdf?sequence=-1&isAllowed=y (visited: 22/04/2025).