And when he mentioned what is prohibited from food in every situation; and hunting was among that which was prohibited at certain times; and it was one of their most suitable foods; and he had mentioned to them some of its rulings; following his saying: ﴿Lawful for you are the grazing livestock﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 1]; and ﴿Lawful for you are the good things﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 5]; he took here to mention something of its rulings; and he began it - because they feared for whoever among them died while drinking wine before its prohibition that he would be tested by it to distinguish the pious among them from others - with hunting in the situation in which he prohibited it for them; just as the Children of Israel were in the Sabbath; and that was a reason for making them monkeys; and Allah - glorified and exalted is He - bestowed upon the companions of this nation with protection during their trial; clarifying their virtue over others; and He said (the Exalted) - calling them (p-299) with what would prevent them from disobedience -: ﴿O you who have believed﴾; meaning: establish faith; even if it is at the least of its forms; so it encompassed thereby the high and the low; ﴿Certainly, Allah will surely test you﴾; meaning: He will treat you with the treatment of the tester in accepting your prohibition of wine; and others; encompassing everything with ability and knowledge; and He mentioned the greatest name; as a reference; by reminding of what He has of majesty; that He has the right to do as He wills; and He indicated the belittling of the trial; calming the souls; by His saying: ﴿with something of hunting﴾; meaning: hunting on land while in a state of ihram; and he is turning to His saying: ﴿Shall I inform you of a worse reward with Allah﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 60]; and explaining what he mentioned at the beginning of the surah; in His saying: ﴿Not lawful for you is hunting while you are in ihram﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 1]; and what he mentioned after the prohibited things; from His saying: ﴿So eat from what they catch for you﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 4].

And he described the afflicted one with a description that is among the signs of prophethood; he said: ﴿It will be attained by your hands﴾; meaning: if you intend to take it safely; ﴿and your spears﴾; if you intend to kill it; then he mentioned the intended meaning of that; which is establishing the proof regarding what is commonly known among the servants between them; he said: ﴿So that Allah may know﴾; meaning: and He is free from needing that; by virtue of His attributes of perfection; which are not hidden from anyone who knows this greatest name; ﴿Who fears Him in the unseen﴾; meaning: by what He has concealed from this worldly life; which has veiled them from truly knowing Him as He should be known - glorified and exalted is He -; and the meaning is that He brings forth through the trial what was from the actions of the servants in the realm of the unseen; to the realm of witnessing; so the connection of knowledge to Him becomes a witnessed connection; just as it was an unseen connection; so that the proof may be established against the doer; in the course of their habits; and the one who has insight into the preserved tablet from the angels increases in faith; certainty; and knowledge; and He - glorified is He - has realized the meaning of this verse; for He tested them with that in the year of Hudaybiyyah; until the game would come upon them in their dwellings; and they could take it with their hands; and since this was a deterrent in custom from exposing themselves to what the trial had befallen them with; and decisive against the desire for it; by the one who is characterized by what made the call of faith the focal point; He caused His saying: ﴿So whoever transgresses﴾; meaning: he has burdened himself with exceeding the limit in exposing himself to it; and since He - glorified is He - accepts repentance from His servants; He specified the warning for the one who has prolonged time in transgression; thus He dropped the exception for that; and He said: ﴿After that﴾; meaning: the great deterrent; ﴿for him is a painful punishment﴾; for what he has tasted from exposing himself to it; when he knew by inclining to this that he is inclined to what is more desirable than it; like wine; and what is more desirable with it.