What Does Surah Al-Maaida Ayah 100 Mean? - Common Questions & Answers
Explore the meaning, interpretation, and Islamic explanation of Surah Al-Maaida Ayah 100 from the Holy Quran. Find answers to frequently asked questions about this verse, its context, and significance in Islamic teachings.
❓Why are good and evil never equal according to this verse?
Good and evil are never equal because quality always supersedes quantity in divine judgment. The verse establishes that 'the little permissible is better than the abundant evil,' meaning that even a small amount of good is superior to a large amount of evil. This principle applies to all aspects of life - wealth (halal vs haram), human beings (virtuous vs vicious), and deeds (good vs bad).
❓What does 'abundance of evil may attract you' mean?
This refers to the human tendency to be impressed by the apparent success, spread, or popularity of what is wrong. People are sometimes awed by evil's numerical dominance and may even consider it good simply because it has spread widely or appears to be winning. The Quran calls this 'a disease of human knowledge and consciousness, and a shortcoming of the inherent feeling for the right.'
❓Who are the 'people of understanding' (ulil albab) mentioned in this verse?
The 'people of understanding' (ulil albab) are those with sound minds, good reason, and refined taste who are not attracted to something merely because of its numerical or quantitative abundance. They are intelligent people who use divine criteria rather than popular opinion to distinguish between right and wrong, and who avoid the impermissible while being content with what Allah has made permissible.
❓How does this principle apply to daily life decisions?
This principle guides believers to choose quality over quantity in all decisions. Whether in business (choosing halal income over abundant haram wealth), relationships (preferring righteous companions over popular but corrupt friends), or lifestyle choices (selecting beneficial activities over entertaining but harmful ones), the verse teaches to evaluate options by divine standards rather than by their apparent abundance or popularity.
❓What is the divine scale of values taught in this verse?
The divine scale prioritizes intrinsic worth over external appearance, substance over quantity, and permanent truth over temporary advantage. It teaches that in Allah's sight, what matters is the inherent goodness or evil of something, not its numerical dominance or popular acceptance. This scale helps believers distinguish between what is truly valuable versus what merely appears impressive due to abundance.
❓Why doesn't numerical majority determine what is right and true?
The verse teaches that numerical abundance can never be absolute proof of something being good or true. Throughout history, in most societies, there has been more evil than good - more disbelief than belief, more injustice than justice, more ignorance than knowledge. The Quran explains that matters cannot be measured by majority vote or popular opinion; instead, the good or bad in something depends on its intrinsic qualities and divine standards.
❓How can one distinguish between good (tayyib) and evil (khabith)?
The distinction is made through divine guidance and sound reasoning. 'Tayyib' refers to what is pure, lawful (halal), beneficial, and virtuous in Allah's sight, while 'khabith' refers to what is impure, unlawful (haram), harmful, and condemned. This applies comprehensively to wealth, human character, deeds, and moral choices. The key is to evaluate everything according to Islamic principles rather than worldly standards.
❓What leads to true success according to this verse?
True success (falah) comes from fearing Allah and adopting the divine scale of values - choosing good over evil regardless of quantity, avoiding the impermissible even if abundant, and being content with the permissible even if limited. The verse promises success to 'people of understanding' who refuse to be dazzled by evil's abundance and instead make choices based on divine wisdom and spiritual discernment.