الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ ﴿۵﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿

﴾5﴿ Alyawma uhilla lakumut taiyibaatu wa ta'aamul lazeena ootul Kitaaba hillul lakum wa ta'aamukum hillul lahum wal muhsanaatu minal mu'minaati walmuhsanaatu minal lazeena ootul Kitaaba min qablikum izaaa aataitumoohunna ujoorahunna muhsineena ghaira musaafiheena wa laa muttakhizeee akhdaan; wa mai yakfur bil eemaani faqad habita 'amaluhoo wa huwa fil Aaakhirati minal khaasireen
﴾6﴿ Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo izaa qumtum ilas Salaati faghsiloo wujoohakum wa Aidiyakum ilal maraafiqi wamsahoo biru'oosikum wa arjulakum ilal ka'bayn; wa in kuntum junuban fattahharoo; wain kuntum mardaaa aw'alaa safarin aw jaaa'a ahadum minkum minal ghaaa'iti aw laamastumunnisaaa'a falam tajidoo maaa'an fatayammamoo sa'eedan taiyiban famsahoo biwujoohikum wa aideekum minh; ma yureedul laahu liyaj'ala 'alaikum min harajinw walaakiny yureedu liyutahhirakum wa liyutimma ni'matahoo 'alaikum la'allakum tashkuroon

﴾5﴿ Today, pure things have been made lawful for you, and the food of those who were given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them.
And (lawful for you in marriage are) chaste believing women and chaste women from those who were given the Book before you, when you give them their bridal gifts, intending marriage—not committing fornication openly, nor taking them as secret lovers.
And whoever combines disbelief with faith, then surely his deeds are rendered void, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.
﴾6﴿ O you who believe, when you rise for prayer, then wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a state of major impurity (janābah), then purify yourselves thoroughly. But if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes from relieving himself, or you have touched women and you do not find water—then perform tayammum with clean earth, and wipe your faces and your hands with it. Allah does not intend to place hardship upon you, but He intends to purify you and to complete His favor upon you, so that you may be grateful.

[5] This passage further explains what is lawful concerning the food of the People of the Book and marriage with them for Muslims. (وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ) Ibn Kathir stated that there is a consensus among Muslims that Ṭa‘ām (food) here refers to Dhabā’iḥ (slaughtered animals) or is a general term that includes slaughtered animals, provided that the name of someone other than Allah has not been invoked upon them. The reason why Ṭa‘ām here specifically refers to slaughtered animals is that all other foods—such as bread, fruits, etc.—are lawful from non-People of the Book as well. A transmitted (Naqli) proof for this is that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) accepted the invitation of the People of the Book on the day of Khaybar, where they had prepared goat meat, though they had poisoned it. The reason why the slaughter of Jews is specifically considered lawful is that, in their religion, slaughtering in the name of anyone other than Allah is forbidden, and they do mention the name of Allah when slaughtering their animals. (وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ) The term Muḥṣanāt here refers to chaste women, whether they are free women (ḥurrāt) or bondwomen (imā’), because the permissibility of marrying a bondwoman is already mentioned in Surah An-Nisa (4:25). This phrase serves as a prelude to the next ruling. (وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ) Regarding the term Muḥṣanāt in this context, there are two interpretations:
1. It refers to chastity, whether the woman is free (ḥurrah) or a bondwoman (amah), and whether she is from a warring (ḥarbiyyah) or a treaty-protected (dhimmiyyah) non-Muslim community. This is the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him).
2. It refers exclusively to free women, meaning that marriage with a bondwoman from the People of the Book is not permissible. This is the opinion of Imam Shafi‘i (may Allah have mercy on him). The phrase "Utu al-Kitab" refers to Jews and Christians, despite their association with polytheism and disbelief, because believing monotheistic women were already mentioned earlier in Al-Mu’mināt. This is the opinion of all scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah.
Question: It is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that marriage with polytheists among the People of the Book is not permissible.
Answer: The prohibition is interpreted as dislike (karāhah), as dislike has also been narrated from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), despite its permissibility. (وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالْإِيمَانِ) This is the answer to the question when marriage with a polytheist from the People of the Book is deemed permissible, so it becomes evident that their religion is also valid? The answer is that their religion is mixed with disbelief and faith, thus that religion is invalid. بِالْإِيمَانِ refers to the object of faith, meaning monotheism, prophethood, the Quran, resurrection after death, etc., while disbelief refers to denial and rejection.
[6] The connection is that since spiritual purity has been mentioned for food and marriage, now outward purity is mentioned—purity from minor impurity (ḥadath) and major impurity (janābah). These arise from eating and janābah, and this is one of the contracts of human interactions. (إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ) Here, "standing" means the intention to stand, but it is mentioned literally to indicate that mere intention without action is not sufficient.
Question: From this, does it become clear that performing ablution (wuḍūʾ) is obligatory for every prayer?
Answer: The word "those who are without wuḍūʾ" is implied in the verse, as indicated by the ḥadīth in which the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) prayed four prayers with one wuḍūʾ during the Battle of the Trench and five prayers with one wuḍūʾ during the Conquest of Mecca. (فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ) In the Noble Quran, these four limbs are specifically mentioned, indicating that purification through washing and wiping these four is obligatory. If something else is made obligatory by ḥadīth, it does not contradict this, such as the obligation of intention and other conditions.
Note: These limbs are specified because overall cleanliness is necessary for a person, but washing the entire body at all times would be a burden. Therefore, the limbs that are always exposed or easily exposed were mentioned, which are four. (إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ) The word "ilā" (to) in many verses means "along with," such as in Surah al-Nisāʾ (2) and Surah Hūd (52). Alternatively, since the hand originally extends to the shoulder, "ilā" is used to exclude the upper part beyond the elbows. (وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ) The letter "bāʾ" here could indicate attachment, be extra, or signify partiality. According to the first two interpretations, wiping the entire head is intended, as held by Imam Mālik (may Allah have mercy on him) and Imam Aḥmad (may Allah have mercy on him). According to the third interpretation, wiping a part of the head is obligatory, which is the amount of the forelock.
(وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ) has two recitations:
1. With a fatḥah (زبر) on the lām, making it conjunct (عطف) to وجوهكم and أيديكم. This indicates that washing the feet is obligatory.
2. With a kasrah (زیر) on the lām, which is due to proximity (جوار) to بِرُءُوسِكُم. In meaning, it is conjunct either to أيديكم (implying washing) or to أرجلکم with the intention of wiping in the case of wearing leather socks (mūza).
The Shīʿah argue that the kasrah recitation proves that wiping bare feet is obligatory, rejecting the practice of wiping over socks or leather footwear. However, this view contradicts the first recitation and goes against the numerous authentic ḥadīths that confirm both washing the feet and wiping over socks.
(إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ) – According to Qurṭubī, both language and Sunnah establish that كعب refers to the two ankle bones located above the feet and below the shins, with each foot having two such bones.
(وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَى) – "Illness" here refers to a condition that prevents the use of water or worsens due to water usage.
(مِنَ الْغَائِطِ) – Linguistically, غائط refers to a low-lying place, but here it metaphorically means defecation.
(أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ) – The Companions differed in its interpretation:
ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) held that لمس (touching) refers to touching with the hand, including kissing, which invalidates wuḍūʾ.
Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) interpreted لمس as intercourse, which results in major ritual impurity (janābah).
(فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً) – The verb وجدان (finding) implies an effort to seek water within one's capacity. The phrase فلم تجدوا ماءً is general, covering both physical unavailability and inability due to illness. (تَشْكُرُونَ) – Here, shukr (gratitude) means acting in accordance with these rulings.