Al-Ma'idah · Ayah 88

وَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ 88

Translations

And eat of what Allāh has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allāh, in whom you are believers.

Transliteration

Wa-kulū mimma razaqakumu Allāhu halālan tayyiban, wa-attaqū Allāha alladhī antum bihi mu'minūn

Tafsir (Explanation)

This ayah commands believers to consume only what Allah has provided that is both lawful (halal) and pure/wholesome (tayyib), while maintaining God-consciousness and piety. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that 'tayyib' encompasses not only permissible foods but also those that are clean, nutritious, and obtained through lawful means, reflecting the Islamic principle that the lawfulness of sustenance affects one's spiritual state and the acceptance of one's deeds.

Revelation Context

Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5) is a Medinan surah that addresses the Muslim community's legal and social matters. This particular ayah appears in a section discussing permissible and impermissible foods and conduct, reinforcing the concept of ritual purity and ethical consumption that characterizes Islamic law.

Related Hadiths

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'O people, indeed Allah is good and accepts only that which is good' (Sahih Muslim 1015). Additionally, 'The flesh that grows from haram is more deserving of the Fire' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 614), emphasizing the spiritual consequences of consuming unlawful sustenance.

Themes

Halal and Tayyib (lawfulness and wholesomeness)Divine sustenance and gratitudeTaqwa (God-consciousness and piety)Ethical consumptionSpiritual purification

Key Lesson

Believers must exercise conscious discernment not merely about what is technically permitted, but about the quality, source, and spiritual impact of their consumption, understanding that true piety requires both outer compliance with Islamic law and inner consciousness of Allah's presence in all our choices.

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Related Ayahs

5:19Al-Ma'idah

يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَىٰ فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ مَا جَآءَنَا مِنۢ بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ ۖ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you [the religion] after a period [of suspension] of messengers, lest you say, "There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner." But there has come to you a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And Allāh is over all things competent.

5:18Al-Ma'idah

وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ نَحْنُ أَبْنَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّـٰٓؤُهُۥ ۚ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم ۖ بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ۚ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

But the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of Allāh and His beloved." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins?" Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.

5:75Al-Ma'idah

مَّا ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُۥ صِدِّيقَةٌ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ ٱلطَّعَامَ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱنظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ

The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.

5:25Al-Ma'idah

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى لَآ أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِى وَأَخِى ۖ فَٱفْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ

[Moses] said, "My Lord, indeed I do not possess [i.e., control] except myself and my brother, so part us from the defiantly disobedient people."