Qur'an and Tafsir, Surah 62
الجمعة
Friday, the day of gathering
A caravan rolled into town mid-sermon. Almost everyone walked out.
11 ayat, Madinan, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Madinah
The Muslims of Madinah grew up with no scripture. Now they have a teacher and a book.
There are also people who have had a book for centuries.
And the town is hungry. Food comes by caravan.
Journey map
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:2The surah begins with what Madinah has just been given.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي ٱلۡأُمِّيِّـۧنَ رَسُولࣱا مِّنۡهُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِي ضَلَٰلࣲ مُّبِينࣲ ٢
2 It is He who has sent among the unlettered [Arabs] a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom [i.e., the sunnah] - although they were before in clear error -
The word
The Arabic is ummi: people who could not read a book and had no scripture. Yet the messenger's three jobs are all about knowledge. The detail shows how unlikely the outcome was.
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:3Then the circle widens.
وَءَاخَرِينَ مِنۡهُمۡ لَمَّا يَلۡحَقُواْ بِهِمۡۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٣
3 And [to] others of them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
The story behind it
Who are the others? Three times the Prophet ﷺ is asked. He puts his hand on Salman the Persian. If faith were as far as the Pleiades, he says, men from these people would reach it.
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:5A gift can be wasted. The surah shows how.
مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ حُمِّلُواْ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةَ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَحۡمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡحِمَارِ يَحۡمِلُ أَسۡفَارَۢاۚ بِئۡسَ مَثَلُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٥
5 The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allāh. And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
A closer look
A donkey carries books. It feels the weight and knows nothing of the words. The people in the picture come out worse, says Ibn Kathir: the donkey could not have understood. They could.
A closer look
The donkey carrying books is about people entrusted with the Torah. The commentators do not leave it there. It fits, they say, any scholar who knows and does not act.
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:8Those sure of Paradise are asked to wish for death. They do not. Then:
قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنۡهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مُلَٰقِيكُمۡۖ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٨
8 Say, "Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do."
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:9So here is the test. It is small.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوۡمِ ٱلۡجُمُعَةِ فَٱسۡعَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُواْ ٱلۡبَيۡعَۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرࣰ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٩
9 O you who have believed, when [the adhān] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.
How translators put it
One translation says "hasten", the other "proceed". The Prophet ﷺ told people not to rush to prayer. Al-Hasan al-Basri said this hastening is done not with the feet but with the heart.
A closer look
Jumu'ah means gathering. Ibn Kathir says the day's older name was 'Arubah. A hadith sets three days side by side: Friday, then Saturday for the Jews, then Sunday for the Christians.
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:10The pause is short. The market is handed straight back.
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرࣱا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠
10 And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allāh, and remember Allāh often that you may succeed.
One Friday in Madinah
The Prophet ﷺ is standing, giving the sermon. A drum sounds: a caravan from Syria is in. The reports say the town was hungry. The people get up and go.
The story behind it
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah was there. Only twelve men remained, he says. His report is in al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Al-Jumu‘ah 62:11The surah keeps the moment, and answers it in one sentence.
وَإِذَا رَأَوۡاْ تِجَٰرَةً أَوۡ لَهۡوًا ٱنفَضُّوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَآئِمࣱاۚ قُلۡ مَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيۡرࣰ مِّنَ ٱللَّهۡوِ وَمِنَ ٱلتِّجَٰرَةِۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ ١١
11 But [on one occasion] when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muḥammad], they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, "What is with Allāh is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allāh is the best of providers."
A closer look
No one is cast out. The people who ran for food are told one thing: it comes from the One they walked out on.
Reflect, just for you
Virtue of the surah
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite Surah al-Jumu'ah and Surah al-Munafiqun in the Friday prayer.
Sahih Muslim, from Ibn 'Abbas and Abu Hurayrah, as cited in Tafsir Ibn Kathir (which gives no number)
Sahih (authentic)Recorded in Sahih Muslim, according to Ibn Kathir
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
A caravan rolled into town mid-sermon. Almost everyone walked out.