Wikipedia's first sentence called it “the 5th sura of the qur'an”. Today it says “fifth chapter of the quran”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2005
Surat al-Ma'ida ("The Table") is the 5th sura of the Qur'an , with 120 ayat . It is a Madinan sura . v t e1
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 16978086.
The opening as it stood in 2010 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Sura Al-Ma'ida ( , Sūratu al-Mā'idah , "The Table" or "The Table Spread with Food") is the fifth chapter of the Qur'an , with 120 verses . It is a Madinan sura . The sura's main topics are Isa 's and Moses ' missions, as well as the claim that their messages are distorted by Jews and Christians.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 371200104.
The opening as it stood in 2015 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Sura Al-Ma'ida ( , Sūratu al-Mā'idah , "The Table" or "The Table Spread with Food") is the fifth chapter of the Qur'an , with 120 verses . It is a Madinan sura . The sura's topics include animals which are forbidden , Isa (Jesus') and Musa 's (Moses) missions.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 668999331.
The opening as it stood in 2020 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Al Māʼidah ( , "The Table" or "The Table Spread with Food" is the fifth chapter ( sūrah ) of the Quran , with 120 verses ( āyāt ).Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation ( Asbāb al-nuzūl ), it is a " Medinan surah ", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina, instead of Mecca.The chapter's topics include animals which are forbidden , Jesus ' and Moses ' missions.Verse ( āyah ) 90 prohibits "The intoxicant" (alcohol).Verse 8 Contains the passage: "Do not let the injustice of others lead you into injustice".Verse 67 is relevant to the Farewell Pilgrimage and Ghadir Khumm .Verses (Q5:32-33) have been quoted to denounce killing, by using an abbreviated form such as, "If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people".This verse is similar to that of one from the Talmud .The use of this abbreviated rephrasing has been criticised as misleading by Andrew Bostom inter alia .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 965329680.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
5th chapter of the Qur'an Al-Ma'idah ( , Al-Māʾidah ; meaning: "The Table" or "The Table Spread with Food") is the fifth chapter ( sūrah ) of the Quran , with 120 verses ( āyāt ). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation ( asbāb al-nuzūl ), it is a " Medinan surah ", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina, instead of Mecca. The chapter's topics include animals which are forbidden , and Jesus ' and Moses ' missions.Verse 8 contains the passage: "Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice". Al-Tabligh Verse 67 is relevant to the Farewell Pilgrimage and Ghadir Khumm . A folio from an 8th century Qur'anic codex, the text after the first red-ink inscription is of the beginning of Surah Al-Mā'idah Verses 5:32-33 have been quoted to denounce killing, by using an abbreviated form such as, "If anyone kills a person, it would be as if he killed the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people".The same formulation appears in the Mishnah in Sanhedrin .However, a columnist for Mosaic presents evidence suggesting that this coincidence is part of the Quran's critique of Judaism, and early Muslims were aware of this context.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1175056562.
The opening as it stood in 2025
5th chapter of the Qur'an Al-Ma'idah ( Arabic : ٱلْمَائدَة , romanized : al-Māʾidah ; lit. 'The Table [Spread with Food]' is the fifth chapter of the Quran , containing 120 verses .This name is taken from verses 112 to 115, which tell the request of the followers of Prophet 'Isa (Jesus) that Allah send down a meal from the sky as a sign of the truth of his message.Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation, it is a Medinan chapter , which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina rather than Mecca .The chapter's topics include animals which are forbidden , and Jesus 's and Moses 's missions. Verse 8 contains the passage: "Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice". Al-Tabligh Verse 67 is relevant to the Farewell Pilgrimage and Ghadir Khumm . A page from an 8th century Qur'an. The black line between the red lines is the beginning of Surah Al-Mā'idah Verses 5:32–33 have been quoted to denounce killing, by using an abbreviated form such as, "If anyone kills a person, it would be as if he killed the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people". The same formulation appears in the Mishnah in Sanhedrin . However, a columnist for Mosaic presents evidence suggesting that this coincidence is part of the Quran's critique of Judaism, and early Muslims were aware of this context.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1295330964. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “the 5th sura of the qur'an”. Today it says “fifth chapter of the quran”. Read the current article and compare.
2005
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2005, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
the 5th sura of the qur'an
Now
fifth chapter of the quran
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
