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Sūrah 5 · Verse 90

Al-Maaida 5:90

المائدة

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَـٰمُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Meaning

O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters[65] and divining arrows are of Satan’s evil work; therefore avoid such [evil], so that you may be successful.

[65] Ansāb are stones or idols that were erected for worship and sacrificial offerings.

Meaning: English Translation - Rowwad Translation Center. Translated by the team of the Rowwad Translation Center, in cooperation with the Rabwah Dawah Association, the Islamic Content Service Association in Languages, and the IslamHouse.com website. Version 1.0.19, 2026-03-12. QuranEnc.com

Meaning

O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allāh], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid[282] it that you may be successful.

[282] The prohibition understood from the word "avoid" is stronger than if Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) had merely said, "Abstain." The former requires distancing oneself from anything remotely related to these practices.

Meaning: English Translation - Noor International Center. Issued by Noor International Center. Version 1.1.2, 2025-06-24. QuranEnc.com

Meaning

90. O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansâb[30], and Al-Azlâm (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan’s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.[31]

[30] (V.5:90) Animals that are sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub * and for the idols. Narrated ‘Abdullâh رضي الله عنه Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said that he met Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail at a place near Baldah and this had happened before Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم received the Divine Revelation. Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم presented a dish of meat (that had been offered to him by the pagans) to Zaid bin ‘Amr, but Zaid refused to eat of it and then said (to the pagans), "I do not eat of what you have sacrificed (slaughtered) on your stone-altars (Ansâb ) nor do I eat except that on which Allâh’s Name has been mentioned on slaughtering." (Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol.7, Hadîth No.407). [See also the footnote of (V.2:135)].
* An-Nusub were stone-altars at fixed places or graves, whereon sacrifices were slaughtered on certain occasions in the name of idols, jinn, angels, pious men, saints in order to honour them, or to expect some benefit from them.
[31] (V.5:90) What is said regarding the one who regards an alcoholic drink lawful to drink, and calls it by another name.
Narrated Abu ‘Aamir or Abu Mâlik Al-Ash‘ari that he heard the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments as lawful. And (from them), there will be some who will stay near the side of a mountain, and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, ‘Return to us tomorrow.’ Allâh will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection." (Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol.7, Hadîth No.494B)

Meaning: English Translation - Hilali and Khan. Translated by Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Version 1.1.2, 2025-09-04. QuranEnc.com

Meaning

O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.

Meaning: English Translation - Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), as distributed by the Tanzil Project (last update 4 September 2010). Version 2010-09-04, 2010-09-04. Tanzil

Al-Maaida

The Arabic is Tanzil’s text, unchanged. The meanings are their publishers’ editions, unchanged; Sabīl’s own reviewers have not yet examined them. Arabic: Tanzil Uthmani text, version 1.1. Source: tanzil.net