Said Jesus son of Mary: O Allaah, our Lord, send down upon us a
table out of heaven which will be for us a festival, the first and last of us
and a sign from Thee. And provide for us, for Thou art the best of providers.'
Allaah said: 'Verily I do send it down on you. Whoever among you hereafter
disbelieves, verily I will chastise him with a chastisement wherewith I chastise
no other being. Quran (4:114)
Said Jesus son of Mary ... : Here Allaah states that his
prophet Jesus fulfilled the request of his people when they asked him to request
from his Lord a table which should come down upon them from heaven.
The exegetes (ahl at- ta'wil) disagree concerning the
interpretation (ta'wil) of Allaah's words: which will be for us a festival
('id). Some maintain that the meaning is: (Send down upon us a table) so
that we will take the day on which it comes down as a feast day (~7d), which we
and our descendants will hold in high respect. ... Others maintain that the
meaning is: (Send down upon us a table) from which we shall all eat together. .
. . (Still) others say that when Allaah speaks (here) of an 'id, it is meant
(not in the sense of a festival, but) in the sense of a benefit which Allaah grants
to us, as well as an argument and proof.
(At.-Tabari concludes that) among these interpretations, that which comes nearest to being correct is the one which embraces the following
meaning: (Send down upon us a table) which will be a festival ('id) for us, in
that we will pray and worship our Lord on the day when it comes down, just as
the people used to do on their feast days. Thus, the meaning which we affirm
corresponds to the usual meaning that people associate with (the word) id in
their speech, and not with the interpretation that accepts as the meaning: a
benefit for us from Allaah. The meaning contained in the 'speech of Allaah' (kalaam
Allaah) is to be interpreted as lying closer to the usual manner of speaking
of the one who makes the request, than to something inaccessible and unknown to
him.
Regarding Allaah's words the first and last of us, the
interpretation that comes closest to being correct is the one that adopts the
meaning: for those of us who are living today and for those who will come after
us. This is based on the same (linguistic) argument we cited for Allaah's words
'that shall be for us an 'id', since the meaning adopted (in each case) is the
predominant one.
Allaah's words and a sign (ayah) from Thee mean: and an
indication or argument from you, Lord, for your servants, which affirms that you
are the only Allaah and that I speak the truth when I present myself in the role of
your messenger to them.
The exegetes disagree concerning whether or not the table was
(actually) sent down (out of heaven) and concerning what was on it. Some say
that it was sent down with fish and (other) food and that the people ate from
it. Then, after its descent (the table) was lifted up because of (certain)
innovations they introduced in their relationship to Allaah. ... Other exegetes
maintain that it came down with fruit from paradise (Still) others say that on
it lay every (kind of) food except meat. ... Other interpreters maintain that
Allaah did not send down a table to the Children of Israel. Those who advocate this
view disagree further among themselves. Many say that this may be only a simile
that Allaah has offered to his creatures in order thereby to prohibit them from
demanding (divine) signs from the prophets of Allaah. ... Others maintain that when
(the words) whoever among you hereafter disbelieves, verily I will chastise
him with a chastisement wherewith I chastise no other being were spoken to
the people, they prayed for forgiveness but the table did not come down. ...
Tafsir of Surah Ma`idah (5) Verse 114