1 The Virtues of Surah Al-Ma'idah; When It was Revealed Surah to ...

Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the
Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from
corruption). (15:9)
Allah said,
163
فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ‏ اللّهُ‏ ...
So judge between them by what Allah has revealed.
Ibn Jarir said,
The Ayah commands: O Muhammad! Rule
between the people, Arabs and non-Arabs,
lettered and unlettered, by what Allah has
revealed to you in this Glorious Book and what it
approves of for you from the Law of the previous
Prophets.
Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Ibn Abbas said,
"The Prophet had the choice to judge between
them or to turn away from them and refer them
to their own Law. Then this Ayah was revealed,
(So judge وَأَنِ‏ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ‏ اللّهُ‏ وَلاَ‏ تَت َّبِعْ‏ أَهْوَاءهُمْ‏
between them by what Allah has revealed, and
follow not their vain desires...) (5:49) and he was
commanded to judge between them by our
Book.''
Allah's statement
and follow not their vain desires...,
وَلاَ‏ تَت َّبِعْ‏ أَهْوَاءهُمْ‏ ...
This means the ideas they promote, because of
which they turned away from what Allah revealed
to His Messengers.
This is why Allah said,
وَلاَ‏ تَت َّبِعْ‏ أَهْوَاءهُمْ‏ عَم َّا جَاءكَ‏ مِنَ‏ الْحَ‏ ِّق ...
And follow not their vain desires, diverging away from
the truth that has come to you.
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