AL-QANATIR INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC STUDIES
eISSN: 2289-9944 Vol. 24. No. 2. (2021)
ANALYTICAL STUDY OF UNIVERSALITY OF QURANIC DISCOURSE IN SURAT AL-MA'IDAH
دراسة تحليلية في عالمية الخطاب القرآني في سورة المائدة
Ruqaia Taha Alalwani

Abstract
This paper examines some aspects that illustrate the universality of the Qur'an's discourse, which has been confirmed by many explicit Qur'anic verses, both directly and indirectly. The message of the Qur'an is not exclusive to a particular society. It is directed to all people, regardless of their race or color. The paper presents the universal teachings in surat al-Ma'idah, which is one of the latest chapters revealed to the prophet (PBUH). The significance of this comes from the fact that many scholars focus on the Meccan surahs when they address the universality of the Quran, more than the surahs revealed in Madina. However, the study showed that Surat al-Ma'idah, which dealt with rulings about Halal and Haram, came with universal purposes of preserving human dignity. The study employed the analytical inductive approach with examples presented from Surat al-Ma'idah. The study emphasizes the need to focus on highlighting aspects of the universality of Qur'anic message, especially in Surahs revealed in Madina.
Keywords: Universality, Qur'an, Discourse, Islamic, Teachings.

Research Abstract (Arabic Summary)
This paper addresses several aspects that clarify the universality of the Noble Qur'anic discourse, as confirmed by numerous explicit Qur'anic verses, whether through direct calls addressed to people or indirect means. The message of the Qur'an is not restricted to a specific society; rather, it is a message concerning all people regardless of their races and colors. The paper presents the universality of certain legislations, teachings, and ethics found in the great Surah al-Ma'idah, which is among the last surahs to be revealed. The importance of addressing this aspect arises because most who have discussed the universality of the Qur'an's message focused on Meccan surahs more than Medinan ones, as Medinan surahs directed their discourses and calls to the believers. However, the study clarified that Surah al-Ma'idah, which compiled various branches of Sharia—including the permissible and the forbidden, commands and prohibitions—came with universal objectives that achieve the preservation of human dignity and ensure living in an atmosphere of peace and stability, qualifying it to be among the most prominent surahs indicating the universality of the Qur'anic message. The study employed...

Introduction

The universality of the Qur'anic discourse is considered one of the greatest features and principles emphasized by the Qur'an. It is a fundamental root and a great principle in calling towards it across different eras, especially in the present time. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) carried his message outside the Arabian Peninsula through his letters to kings and princes due to the universality of his call. This issue has received a great deal of attention from scholars, thinkers, and researchers throughout the ages; however, many of them dealt with those found in Meccan surahs to demonstrate that the universality of the Qur'an is an original principle in the Da'wah (call) and did not emerge as a result of the development of the Islamic community after its migration to Medina, as claimed by some Orientalists and others.

From here, this paper comes to shed light on another aspect of the universality of the Qur'an's message by focusing on some verses of the Medinan Surah al-Ma'idah, which is among the last revelations to the Prophet (PBUH). Although the legislations and rulings mentioned therein—even if the call began with "O you who have believed"—the values and objectives upon which they are based are universal. The study calls upon researchers and thinkers to focus on highlighting the universality of these legislations and rulings and to demonstrate the contemporary world's need to adopt and apply them under various current circumstances. This is considered one of the most important means of contemporary Da'wah.

First: Universality of the Qur'anic Discourse – Rooting and Application

The reality of the universality of the Qur'anic discourse has been apparent since its revelation to mankind, emerging from its basic foundations. The first surah revealed (Surah al-Alaq) clarifies the origin of human creation regardless of gender, color, or race. As an observer of the Noble Qur'anic verses will notice, the term "Al-Insan" (Man/Human) appears in approximately 65 verses, addressing the human race and not being specific to a particular people or nation.

The universal discourse to people also came in the Almighty's saying: "O mankind" (Ya ayyuha al-nas) in twenty places in the Noble Book of Allah. Examples include: “O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you that you may become righteous” (Qur’an. Al-Baqarah: 21). Also, the Almighty’s saying: “O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy” (Qur’an. Al-Baqarah: 168).

The explicit discourse also appeared as "O children of Adam" (Ya bani Adam) in five other places: four in Surah al-A'raf (26, 27, 31, 35) and the fifth in Surah Ya-Sin (60), which clarifies the general nature of the Qur'anic discourse to all people. Among the Qur'anic verses indicating its universality is the Almighty's saying: “Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner” (Qur’an. Al-Furqan: 1) and His saying: “And [it is] a Qur'an which We have divided [into parts] that you might recite it to the people at intervals. And We have sent it down progressively” (Qur’an. Al-Isra: 106).

In all these mentioned verses and many others, the discourse came general regarding general topics concerning all people. However, it is noted that in verses where the call was "O mankind," the commands were general, such as worshipping Allah and eating lawful food, and in the context of preparation and warning against the earthquake of the Hour in the Almighty's saying: “O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing” (Qur’an. Al-Hajj: 1). And warning against Allah's promise and being deceived by the worldly life as in the Almighty's saying: “O mankind, indeed the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver” (Qur’an. Fatir: 5).

Confirmation of the truth of the Prophet’s (PBUH) message and that it is to all people also came: “Say, [O Muhammad], 'O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all'” (Qur’an. Al-A'raf: 158). The discourse did not come with a legal ruling (Hukm Shar'i) or details related to acts of worship. However, this study moves toward verses that present the universality of the Qur'an's message and teachings not only through explicit discourse directed directly to people but also through teachings and discourses where the call was to the believers and in Qur'anic surahs revealed in Medina, such as Surah al-Ma'idah, upon which the study stands to examine the universality of the message through its teachings. This illustrates the importance of this study and the call for researchers to focus on presenting these universal teachings even if the call therein is for the believers. This is because many of these teachings are among the matters that humanity has reached the importance of respecting and caring for throughout its ages.

Furthermore, the universality of the Noble Qur'an is based on foundations, including: that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to address all humans, and for that reason, the Prophet (PBUH) sent messengers and letters to kings and princes presenting the teachings of Islam to them. This was clearly manifested in the application of this universality of the Noble Qur'an, resulting in the establishment of a great Islamic civilization in which various peoples and races of the world participated.

Second: Surah al-Ma'idah and its Relationship to Highlighting the Universality of the Qur'anic Message

Surah al-Ma'idah is a Medinan surah, and it is the most comprehensive surah in the Qur'an regarding the branches of Sharia, including the permissible and forbidden, and commands and prohibitions. It is among the last of the Qur'an to be revealed, having been revealed after Surah al-Fath—that is, after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in the sixth year of the Hijra. Accordingly, the surah is devoid of talk about fighting, the polytheists and their plots, and other forms of conflict that were ongoing before that and which previous surahs had addressed.

The surah focused its topics on precise legislative aspects and included the last revelation of the Qur'an—that verse proclaiming the completion of legislation and the perfection of favor through the completion of this religion: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 3).

What is striking is that Surah al-Ma'idah is unique in several phenomena, most notably that it did not speak of Shirk (polytheism) or polytheists in the manner familiar in the Qur'an of arguing with them, mocking their ideas, and belittling their partners. It also did not address, in any way, the encouragement of fighting common in most Medinan surahs revealed before it.

From here, the verses of Surah al-Ma'idah constitute great commandments that the Qur'an was keen to emphasize, foremost among them: fulfillment of covenants and contracts. Hence, the surah became known as the Surah of Contracts and Covenants. Thus, the command to fulfill contracts came from its very first verse. The command regarding the contract therein reminds the human of the first contract between him and his Creator, Glory be to Him. That contract by which the human became qualified to carry out the mission of vicegerency (Khilafah) on earth.

The command to fulfill contracts came after all the commands Allah imposed on His servants in the surahs before it—Surah an-Nisa, Al-Imran, al-Baqarah, and al-Fatihah—despite the time differences between them. Urging the believing human to adhere to contracts and fulfill them is one of the most important rules in various transactions that make this established principle one of the greatest pillars of the universality of the Qur'anic message. All those obligations are contracts that must be fulfilled. Hence, at the beginning of the surah: “O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts...” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 1).

And it came at the end of the surah: “To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is within them. And He is over all things competent” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 120). Everything in this universe—heaven, earth, livestock, birds, and the forms of benefits that humans enjoy—is the true property of Allah, Glory be to Him; no one at all shares that ownership with Him. Allah Almighty has subjected everything in this universe for humans to benefit from and use in what reforms and populates the earth. Allah, Glory be to Him, prepared for all people the means to benefit from those things He subjected for them according to the methodology He sent down to them, represented in the Noble Qur'an.

The true owner is Allah, Glory be to Him, and He is the one who has the right of legislation to manage this universe and the benefits within it. Allah, Glory be to Him, gave humans the right to benefit according to the Divine methodology; therefore, the verse came: “Lawful for you are the animals of grazing livestock except for that which is recited to you” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 1). The verses of Surah al-Ma'idah spoke extensively about ruling by what Allah revealed, considering that He, Glory be to Him, is the true owner of the universe, the human, and what is within it, and He is the one who has the right to legislate regarding the disposal of this universe: “And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 44). Likewise, His saying: “And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers” and His saying: “And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 47). This is because the issue of ruling and legislation is the exclusive right of the Owner, not the helpless owned.

Despite the numerous calls of "O you who have believed," which appeared in Surah al-Ma'idah sixteen times, most of these calls came in the context of discussing contracts, including those between the human and the earth and the environment in which he lives and benefits. Everything in this universe—heaven, earth, livestock, birds.

Third: Environmental Protection and its Impact on the Universality of the Qur'anic Message

Surah al-Ma'idah is considered one of the surahs that addressed the topic of the environment with all its components of nature and place. The second verse in Surah al-Ma'idah came, then He said: “O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allah or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect] the offering or the garlands or [violate the priority of] those coming to the Sacred House” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 2).

Dealing with places and lands in that pure spot, which holds a special sacred status for Muslims, is done according to a system governed by the Law of Subjection (Taskheer) mentioned in the Book of Allah Almighty in more than one place: “And the earth - We have spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and caused to grow therein [something] of every well-balanced thing. And We have made for you therein means of livelihood and [for] those for whom you are not providers. And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known measure” (Qur’an. Al-Hijr: 19-21).

This is but one aspect of maintaining the balance in the universe emphasized by the Great Qur'an in more than one place. Everything in the universe was created with balance, and this is from the power of Allah, Glory be to Him; everything in it has balance—the number of night hours, the number of raindrops—everything Allah, Glory be to Him, created is by measure and created in a balanced way, and He, Glory be to Him, has the depositories of everything.

The issue of balance is one of the greatest fields through which the world can be addressed and the universality of the Qur'an's message highlighted. Scientists of the universe specializing in chemistry and botany have proven that the elements making up plants consist of specific proportions in every species with strange precision that can only be controlled by the most accurate scales estimated by tenths of a gram and milligram, as well as their ratio to each other in every plant.

The role of the human vicegerent, whom Allah made a successor on this earth, is to proceed within that balance, the balanced system, maintaining balance during his interaction with those things or subjected entities, whether they be time, place, or existing beings and creatures. If that human successor does not proceed according to what Allah, Glory be to Him, clarified for him in the methodology of His Book, then a defect will occur, the system will begin to be disturbed, and the balance system will fail. If that happens, dozens of natural and humanitarian disasters occur, as seen in our time.

From here, highlighting these elements in the message of the Qur'an and cooperating with entities specialized in environmental protection and studies related to the universe and its preservation is considered one of the most prominent fields through which the world can be addressed with the message of the Qur'an. Furthermore, urging researchers in the fields of Qur'anic studies toward integration in establishing scientific studies conducted by specialists to uncover aspects of balance and its controls by sensing and deducing them from the teachings of the Qur'an can contribute significantly to moving steps toward the goal. This is while acknowledging that the Noble Qur'an is not a book of earth sciences or others, but that does not prevent benefiting from the noble verses that addressed various aspects to present and activate this balance. The chaos the world is witnessing in these fields is nothing but symptoms of not following the balanced methodology and disciplined rules brought in the Book of Allah Almighty.

Perhaps one of the greatest of those laws and governing norms in the Book of Allah organizing balance and its achievement is what came in the second verse of Surah al-Ma'idah: “...and do not let the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram lead you to transgress” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 2). The verse here is not just to talk about transgression in terms of prohibiting them from helping one another in aggression, as clarified by Al-Razi and other commentators (may Allah have mercy on them); rather, it is one of the basic comprehensive terms in the surah and in the Book of Allah in general that forbids all forms of overstepping that lead to a breach of balance in any form. Therefore, He said: “and do not let the hatred of a people...”—even hatred and animosity, which might be justified in some cases—“for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram” is not a justification for aggression and transgression.

All forms of benefit and conduct in life must be handled with righteousness and goodness, not with aggression and transgression. This includes various forms of transgressions related to the plant and animal environment and many others. The control and condition of this cooperation is that it must be upon a legitimate matter of goodness and righteousness, not upon something forbidden of corruption and evil. The matter revolves around the subject of participation and assistance, not the one being cooperated with. Everyone who seeks assistance in what is beloved to Allah and pleasing to Him is answered in that, whoever they may be, as long as assisting them in that beloved thing does not result in something more hated by Allah. This is one of the most precise, difficult, and taxing positions for the souls, and it is the root of the stage of fulfillment. Even if that matter requires that when an aggression occurs, the human group must cooperate to return matters to their proper place of righteousness and piety, and that cooperation, bloc-forming, and gathering should not be upon sin and aggression.

Therefore, what is happening today of transgressions and aggression against the environment, human resources, the earth, the subjected entities, animals, and water—there must be real human gatherings for these causes that restrain the sinful aggressor to put things in their proper place, so that the human race remains faithful to its contract and commitment in benefiting from these capabilities present in this universe.

This issue is of great importance to many wise people and leaders of contemporary nations and peoples who have realized the danger of what the world is exposed to from the effects of pollution, misuse of natural resources, and unbalanced interaction with the universe and environment, which portends several disasters, the most dangerous of which is not just harsh climate changes. Prince Charles expressed years ago the nature of increasing concern in the West regarding these situations, saying: "Contemporary materialism has caused a terrible imbalance in the life of the individual and society because it is a materialism that has lost the element of balance necessary for a normal, harmonious, and integrated life. We, the children of the Western world, have begun to feel that we have lost the holistic sense of the universe and environment and our comprehensive responsibility toward creation. For us in the West, to rediscover the authentic understanding of our existence and mission, we can seek help from the Islamic heritage saturated with the authentic holistic view of the universe and man. This heritage can also be utilized to improve our outlook toward the better in the scientific vicegerency of man... There is no doubt that the separation of science and technology from moral values and standards has reached a terrible and frightening level..." until he says: "The message of Islam is important for the West; it is more integrated and unifying for the world."

Perhaps this thorny issue is one of the most prominent issues in which the universality of Islamic legislative rulings deposited in Surah al-Ma'idah specifically stands out today, which calls for more studies on this matter.

Fourth: Universality of the Call in Surah al-Ma'idah and its Relationship to the Universality of the Qur'anic Message

The contemplator of Surah al-Ma'idah notices the multiplicity of calls directed by the Noble Qur'an to the People of the Book, calling them to establish what was brought therein of anchoring values of justice, mercy, and others. This confirms the importance of highlighting these calls by Muslims and delivering them through various mechanisms and means. Allah Almighty says in Surah al-Ma'idah: “O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book” (Qur’an. Al-Ma'idah: 15).

The Qur'an's addressing of the People of the Book and directing direct discourse to them indicates the universality of the Qur'an's message, which did not differentiate between the people of Moses and the people of Jesus; it is the message with which Allah sealed all heavenly messages.

Conclusion

This paper addressed some aspects that clarify the universality of the Noble Qur'an's message, which is an original principle and a great rule emerging from the foundations of the message brought by the Noble Prophet to the worlds. While many studies focused on presenting the calls and verses that came in a direct form addressed to mankind and the worlds, this paper came to focus on the verses mentioned in the Medinan Surah al-Ma'idah in calls that began with the discourse "O you who have believed."

The study clarified that Surah al-Ma'idah, which compiled the branches of Sharia from the permissible and forbidden and commands and prohibitions, came with universal objectives that achieve the preservation of human dignity and ensure living in an atmosphere of peace and stability. This shows that this surah, with its verses that are among the last revealed to the Noble Prophet (PBUH), is among the most prominent surahs indicating the universality of the Qur'anic message.

The study employed the inductive analytical method and cited many applied examples illustrating the universality of the legislations mentioned in Surah al-Ma'idah and the extent of the urgent need for them at the present time. The study calls upon researchers to pay attention to highlighting aspects of the universality of the Qur'anic message by shedding light on Medinan surahs specifically, which focused on legislations, rulings, and ethics, to highlight the universal values and lofty objectives called for by these legislations—from consuming what is lawful and good to preserving the environment, establishing social justice, and others.

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