And His words: “Is it the judgment of jahiliyyah that they desire…?” The verse continues: “And who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who are certain.” (al-Maʾidah 5:50)

— afahukma: an interrogative used for denunciation.
— jahiliyyah: whatever preceded Islam; indeed, everything that conflicts with Islam falls under jahiliyyah.
— yabghūn: they seek.
— wa-man: meaning “no one.”
— “better in judgment than Allah”: a superlative expressing an unmatched excellence to which no one else lays claim.
— “for a people who are certain”: that is, in the estimation of those possessed of certainty, for they are the ones who reflect on realities and know that no judgment surpasses Allah’s.

Overall meaning of the verse: The Exalted rebukes anyone who abandons Allah’s judgment—which comprises every good and justice and forbids every evil—for the opinions, whims, and conventions devised by men without any foundation in the revealed law, just as the people of jahiliyyah ruled by their misguidance, ignorance, and tribal customs.

Relevance of the verse to this chapter: Whoever seeks any judgment other than Allah’s—be it secular systems or man-made statutes—has in fact sought the judgment of jahiliyyah.

Lessons derived from the verse:

1. The obligation to govern and decide matters by the Sharia of Allah.