Al-Mā’idah 5:64

The issue

This verse attributes the phrase “God’s hand is fettered” as coming from the Jews. This expression of “tightfistedness” is descriptive of stinginess. Therefore, the verse accuses the Jews of blasphemy because they are calling Allah a miser.

The Islāmic commentaries offer this discussion:

“The Jews say, ‘God’s hand is fettered’” meaning that Allah’s goodness is

withheld and his giving is prevented from reaching them. This means that

they said, “Allah is stingy with us and He withheld His goodness so as not

to give, just like the one whose hand is handcuffed so he cannot open it to

give or do a favor.” And they say, “He is a miser, not generous.”

The commentaries further support this reasoning by mentioning a Jew named Finhās.

Ibn ‘Āzūrā’ and his friends, who were all wealthy. When Finh. ās. and his friends refused to believe in Muhammad’s prophecy, their money decreased. As a result, they blasphemed

by saying, “Allah is a miser and His hand is tight with us in giving.” Because the other

Jews remained silent, this verse states that their silence was counted against them as

agreement. Thus, the Jews are all accused of blasphemy against Allah.

However, these statements attributed to the Jews are in direct conflict with Jewish

beliefs, since the Jewish view of God is of one who is “holy” (Isa. 6.3), and His name is

“holy” (Amos 2.7; Isa. 57.15). Jewish scripture also show God as a watchful shepherd

to his sheep (Ezek. 34.15). He tends to Israel with the loving care of a gardener to his

vineyard (Isa. 5.1-7) and with the loving-kindness of a father (Hos. 11.1-4).

Whoever holds this belief and view of God could not blaspheme by calling Him

a miser. Even if we hypothetically accept that a Jew blasphemed and described God

as a miser, this action is merely an individual behavior, contrary to the tenets of the

Torah and contradictory to the conduct and history of Israel’s prophets. Therefore, the

accusation mentioned in Q 5.64 is a fabrication.

A lesser-known story is told that the Jews (after Muhammad had sought their support

with blood money) said, “‘Muhammad’s Allah is poor,’ or they might have said ‘a

miser.’” Previously, Muhammad recited to them the following verse: “Who is there

that will lend to God a good loan?...” (Q 2.245).

If this story is true, based on what al-Qurtubī has mentioned, then the Jews were

not blaspheming God. Instead, they were answering Muhammad with the same

metaphorical language that he had used with them. Therefore, when Muhammad asked

them “to lend” Allah money, in their eyes he had degraded Allah to the human level.

Their reply was instead a criticism to the way in which Muhammad was portraying

Allah and not blasphemy against God. With their sharp response the Jews were

criticizing Muhammad’s theological understanding and the expressions that he used in

this context.

Questions: Why was Muhammad’s question to the Jews found in one sūra (Q 2.245)

while his defense is found in another sūra (Q 5.64)? Additionally, Muhammad was

receiving a great amount of wealth from the spoils of war, so why was he asking for

money in Allah’s name?