62- Surat Aljumu'ah

 

62- Surat Aljumu'ah

11 Verses  Maddani (revealed in Medina)

A'auzu Bellahi mena ash-shytani ar-rajim

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan

Bismi Ellahi Ar-rhmani Ar-rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Yousabbehuo lellahi ma fee alsamawati wa ma fee alardi, Almaleki Alquddusi Alazizi Alhakeem (1).

Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the Sovereign, the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

Huwa Allazi ba'atha fee alummiyyena rasulan minhum yatluo alaiyhim ayatehi wa youzakkehim wa you-allemuhumu alketaba wal-hekmata wa in kanuo men qabluo lafee dalalin mubeen (2).

It is He who has sent among the illiterate a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, and purifying them, and teaching them the book and the wisdom, although they were before in a clear error. 

Wa akhareena menhum lamma yalhaquo behim wa huwa alazizu alhakeem (3).

 And others of them who have not yet joined them, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

Zaleka fadlu Allahi you'tehi man yashauo wa Allahu zu alfadli alazeem (4).

That is the bounty of Allah, gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of the great bounty.

Mathalu allazina hummeluo altawrata thumma lam yahmeluha ka-mathali alhemari yahmeluo asfaran be'sa mathaluo alqawmi allazina kazzabuo be-ayati ellahi wa Allahu la yahdi alqawma alzalemeen (5).

The example of those who were charged to bear Torah, then they did not bear it, is like the donkey who carries books, wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoers people.

Qul ya-ayyuha allazina hadu in za'amtum annakum awliyauo lellahi men duoni alnasi fa-tamannawuo almawta in kuntum sadekeen (6).

Say, O you who are Jews! if you claim that you are allies of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful.

Wa-la yatamannawnahuo abadan bema qaddamat aydehim wa Allahu aleemun bel-zalemeen (7).

And they will never wish for it for what their hands have sent forth, and Allah is All-Knowing of the wrongdoers.

Qul inna almawta allazi taferruona menhu fa-innahuo mulaqekum thumma turadduna ela alemi alghaybi wa alshahadati fa-younabbe-ukum bema kuntum ta'maluon (8).

Say, indeed, the death which you flee from it, then surely will meet you, then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanuo iza nudeya lelssalati men yawmi aljumu'ati fas'aw ela zekri ellahi wa zaruo albay'a zalekum khayrun lakum in kuntum ta'lamuon (9).

O you who believed! when the call is made for prayer on the day of Friday, proceed to the remembrance of Allah, and leave selling, that is better for you if you know. 

Fa iza qudeyati alssalatuo fantasheruo fee alardi wa-btaghuo men fadli ellahi wa-zkuruo Allaha katheeran la'allakum tuoflehuon (10).

Then when the prayer is finished, then spread out in the land, and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much, so that you may succeed.

Wa iza ra'aw tejaratan aw lahwan enfadduo elaiyha wa tarakuka qa-eman qul ma enda Allahi khayrun mena allahwi wa mena altejarati wa Allahu khayruo alrazeqeen (11).

And when they see merchandise or amusement, they rushed to it, and left You standing, say, what is with Allah is better than the amusement and the merchandise, and Allah is the Best of Providers.

Simplified interpretation:

 Surat Aljumu'ah is one of the seven Surahs of the Holy Quran that begin with glorification, and Aljumu'ah is Friday in English. Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) described it as the best day on which the sun rises, and it is a very special day for Muslims where Abu Hurayrah said I heard Allah's Messenger saying "We (Muslims) are the last to come but will be the foremost on the day of resurrection though the former nations were given the Holy Scriptures before us, and this was their day (Friday) the celebration of which was made compulsory for them but they differed about it. So Allah gave us the guidance for it, and all other people are behind us in this respect, the Jew's Holy day is tomorrow (Saturday), and the Christian's holy day is the day after tomorrow (Sunday)".

 And about its virtue, Our Prophet said in narration of Abu Hurayrah "There is an hour on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while praying and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely meet his demand" and the Messenger of Allah pointed out the shortness of that time with His hands".

 Allah says in the first verse "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the Sovereign, the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise", where all creatures glorifies their Creator but man does not understand their way of glorification as mentioned in Surat Alisraa Aya (44), and Allah is the Sovereign who disposes of all creatures as He wills, and He is the Holy who is free from imperfections and described as perfection, and He is  All-Mighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, and He is All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.

 Then Allah says in the next three verses (2-4) "It is He who has sent among the illiterate a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, and purifying them, and teaching them the book and the wisdom, although they were before in a clear error,  and others of them who have not yet joined them, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise, That is the bounty of Allah, gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of the great bounty", that is, Allah sent Muhammad (PBUH) to the illiterate, who are the Arabs, to recite to them the Holy Quran, to purify them from the filth of disbelief and sins, and to teach them the Holy Quran and the jurisprudence in religion, and clarification of everything they need in the matter of their religion and their worldly life. Perhaps this verse was a response from Allah to His Prophet Ibrahim when He supplicated Allah to send a Messenger to the people of Mecca from among them as mentioned in Surat Albaqarah Aya (129). Before the message of the Prophet Muhammad, they were in a clear error as they worshiped idols except for a very few of the people of the scripture such as Waraqah Bin Naufil as mentioned in the interpretation of Surat Almuddaththir. 

 The Message of the Prophet Muhammad is not only for the Arabs, but for the whole world, for all those who will come after them whether they are Arabs or Non-Arabs, where Abu Hurayrah said "While we were sitting with the Prophet (PBUH), Surat Aljumu'ah was revealed and when "And others of them who have not yet joined them" was recited by the Prophet, I said "Who are they, O Allah's Messenger?, the Prophet did not reply till I repeated my question thrice. At that time, Salman Alfarisi was with us, so Allah's Messenger put His hand on Salman saying "If faith were at Althuraya (The high star), even then some men or man from these people (Salman) would attain it". Salman was not an Arab, but he was a Persian from Isfahan (Iran), and because the Message of Allah's Messenger was to the whole world, He wrote letters to Persians, Romans, and other nations, inviting them to Islam. Then Allah says that He is All-Mighty, All-Wise in His Punishment, and His destiny as mentioned above. That is the bounty of Allah for what He gave Muhammad (PBUH) of the great Prophecy, and for what He singled out for His Ummah from His great Message to them, and Allah gives His bounty to whom He wills, and He is the Possessor of the great bounty. 

 And Allah says in the next two verses (5,6) "The example of those who were charged to bear Torah, then they did not bear it, is like the donkey who carries books, wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoers people, say, O you who are Jews! if you claim that you are allies of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful", where Allah likens the Jews to a donkey that carries books on its back and does not know what is in it, and does not benefit from it, where they also carried the Torah and did not benefit from it, and did not act according to it, so how wretched is the example of the people who deny Allah's signs although it is present clearly before their eyes, so Allah does not guide the wrongdoers who wronged themselves with disbelief and tyranny. Then Allah commanded His Messenger to say to them, if you claim that you are allies of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful, where as Allah says in Surat Alma'idah Aya (18) 'And the Jews and the Christians say, we are the children of Allah and His beloved", that is because if they were truthful, they would wish for death because Allah does not punish His allies and His beloved.

 Thereupon, Allah refutes their claim in the next verse (7) and says "And they will never wish for it for what their hands have sent forth, and Allah is All-Knowing of the wrongdoers", this verse is the same of Aya (95) of Surat Albaqarah, and it was a challenge from Allah to them, because they know what their hands have sent forth from disbelief, denial, and sins, so they will never wish for death, and Allah is All-knowing of those who wronged themselves by their disbelief. 

 Once again, Allah commanded His Prophet in the next verse (8) to assures them that the death will inevitably happen, and they will return to the One who knows everything that His servants see, and what is hidden from them, and nothing is hidden from Him, and He will inform them about their deeds in the worldly life of good and evil "Say, indeed, the death which you flee from it, then surely will meet you, then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do".

 Then Allah addresses the believers in the next verse (9) and says "O you who believed! when the call is made for prayer on the day of Friday, proceed to the remembrance of Allah, and leave selling, that is better for you if you know", that is, Allah commanded Muslim men to proceed to the remembrance of Allah when they heard the call of Friday prayer, and to leave off all business. They are commanded to proceed not to hasten in walk for Our Prophet said in narration of Abu Hurayrah "If the prayer is started do not run for it, but just walk for it calmly and pray whatever you get, and complete whatever is missed". The earlier a person goes to Friday prayer, the better the reward, where Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abu Hurayrah "Any person who takes a bath on Friday like the bath of Janabah, and then goes for the prayer in the first hour (early), it is as if he had sacrificed a camel (in the way of Allah), and whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he had sacrificed a cow, and whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he had sacrificed a horned ram, and if one goes in the fourth hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a hen, and whoever goes in the fifth hour, it is as if he had offered an egg, when the Imam comes out (starts delivering the sermon (Khutbah) the Angels presents themselves to listen to the Khutbah", and in another narration He said that the Angels fold their papers and listen to Khutbah. 

 On Friday, it is desirable for Muslim men to take bath, to wear their best clothes, and to use perfumes for Our Prophet said in narration of Salman Alfarisi "Whoever takes a bath on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses his hair oil, or perfumes himself with the scent of his house, then proceeds (for Friday prayer) and does not separate two persons sitting together (in the Mosque) then prays as much as written for him, and then remains silent while the Imam is delivering the sermon, his sins in-between the present Friday and the last Friday would be forgiven". It is not permissible to speak during the Khutbah as Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abu Hurayrah "When the Imam is delivering the Khutbah, and you ask your companion to keep quiet and listen, then no doubt you have done an evil act". 

 

 Leaving selling, and going to Friday prayer and remembrance of Allah is better in the worldly life, and in the hereafter, and Allah has permitted them, after the end of the prayer, to spread out on the earth to fulfill their needs, and to seek Allah's grace, and He commanded them to remember Him often, so that they may be successful as mentioned in Aya (10) "Then when the prayer is finished, then spread out in the land, and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much, so that you may succeed".

 And Allah says in the last verse (11) "And when they see merchandise or amusement, they rushed to it, and left You standing, say, what is with Allah is better than the amusement and the merchandise, and Allah is the Best of Providers", where as narrated by Jabir Bin Abdullah "While we were praying (Jumu'ah) with the Prophet (PBUH), some camels loaded with food, arrived (from Sham). The people diverted their attention towards the camels (and left the Mosque), and only twelve persons remained with the Prophet, so this verse was revealed "And when they see merchandise or amusement, they rushed to it, and left You standing", thereupon, Allah commanded His Messenger to say to them that what is with Allah is better than the amusement and the merchandise, that is, whoever sits listen to the sermon of Allah's Messenger on Friday until He finishes it, is better for him than the amusement and the trade (merchandise) that they turn to, and Allah is the Best of Providers where none can provide sustenance like Him, nor can bless with the same as His blessings, so He provides those who trust him, obey him, and seek sustenance in obedience to Him.

No one Knows its interpretation except Allah