سورة المائدة

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for the group [of verses] whose interpretation (ta'wil) lies within its revelation (tanzil), it includes all the muhkam (clear) verses that concern the prohibition of things that were customarily practised among the Arabs. The meaning and the revelation of these verses appear in their outward wording and need no interpretation beyond what was already known among the Arabs. Like this saying of Allah the Exalted: ... یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تُحَرِّمُوا طَیِّباتِ ما أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکُمْ [O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things which Allah has made lawful for you].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Another such case: a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) took up monasticism and forbade the good things of this world upon themselves, and swore that they would never return to what they had done before and would not partake of them. Among them were Uthman ibn Maz'un and Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) and ten men of the Muhajirun and Ansar. Uthman ibn Maz'un had forbidden women upon himself, and another had forbidden eating during the day upon himself, along with other hardships they had imposed on themselves. One day the wife of Uthman ibn Maz'un came to the house of Umm Salamah. Umm Salamah said to her: "Why do you not take care of yourself and not use perfume, colour, henna and other things?" She said: "Because my husband Uthman ibn Maz'un has not come near me since such-and-such a time." Umm Salamah asked: "Why?" She said: "Because he has forbidden women upon himself and taken up monasticism." Umm Salamah told this to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and he went out to his companions and said: "Why do you keep away from women? I go to them, and eat in the day, and sleep at night. Whoever turns away from my sunnah is not of me." Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لاَ تُحَرِّمُوا طَیِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکُمْ وَ لاَ تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ الله لاَ یُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِینَ * وَ کُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَکُمُ اللهُ حَلاَلاً طَیِّباً وَ اتَّقُوا الله الَّذِی أَنْتُمْ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ [O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress; indeed Allah does not love the transgressors. And eat of the lawful and good things Allah has provided you, and fear Allah in whom you believe]. They said: "O Messenger of Allah! We have sworn oaths to this effect." So Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed this verse: ذلِکَ کَفَّارَةُ أَیْمَانِکُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَ احْفَظُوا أَیْمَانَکُمْ [That is the expiation of your oaths when you have sworn; and guard your oaths].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): It was revealed concerning Ali (peace be upon him), Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him), Salman (may Allah have mercy on him), Miqdad (may Allah have mercy on him), Uthman ibn Maz'un and Salim, because they made a pact among themselves to fast during the day and stand in prayer at night, not to sleep on beds, not to eat meat, not to go near women or pleasant and lawful things, to wear coarse clothing, to withdraw from the world, and to wander in the earth — some of them even wanted to cut off their genitals. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) delivered a sermon and said: "What is the matter with a people who have forbidden women, good things, sleep and worldly desires? I do not command you to be like monks and priests. In my religion and way there is no abandoning of meat and women and no taking to monasteries. Indeed, the wandering and monasticism of my community is jihad."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) that one day he described the Day of Resurrection to his companions and went to great lengths in warning them, and they were moved to tenderness. A group of the companions gathered in the house of Uthman ibn Maz'un and made a covenant among themselves that they would always fast and keep night-vigils, would not eat meat, would not sleep in beds, would not go near women or pleasant fragrance, would forsake the pleasures of the world, would wear coarse cloth — that is, woollen garments — and would wander the earth. The report of this reached the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and he said: "Indeed I have not been commanded to that. Indeed your own souls have a right upon you. So fast and break your fast, and rise in prayer and sleep, for I rise at night and sleep, and I fast and break my fast, and I eat meat and fatty food. Whoever turns away from my way is not of me."

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): It is narrated from al-Sha'bi that Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) said: ... I adjure you by Allah! Do you not know that Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) was the first among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) to forbid all desirable things upon himself? Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic sent down this verse: يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تُحَرِّمُوا طَیِّباتِ ما أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکُمْ وَ لا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللهَ لا یُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِینَ* وَ کُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَکُمُ اللهُ حَلالًا طَیِّباً وَ اتَّقُوا اللهَ الَّذِی أَنْتُمْ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُون [O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things that Allah has made lawful for you, and do not exceed the limits; indeed Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. And eat of what Allah has provided you, lawful and good, and fear Allah in whom you are believers].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I asked him about a man who said, "If I drink anything unlawful or lawful, my wife is divorced and my slaves are freed." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: ... As for the lawful drink, he must not abandon it, for he has no right to forbid what Allah has made lawful, since Allah the Exalted says: يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تُحَرِّمُوا طَیِّباتِ ما أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکُمْ [O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things that Allah has made lawful for you]. So concerning his oath with respect to a lawful drink, nothing is upon him.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) used to eat chicken and faluda, and he liked halwa and honey.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): لَا تَعْتَدُوا [do not exceed the limits], meaning do not transgress the limits and rulings of Allah.