Revealed in Madinah toward the end of the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) life, Surah Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread) is one of the final major legislative chapters of the Quran, famously containing the verse declaring the absolute perfection and completion of the Islamic religion. Its opening command, "O you who have believed, fulfill your obligations," sets the thematic tone for the entire chapter, which focuses heavily on the sanctity of covenants, oaths, and absolute social justice. It establishes final regulations regarding dietary laws—specifying lawful and unlawful foods, hunting restrictions during pilgrimage, and the permissibility of food and marriage with the People of the Book—while also detailing the rules of physical purification (Wudu and Tayammum). The Surah profoundly addresses interfaith relations, confirming the Quran as the final criterion over previous scriptures, and narrates the story of Jesus and his disciples receiving a heavenly feast (the "Table Spread") to emphasize divine miracles and the danger of ingratitude. Furthermore, it highlights the absolute sanctity of human life through the tragic story of Adam's two sons (Cain and Abel), decreeing that saving one life is akin to saving all of humanity, thereby cementing a comprehensive legal and moral code for the fully matured Muslim community.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo awfoo bialAAuqoodi ohillat lakum baheematu alanAAami illa ma yutla AAalaykum ghayra muhillee alssaydi waantum hurumun inna Allaha yahkumu ma yureedu
Translation
O you who believe! Fulfill your commitments. Livestock animals are permitted for you, except those specified to you; but not wild game while you are in pilgrim sanctity. God decrees whatever He wills
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tuhilloo shaAAaira Allahi wala alshshahra alharama wala alhadya wala alqalaida wala ammeena albayta alharama yabtaghoona fadlan min rabbihim waridwanan waitha halaltum faistadoo wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin an saddookum AAani almasjidi alharami an taAAtadoo wataAAawanoo AAala albirri waalttaqwa wala taAAawanoo AAala alithmi waalAAudwani waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha shadeedu alAAiqabi
Translation
O you who believe! Do not violate God’s sacraments, nor the Sacred Month, nor the offerings, nor the garlanded, nor those heading for the Sacred House seeking blessings from their Lord and approval. When you have left the pilgrim sanctity, you may hunt. And let not the hatred of people who barred you from the Sacred Mosque incite you to aggression. And cooperate with one another in virtuous conduct and conscience, and do not cooperate with one another in sin and hostility. And fear God. God is severe in punishment
Transliteration
Hurrimat AAalaykumu almaytatu waalddamu walahmu alkhinzeeri wama ohilla lighayri Allahi bihi waalmunkhaniqatu waalmawqoothatu waalmutaraddiyatu waalnnateehatu wama akala alssabuAAu illa ma thakkaytum wama thubiha AAala alnnusubi waan tastaqsimoo bialazlami thalikum fisqun alyawma yaisa allatheena kafaroo min deenikum fala takhshawhum waikhshawni alyawma akmaltu lakum deenakum waatmamtu AAalaykum niAAmatee waradeetu lakumu alislama deenan famani idturra fee makhmasatin ghayra mutajanifin liithmin fainna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun
Translation
Prohibited for you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and animals dedicated to other than God; also the flesh of animals strangled, killed violently, killed by a fall, gored to death, mangled by wild animals—except what you rescue, and animals sacrificed on altars; and the practice of drawing lots. For it is immoral. Today, those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion, so do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My favor upon you, and have approved Islam as a religion for you. But whoever is compelled by hunger, with no intent of wrongdoing—God is Forgiving and Merciful
Transliteration
Yasaloonaka matha ohilla lahum qul ohilla lakumu alttayyibatu wama AAallamtum mina aljawarihi mukallibeena tuAAallimoonahunna mimma AAallamakumu Allahu fakuloo mimma amsakna AAalaykum waothkuroo isma Allahi AAalayhi waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha sareeAAu alhisabi
Translation
They ask you what is permitted for them. Say, “Permitted for you are all good things, including what trained dogs and falcons catch for you.” You train them according to what God has taught you. So eat from what they catch for you, and pronounce God’s name over it. And fear God. God is Swift in reckoning
Transliteration
Alyawma ohilla lakumu alttayyibatu wataAAamu allatheena ootoo alkitaba hillun lakum wataAAamukum hillun lahum waalmuhsanatu mina almuminati waalmuhsanatu mina allatheena ootoo alkitaba min qablikum itha ataytumoohunna ojoorahunna muhsineena ghayra musafiheena wala muttakhithee akhdanin waman yakfur bialeemani faqad habita AAamaluhu wahuwa fee alakhirati mina alkhasireena
Translation
Today all good things are made lawful for you. And the food of those given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste believing women, and chaste women from the people who were given the Scripture before you, provided you give them their dowries, and take them in marriage, not in adultery, nor as mistresses. But whoever rejects faith, his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo itha qumtum ila alssalati faighsiloo wujoohakum waaydiyakum ila almarafiqi waimsahoo biruoosikum waarjulakum ila alkaAAbayni wain kuntum junuban faittahharoo wain kuntum marda aw AAala safarin aw jaa ahadun minkum mina alghaiti aw lamastumu alnnisaa falam tajidoo maan fatayammamoo saAAeedan tayyiban faimsahoo biwujoohikum waaydeekum minhu ma yureedu Allahu liyajAAala AAalaykum min harajin walakin yureedu liyutahhirakum waliyutimma niAAmatahu AAalaykum laAAallakum tashkuroona
Translation
O you who believe! When you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands and arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your feet to the ankles. If you had intercourse, then purify yourselves. If you are ill, or travelling, or one of you returns from the toilet, or you had contact with women, and could not find water, then use some clean sand and wipe your faces and hands with it. God does not intend to burden you, but He intends to purify you, and to complete His blessing upon you, that you may be thankful
Transliteration
Waothkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum wameethaqahu allathee wathaqakum bihi ith qultum samiAAna waataAAna waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha AAaleemun bithati alssudoori
Translation
And Remember God’s blessings upon you, and His covenant which He covenanted with you; when you said, “We hear and we obey.” And remain conscious of God, for God knows what the hearts contain
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo koonoo qawwameena lillahi shuhadaa bialqisti wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin AAala alla taAAdiloo iAAdiloo huwa aqrabu lilttaqwa waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha khabeerun bima taAAmaloona
Translation
O you who believe! Be upright to God, witnessing with justice; and let not the hatred of a certain people prevent you from acting justly. Adhere to justice, for that is nearer to piety; and fear God. God is informed of what you do
Transliteration
WaAAada Allahu allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati lahum maghfiratun waajrun AAatheemun
Translation
God has promised those who believe and work righteousness: they will have forgiveness and a great reward
Transliteration
Waallatheena kafaroo wakaththaboo biayatina olaika ashabu aljaheemi
Translation
As for those who disbelieve and reject Our revelations—these are the inmates of Hell
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo othkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum ith hamma qawmun an yabsutoo ilaykum aydiyahum fakaffa aydiyahum AAankum waittaqoo Allaha waAAala Allahi falyatawakkali almuminoona
Translation
O you who believe! Remember God's blessings upon you; when certain people intended to extend their hands against you, and He restrained their hands from you. So reverence God, and in God let the believers put their trust
Transliteration
Walaqad akhatha Allahu meethaqa banee israeela wabaAAathna minhumu ithnay AAashara naqeeban waqala Allahu innee maAAakum lain aqamtumu alssalata waataytumu alzzakata waamantum birusulee waAAazzartumoohum waaqradtumu Allaha qardan hasanan laokaffiranna AAankum sayyiatikum walaodkhilannakum jannatin tajree min tahtiha alanharu faman kafara baAAda thalika minkum faqad dalla sawaa alssabeeli
Translation
God received a pledge from the Children of Israel, and We raised among them twelve chiefs. God said, “I am with you; if you perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and believe in My messengers and support them, and lend God a loan of righteousness; I will remit your sins, and admit you into Gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever among you disbelieves afterwards has strayed from the right way.”
Transliteration
Fabima naqdihim meethaqahum laAAannahum wajaAAalna quloobahum qasiyatan yuharrifoona alkalima AAan mawadiAAihi wanasoo haththan mimma thukkiroo bihi wala tazalu tattaliAAu AAala khainatin minhum illa qaleelan minhum faoAAfu AAanhum waisfah inna Allaha yuhibbu almuhsineena
Translation
Because of their breaking their pledge, We cursed them, and made their hearts hard. They twist the words out of their context, and they disregarded some of what they were reminded of. You will always witness deceit from them, except for a few of them. But pardon them, and overlook. God loves the doers of good
Transliteration
Wamina allatheena qaloo inna nasara akhathna meethaqahum fanasoo haththan mimma thukkiroo bihi faaghrayna baynahumu alAAadawata waalbaghdaa ila yawmi alqiyamati wasawfa yunabbiohumu Allahu bima kanoo yasnaAAoona
Translation
And from those who say, “We are Christians,” We received their pledge, but they neglected some of what they were reminded of. So We provoked enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection; God will then inform them of what they used to craft
Transliteration
Ya ahla alkitabi qad jaakum rasooluna yubayyinu lakum katheeran mimma kuntum tukhfoona mina alkitabi wayaAAfoo AAan katheerin qad jaakum mina Allahi noorun wakitabun mubeenun
Translation
O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you kept hidden of the Book, and overlooking much. A light from God has come to you, and a clear Book
Transliteration
Yahdee bihi Allahu mani ittabaAAa ridwanahu subula alssalami wayukhrijuhum mina alththulumati ila alnnoori biithnihi wayahdeehim ila siratin mustaqeemin
Translation
God guides with it whoever follows His approval to the ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness into light, by His permission, and He guides them in a straight path
Transliteration
Laqad kafara allatheena qaloo inna Allaha huwa almaseehu ibnu maryama qul faman yamliku mina Allahi shayan in arada an yuhlika almaseeha ibna maryama waommahu waman fee alardi jameeAAan walillahi mulku alssamawati waalardi wama baynahuma yakhluqu ma yashao waAllahu AAala kulli shayin qadeerun
Translation
They disbelieve those who say, “God is the Christ, the son of Mary.” Say, “Who can prevent God, if He willed, from annihilating the Christ son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone on earth?” To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He creates whatever He wills, and God has power over everything
Transliteration
Waqalati alyahoodu waalnnasara nahnu abnao Allahi waahibbaohu qul falima yuAAaththibukum bithunoobikum bal antum basharun mimman khalaqa yaghfiru liman yashao wayuAAaththibu man yashao walillahi mulku alssamawati waalardi wama baynahuma wailayhi almaseeru
Translation
The Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of God, and His beloved.” Say, “Why then does He punish you for your sins?” In fact, you are humans from among those He created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. To God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what lies between them, and to Him is the return
Transliteration
Ya ahla alkitabi qad jaakum rasooluna yubayyinu lakum AAala fatratin mina alrrusuli an taqooloo ma jaana min basheerin wala natheerin faqad jaakum basheerun wanatheerun waAllahu AAala kulli shayin qadeerun
Translation
O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making things clear to you—after a cessation of messengers—so that you cannot say, “No preacher has come to us, and no warner.” In fact, a preacher has come to you, and a warner; and God is Capable of everything
Transliteration
Waith qala moosa liqawmihi ya qawmi othkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum ith jaAAala feekum anbiyaa wajaAAalakum mulookan waatakum ma lam yuti ahadan mina alAAalameena
Translation
When Moses said to his people, “O my people, remember God’s blessings upon you, when He placed prophets among you, and made you kings, and gave you what He never gave any other people.”