What does Quran 5:102 mean?

Quran 5:102 (Surah Al-Maaida, Ayah 102) translates to: "A people asked such [questions] before you; then they became thereby disbelievers."

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 5:102 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Maaida (The Table), the 5th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 7.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 5:102?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 5:102?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 5:102 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Disbelief, Guidance, Hereafter, Divine Command, Patience.

Ayah 101

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَسْـَٔلُوا۟...

5:102Al-Maaida

Ayah 103

مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٍۢ وَلَا سَآئِبَةٍ...

قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌۭ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا۟ بِهَا كَٰفِرِينَ

Qad sa alahaa qawmum min qablikum summa asbahoo bihaa kaafireen

A people asked such [questions] before you; then they became thereby disbelievers.

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples92

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Lessons from past peoples

5:102Ayah 1120

26 ayahs in Al-Maaida are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples5:79They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing.Next on Lessons from past peoples →5:110[The Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke…

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 5:102→

Verily a people before you asked about them that is they asked their prophets about such things and they received the response in the form of revealed explications of the rules concerning them; and then they disbelieved in them by neglecting to implement them.

Abandon that which I have asked you to abandon, for the people before you went to their doom (for asking too many questions).

Sahih al-Bukhari #4416Narrated Ibn `Abbas:Sahih

Some people were asking Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) questions mockingly. A man would say, "Who is my father?" Another man whose she-camel had gone astray would say, "Where is my she-camel? "So Allah revealed this Verse in this connection: "O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble." (5.101)

Sahih al-Bukhari #6824Narrated Anas:Sahih

The people started asking the Prophet (ﷺ) too many questions importunately. So one day he ascended the pulpit and said, "You will not ask me any question but I will explain it to you." I looked right and left, and behold, every man was covering his head with his garment and weeping. Then got up a man who, whenever quarreling with somebody, used to be accused of not being the son of his father. He said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who is my father?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Your father is Hudhaifa." Then `Umar got up and said, "We accept Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion and Muhammad as our Apostle and we seek refuge with Allah from the evil of afflictions." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, " I have never seen the good and bad like on this day. No doubt, Paradise and Hell was displayed in front of me till I saw them in front of that wall," Qatada said: This Hadith used to be mentioned as an explanation of this Verse:-- 'O you who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.' (5.101)

Sahih al-Bukhari #6125Narrated Anas:Sahih

Once the people started asking Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) questions, and they asked so many questions that he became angry and ascended the pulpit and said, "I will answer whatever questions you may ask me today." I looked right and left and saw everyone covering his face with his garment and weeping. Behold ! There was a man who, on quarreling with the people, used to be called as a son of a person other than h is father. He said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who is my father?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Your father is Hudhaifa." And then `Umar got up and said, "We accept Allah as our Lord, and Islam as (our) religion, and Muhammad as (our) Apostle; and we seek refuge with Allah from the afflictions." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, " I have never seen a day like today in its good and its evil for Paradise and the Hell Fire were displayed in front of me, till I saw them just beyond this wall." Qatada, when relating this Hadith, used to mention the following Verse:-- 'O you who believe! Ask not questions about things which, If made plain to you, May cause you trouble. (5.101)

Sahih Muslim #7421Salamah bin Shabīb narrated to me, al-Humaydī narrated to us, Sufyān narrated to us, he said:Sahih

‘The people would transmit from Jābir before there appeared what appeared, then when there appeared what appeared, the people imputed him in his Ḥadīth and some of the people abandoned him’. So it was said to said: ‘Belief in ar-Raj’ah’.