Indexed OCR Text

441
Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 10 - 14
reference to the currently published Bibles, and rebuts their doubts and
allays their suspicions.
Verse 10 - 14
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا هَلْ آَدُلُّكُمْ عَلى تِجَارَةٍ تُنُجِيْكُمُ مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيْمِ
﴿١٠﴾ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُوْنَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ
وَ اَنْفُسِكُمُ ﴿ ذلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ ﴿١١﴾ يَغْفِرْلَكُمُ
ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَيُدْخِلُ كُمْ جَنْتٍ تَجْرِىُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهُ وَمَسْكِنَ
طََّةً فِى جَنْتِ عَدْنٍ ﴿ ذلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿١٢﴾ وَأُخْرِى تُحِبُّوْنَهَا ،
نَضَرٌمِّنَ اللّهِ وَفَتُحْ قَرِيْبٌ ، وَبَشِّرِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٣﴾ ◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا
كُوْنُوا أَنْصَارَ اللهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيْسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّنَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِىٌّ
إِلَى اللهِ ، قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللّهِ فَامَنَتْ طَّائِفَةٌ مِّنُ يَنِىِّ
إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَتْ طَائِفَةٌ، فَيَّدْنَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا عَلى عَدُوِّهِمْ
فَأَصُبَحُوُا ظِهِرِيْنَ ﴿٤﴾
O those who believe, shall I tell you about a trade that
saves you from a painful punishment? [10] (It is that)
you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and carry out
jihad in His way with your riches and your lives. That
is much better for you, if you but know. [11] (If you do
this,) He will forgive for you your sins, and will admit
you to gardens beneath which rivers flow, and to
pleasant dwellings in gardens of eternity. That is the
great achievement. [12] And (He will give you) another
thing that you love: Help from Allah, and a victory,
near at hand. [13] O those who believe, be supporters of
(the religion of) Allah, just as 'Isa, son of Maryam, said
to the Disciples, "Who are my supporters towards
Allah?" The Disciples said, "We are the supporters of
(the religion of) Allah." So a group from the children of
Isra'il believed, and another group disbelieved. Then We
supported those who believed against their enemy, and
they became victorious. [14]

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Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 10 - 14
Commentary
you believe in Allah ... ) تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمُ
and His Messenger, and carry out jihad in His way with your riches and
your lives .... 61:11) This verse refers to 'faith and jihad (struggle) in
Allah's way with one's wealth and life' as a trade, because when man
invests wealth in trade and works hard, he gains profit. Likewise, when
man believes in Allah and invests his life and wealth in His cause, he
incurs Allah's pleasure and attains the eternal blessings of the Hereafter,
which is mentioned in the forthcoming verse that whoever carries out this
trade, Allah will forgive his sins and provide him with dwellings in the
Gardens of Eternity with all sorts of luxuries and comforts, as is
mentioned by the Holy Prophet
in explanation of 'pleasant dwellings'.
Alongside the blessings of the Hereafter, the next verse promises some
blessings of this world too:
And [He will give you] another thing) وَأُخْرى تُحِبُّونَهَا - نَصُرٌ مِّنَ اللهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيْبٌ
that you love: Help from Allah, and a victory, near at hand ... 61:13) This
verse adds that the blessings of this trade are not restricted to the
Hereafter. There is one blessing that will be granted right here in this
world, which is the Divine help and an imminent victory, that is,
conquests of enemy territories. If the word garib (near) is taken as the
opposite of Hereafter, it would include all later Islamic conquests of Arab
and non-Arab territories. And if the word qarib (near) is taken in its
normal sense, it would, in the first instance, apply to the conquest of
Khaibar, and in the second instance it would apply to the Conquest of
Makkah. This 'near victory' is referred to as ts "that you love". It
implies that this worldly blessing is dear to man, because he is by nature
haste-prone as the Qur'an says وَكَانَ الإِنسَانُ عَجُوْلًا " ... and man is prone to
haste. [17:11] This, however, does not imply that the blessings of the
Hereafter are not dear to him. It simply means that the love of seeking
the blessings of the Hereafter is quite obvious, but he naturally would
love to have the blessings of this world as well. They too will be granted to
him.
,just as Isa, son of Maryam ... ) كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيّنَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِىٌّ إِلَى اللهِ
said to the Disciples, "Who are my supporters towards Allah?" ... [61:14]"
The word Sf's hawariyyin is the plural of hawariyy which connotes a
'sincere friend who is free from any kind of adulteration' [Ruh-ul-Ma'ani,

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Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 10 - 14
referring to Azhari]. This is the reason why people who believed in Prophet
Jesus Meg are called hawariyy. They were twelve in number, as is
already discussed in Surah 'Al-'Imran. This verse refers to an incident of
Prophet 'Isa full and urges the Muslims to gird up their loins to
unselfishly help and support the religion of Allah, as when Prophet 'Isa
was hurt by the enemies, he asked his disciples ◌ِمَنُ انْصَارِىِّ إِلَى اللَّه "Who
are my supporters towards Allah?" ... [14] In other words, 'who will help
and support me in propagating the religion of Allah?' Twelve people
volunteered and pledged to his loyalty and helped him in preaching the
religion. Following this example, the Muslims ought to help and support
Allah's religion. The blessed Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
followed this example to the fullest extent, and acted upon this
command to the highest degree, so much so that the example of the Holy
Prophets' Companions stands unparalleled in the history of other
ummahs. They helped the Holy Prophet
and, in the process, incurred
the wrath and enmity of Arab and non-Arab communities for the sake of
Allah's religion. They bore their tortures and persecution. They dedicated
their lives, wealth and children to the cause. Eventually, Allah granted
them help and victory. He granted them triumph and mastery of the
world, and the territories of the enemies fell into their hands.
Three Groups of Christians
فَامَنَتُ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنُ بَنِىِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَتْ طَّائِفَةٌ فَأَيَدْنَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا عَلى عَدُوِّهِمْ
فَأَصْبَحُوا ظُهِرِيُنَ
(So, a group from the children of Isra'il believed, and another
group disbelieved. Then We supported those who believed
against their enemy, and they became victorious ... 61:14)
Baghawi interprets this verse in the light of a narration of Sayyidna
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas
that when Prophet 'Isa Scel was raised to the
heaven, his followers disagreed and became three groups. A group
claimed that He was Himself God who went back to the heaven. The
second group claimed that He Himself was not God, but God's son. God
lifted him up and salvaged him from the enemies and granted him
superiority. The third group proclaimed the truth and said that he was
neither god nor the son of god, but he was Allah's servant and His
Messenger. Allah took him away to the heaven to protect him from the
enemies, and to raise his status. These people were the true believers.

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Surah Aş-Şaff : 61 : 10 - 14
Different sectors of the general public attached themselves to each one of
these groups. The groups clashed with one another. The two of the
non-believing groups overpowered the third group, which was a group of
true believers. Eventually, Allah raised the Final Messenger of Allah
$
who supported the group of the true believers. This group thus dominated
the others because of their correct belief and its solid proofs confirmed by
the Qur'an. [Mazhari].
In this interpretation, the phrase الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا "those who believed [14]"
would refer to the believers of the Ummah of the Prophet 'Isa Seal who
would triumph against the unbelievers with the help and support of the
Final Messenger
. [Mazhari]. Some scholars hold that when Prophet 'Isa
was raised to the heaven, his followers were divided into two groups.
One of them believed that he was God or God's son and thus they became
polytheists. The other group believed that he was the servant of Allah
and His Messenger, and thus they stuck to the right religion. Then there
was a war between the believers and the unbelievers. Allah granted
victory to the believing faction of Prophet 'Isa Mee against the
unbelieving faction. But it is popularly understood that in the religion of
Prophet 'Isa See the institution of jihad did not exist. Therefore, it is
inconceivable that believers would have waged a war. [Ruh-ul-Ma'ani].
However, it is possible that the unbelieving Christians might have started
the war and the believing Christians were forced to defend themselves.
This will not fall under the category of war.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Aş-Şaff
Ends here

445
Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 1 - 8
Surah Al-Jumu'ah
(The Friday)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 11 verses and 2 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 8
يُسَبِّحُ لِلّهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوْتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوُسِ الْعَزِيْزِ
الْحَكِيْمِ ﴿١) هُوَالَّذِىُ بَعَثَ فِى الْأُمِّنَ رَسُوْلًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ
أَيُِّهِ وَيُزَكِّيُهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتْبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ، وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ
لَفِىُ ضَلَلٍ مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿٤﴾ وَآخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمُ ، وَهُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ
الْحَكِيْمُ ﴿٣﴾ ذلِكَ فَضْلُ اللّهِ يُؤْتِيُهِ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ، وَاللهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ
الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٤﴾ مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرنةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوْهَا كَمَثَلِ
الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا" بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوا بِئْتِ اللّهِءُ
وَاللهُ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظُّلِمِينَ ﴿﴿ قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ هَادُوا إِنْ زَعَمُتُمُ
أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ لِلْهِ مِنْ دُوْنِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ صدِقِيْنَ
، وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتُ أَيْدِيُهِمُ - وَاللّهُ عَلِيُمٌ بِالظُّلِمِيْنَ
قُلُ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِىُ تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلِقِيْكُمْ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلى
عِلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمُ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 1 - 8
proclaim the purity of Allah, the Sovereign, the
Supreme in Holiness, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [1] He
is the One who raised amidst the unlettered people a
messenger from among themselves who recites to them
His verses, and purifies them, and teaches them the
Book and the wisdom, although they were in an open
error before. [2] And (this Messenger is sent also) to
others of them who did not join them so far, and He is
the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [3] That is Allah's bounty
that He gives to whomsoever He wills, and Allah is the
Lord of the great bounty. [4] The example of those who
were ordered to bear (the responsibility of acting upon)
the Torah, then they did not bear it, is like a donkey
that carries a load of books. Evil is the example of those
who have rejected the verses of Allah. And Allah does
not guide the wrongdoing people. [5] Say, "O those who
are Jews, if you claim that you are the friends of Allah
to the exclusion of all other people, then express your
desire for death, if you are true. [6] And they will never
express this desire, because of what their hands have
sent ahead. And Allah is fully aware of the wrongdoers.
[7] Say, "Indeed, the death from which you (try to) run
away has to visit you, then you will be sent back to the
Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will tell you
what you used to do. [8]
Commentary
All that is in the heavens and all that is) يُسَبِّحُ لِلْهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ
in the earth proclaim the purity of Allah, ... 62:1] Surahs of the Qur'an that
begin with 'sabbaha' or 'yusabbihu' [proclaiming Allah's purity] are called
Musabbihat, in all of which it is established that everything in the
heaven and earth proclaims the purity of Allah.
That all creatures in the heavens and the earth declare the purity of
Allah in a symbolic way is understandable. Everyone may understand
that every single particle created by Allah bears testimony to the wisdom
and power of the Wise Creator in their circumstantial language, which is
their tasbih (proclamation). However, the fact is that, every thing
proclaims tasbih in its real sense in its own way, because Allah has
bestowed some sort of sense and perception to every particle of this
universe, even to stones and trees, according to their ability. Since the
first demand upon sense and perception is to recognize its Creator and
Maker, and glorify Him, therefore, it is not far-fetched to conceive that

447
Surah Al-Jumu‘ah: 62 : 1 - 8
everything in nature really declares the purity of Allah in its own peculiar
language, though human ears might not be able to hear it. Thus the
Qur'an on one occasion says: ◌ُوَلكِنْ لَّا تَفْقَهُوُنَ تَسُبِيحَهُم ( ... but you do not
understand their extolling ... [17:44] At the commencement of most
Surahs called Musabbihat the past indefinite tense sabbaha is employed.
Only at the beginning of Surahs Al-Jumu'ah and At-Taghabun the
present form yusabbihu is used. The different forms at the beginning of
different Surah have fresh rhetorical elegance and refinement. The past
tense connotes certitude, and therefore mostly this tense has been used.
The present form connotes continuity, which is employed in two places for
this purpose.
He is the One who raised amidst the) هُوَ الَّذِىُ بَعَثَ فِى الْأُمِّنَ رَسُوْلًا مِّنْهُمُ
unlettered people a messenger from among themselves ... 62:2) The word
ummiyyin is the plural of ummiyy, which denotes 'unlettered'. The Arabs
were known by this title, because they did not know how to read and
write. Very few of them had the knowledge of reading and writing. The
Arabs in this verse are specially referred to in order to express the great
power of Allah. The Holy Prophet ag is also sent amongst them, who is
himself unlettered. The duties and reformative functions of a Prophet [as
set out in the forthcoming verse] are based on knowledge and education.
These reforms are such that no unlettered individual can ever teach
them, nor is it possible for an unlettered nation to learn. It was only
through the Divine Supreme Power and the miracle of the Messenger of
Allah
that when these reforms started, great scholars, intellectuals,
men of letters, savants and sages were born among the unlettered people,
and their knowledge, wisdom, sagacity and erudition was recognized by
the entire world.
The Three Objectives of the Advent of the Prophet
,to recite His verses to them ... ) يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ اليتهِ وَيُزَكِيُهِمُ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتْبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
and to make them pure, and to teach them the Book and the
Wisdom .... 62:2) In the context of the Divine blessings bestowed to the
mankind, three qualities of the Holy Prophet
have been mentioned.
One, to recite the verses of the Qur'an to his Ummah. Two, to purify them
of all the outer and inner defilements. This includes outer purification
that relates to one's body and dress, and also the inner purification that
relates to one's faith, actions and moral attitude. Three, to teach the Book

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 1 - 8
and the wisdom. These three factors are Divine blessings to the mankind
on the one hand, and these are the basic objectives and the terms of
reference of the Holy Prophet
for which he was sent to this world.
to recite His verses to them) The word tilawah lexically ... ) يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ ايته
signifies 'to follow, to obey' but in the terminology of the Qur'an, it
signifies 'recitation or reading of the Divine Words'. The word 'ayat refers
to the verses of the Qur'an. The prepositional phrase 'alaihim [to them]
signifies that one of the objectives or duties of the Prophet g is to recite
the verses of the Qur'an to the people.
In the current verse, the second objective of the Holy Prophet
¿ is to:
" (make them pure) which is derived from tazkiyah and it means 'to
make pure'. Often it is used exclusively for inner cleanliness, that is, to be
free from such inner adulterating matter as kufr, shirk and free from
inner moral defilement. But occasionally, it is used in the general sense of
both outer and inner cleanliness. Probably, in this context it is used in the
general sense of the term.
(62:2 ... to teach them the Book and the Wisdom ... ) يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتْبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
The word al-Kitab refers to the Holy Qur'an, and the word al-hikmah
refers to all the teachings and guidance that have been received from the
Messenger of Allah
orally or practically. As a result, many of the
commentators have interpreted the word hikmah as the Approved Way
[Sunnah of the Holy Prophet g].
A Question and its Answer
A question arises here that the natural order of wording in the verse
should have been thus: [1] recitation or teaching of words; followed by [2]
teaching of meaning; and consequently [3] making pure by inculcating
righteous deeds and high morals. However, in most places the Qur'an has
changed the sequence by inserting '[3] tazkiyah or making pure' between
'[1] tilawah (recitation) and '[2] ta'lim (teaching). Ruh-ul-Ma'ani explains
that if the natural order of wording were to be maintained in all verses,
all three elements would have combined together and become 'one', as it
happens in pharmaceutical mixing of many substances, the aggregate of
which loses the separate identity of each element, and becomes a single
'compound' whereas probably Allah wanted to maintain separate
identities of the Divine blessings and the three Prophetic duties separately

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 1 - 8
identifiable. By changing the natural order in most places, the Holy
Qur'an has probably alluded to this fact.
Please see Ma'arif-ul-Qur'an Vol. 1/pp 331-343, under the Surah Al-Baqarah
Verse 129, for fuller explanation of this verse.
[And [this Messenger is sent also ... ) وَآخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمُ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ ﴿ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيمُ
to others of them who did not join them so far. And He is the All-mighty,
the All-wise ... 62:3) The word 'akharin means 'other people' and the
phrase & lead " means 'those people who have not yet joined the
unlettered people'. This refers to all those Muslims who will enter the fold
of Islam until the Last Hour [as transmitted by Ibn Zaid, Mujahid and
others]. This indicates that the succeeding generations of Muslims will be
appended to the earlier generations of believers, that is, the noble
Companions. This is great good news for the succeeding generations of
Muslims. [Ruh].
Grammatically, there are two views regarding the conjoining of the
word 'akharin. One view holds that it is conjoined to ummiyyin and it
means that 'Allah has sent his Messenger among the unlettered people
and also among those who have not yet joined them'. Sending the
Prophet among the present unlettered people is quite obvious, but
'sending him among those who have not yet come' needs explanation.
Bayan-ul-Qur'an explains that 'sending among them' stands for 'sending
for them' because the preposition fi in Arabic is also used in the sense of
'for'. According to some other grammarians, however, the word 'akharin is
conjoined to the objective pronoun him attached to the verb
yu'allimu-hum, in which case the interpretation would be 'the Prophet
teaches the unlettered people and also the people who have not joined
them so far'. [Mazhari prefers the latter interpretation].
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
narrates, as recorded in Bukhari and
Muslim, that they were sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet
when Surah Al-Jumu'ah was revealed. He recited it to them, and when
he reached the verse ◌ْوَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِم ( ... and others of them who have
not joined them so far ... 62:3) they asked him who are these 'others'. He
remained silent. They asked him the second time and he remained silent.
They asked him the third time, and he put his blessed hand on the back

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 1 - 8
of Sayyidna Salman Al-Farisi 4% [who was at that time in the gathering]
and said: "If faith were on Pleiades, even then some men or a man from
these people would attain it." [Mazhari]. This narration does not specify
people of Persia, but it does prove that they are included in the general
sense of 'others'. This narration speaks greatly of all non-Arabs who
embrace Islam. [Mazharī].
The example of those) مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوريةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوُهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا
who were ordered to bear (the responsibility of acting upon) the Torah,
then they did not bear it, is like a donkey that carries a load of books ... 5)
The word asfar is the plural of sifr, which means a 'large book'. The
preceding verses described that the Holy Prophet
was raised up among
the unlettered people having three main objectives of his mission. The
previous Divine Book Torah described the Holy Prophet
almost with
the same qualities as are described in the Qur'an, which required that as
soon as the Jews saw the Holy Prophet , they should have recognized
him and believed in him. But the material position and possessions
blinded them to the teachings of Torah. Despite their knowledge of Torah,
they acted as practical ignoramus. The verse describes their block-headed
behaviour with the example of a donkey loaded with weighty tomes. The
donkey carries its loads, but it is neither aware of its subject-matter, nor
does it benefit by it. Similarly, the Jews carry around the Torah for
material gains and to seek position and status among people, but they do
not benefit by its guidance.
The Example of a Non-Practicing Scholar
Commentators have stated that the example given by the verse for
Jews applies to any religious scholar who does not act upon his
knowledge. A Persian poet has put it thus:
نه محقق بود نه دانش مند ..... چار پائے برو کتا بے چند
'He is neither a scholar, nor a knowledgeable person.
He is but an animal of four legs, carrying the load of some
books'
قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ هَادُوا إِنْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ لِلْهِ مِنْ دُوْنِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ
كُنْتُمْ ضدِقِیْنَ
(Say, "O those who are Jews, if you claim that you are the

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friends of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then express
your desire for death, if you are true ... 62:6)
Despite their kufr, shirk and moral aberration, the Jews claimed
We are the sons of Allah and His favourites) [5:18] and ... ) أَبْنَاؤُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاُه
they also claimed لَنْ يَّدُخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا ( ... no one shall ever enter
Paradise unless he is a Jew) [2:111] In other words, they believed
themselves to be safe and immune from the punishment of the Hereafter,
and thought that the blessings of Paradise are their personal property.
Obviously, if a person believes that the blessings of the Hereafter are a
zillion times better than the blessings of this world, he must, of necessity,
wish for death, so that he is able to enter Paradise sooner and start
enjoying its blessings forthwith. He sees with his own eyes that this world
is not free from miseries, sorrows and hardships and one has to suffer
from certain diseases as long as he is living here. Then if he believes that,
as soon as he dies, he will certainly receive those numerous and eternal
blessings, a wise man should naturally wish for death in his heart, so that
he may be set free from this miserable world and reach the next world
where he will reside for ever in eternal peace and comfort. That is why
the Messenger of Allah
is instructed in the present verse to challenge
the Jews that if they are Allah's children and His beloved ones and they
do not have any fear of punishment in the Hereafter, then the reason
demands that they should wish for death. Then the Holy Qur'an itself
falsified them in the following words:
,And they will never express this desire) وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوُنَهُ، أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتُ أَيْدِيُهِمُ
because of what their hands have sent ahead ... 62:7) In other words, they
will not wish for death because of the kufr and shirk and the evil deeds
they have committed . They fully know that there will be nothing for
them in the Hereafter but the punishment of Hell. Their claim that they
are Allah's children and His loved ones is absolutely false, a claim that
they themselves know is false. They make such claims for worldly and
material gains. They also know that if they accept the Holy Prophet's
challenge and invoke death upon themselves, it would be readily accepted
and they would die instantly. Being convinced of the falsity of their
position, the Jews will refuse to accept the challenge. A Prophetic

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 1 - 8
Tradition reports that the Messenger of Allah
has stated that if any
one of them at that time had wished for death, he would have died
instantly. [Ruh]
Is Longing for Death Permissible?
This subject has been fully discussed in Surah Al-Baqarah. Traditions
forbid anyone to wish for death. The most important reason behind this is
that no one has the right to believe that as soon as he dies, he will
certainly enter Paradise and will have no fear of any punishment.
Wishing for death in such a state of mind is tantamount to show bravery
before Allah.
Say , "Indeed, the death from which you) قُلُ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِىُ تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهَ مُلِقِيْكُمْ
[try to] run away has to visit you, ... 62:8) In other words, the Jews'
running away from longing for death despite their aforesaid claim is
tantamount to running away from death itself. The Holy Prophet
is
instructed in the verse to tell them that the death from which they are
fleeing would inevitably catch up with them. If that would not happen
instantly, it would certainly happen sometime later. Thus it is impossible
for anyone to avoid or avert death in any way.
Laws pertaining to Avoiding the Causes of Death
There are many normal causes of death, from which both reason and
Shari'ah require man to avoid. Once the Holy Prophet
passed under a
bent wall [as if it was about to fall down or collapse] and he passed it
quickly, lest it should fall down or collapse on him. Likewise, if fire breaks
out at some place, both reason and Shari'ah dictate that one should run
away from there. These circumstances of fleeing from death do not fall
under fleeing from death denounced in the above verse, if our faith is
sound and we believe that when the predetermined time of our death will
approach, we will not be able to escape. Since we do not know for sure
whether fire, or poison, or some other obnoxious thing will be the destined
cause of our death in a particular situation, running away from them
would not amount to fleeing from death that is denounced in the verse.
As far as bubonic plague or epidemic is concerned, it is a separate
issue. The details appear in books of jurisprudence and Hadith which may
be consulted. The author of Ruh-ul-Ma'ani has on this, occasion discussed

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 9 - 11
this issue exhaustively and clarified it to a great degree. Some of its
details have already been given in this book under the verses 2:243 to
244. See vol. 1, pp. 619-622.
Verses 9 - 11
يَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ أمَنُوا إِذَا نُوُدِىَ لِلصَّلوةِ مِنْ يَّوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلى
ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤﴾ فَإِذَا
قُضِيَتِ الصَّلْوةُ فَانْتَشِرُوْا فِى الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللهِ
وَاذْكُرُوا اللّهَ كَثِيْرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ ﴿١٠﴾ وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهُوَ
إِنْفَضُّوْا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوُكَ قَائِمًا ، قُلُ مَا عِنْدَ اللّهِ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهُوِ وَمِنَ
التِجَارَةِ ﴿ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الرَّزِقِيْنَ.
ع
O you who believe, when the call for salah (prayer) is
proclaimed on Friday, hasten for the remembrance of
Allah, and leave off business. That is much better for
you, if you but know. [9] Then once the salah is finished,
disperse in the land, and seek the grace of Allah. And
remember Allah much, so that you may be successful.
[10] And when they see some merchandise or
amusement, they break away to it, and leave you
standing. Say, "What is with Allah is much better than
the amusement and the merchandise, and Allah is the
best giver of sustenance." [11]
Commentary
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا إِذَا نُوْدِىَ لِلصَّلْوَةِ مِنْ يَّوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ
O you who believe, when the call for salah (prayer) is
proclaimed on Friday, hasten for the remembrance of Allah, and
leave off business .... [62:9]
The Arabic word for Friday is 'Yaum-ul-Jumu'ah' and is so called
because it is the day of congregation for Muslims. Allah created the
heavens, the earth and the entire universe in six days, and Friday was
the last day when the creation was completed. Prophet 'Adam 2 was
created on that day; he was admitted into Paradise on that day; he was

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sent down to the earth on that day; the Last Hour or the Day of
Resurrection will occur on that day; and on the same day there is a
moment when supplications are readily accepted. All this is established on
the authority of authentic Traditions. [Ibn Kathir]
Allah had appointed Friday as the day of congregation and festivity
for the people, but the previous nations were not fortunate enough to
appoint it as their sacred day. The Jews regarded Saturday as their day
of congregation. The Christians made Sunday their day of congregation.
Allah gave this Ummah the ability to elect Friday as their day of
congregation. {as transmitted by Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu
Hurairah 4% as quoted by Ibn Kathir]
During the Days of Ignorance, Friday was known as
'Yaum-ul-'Arubah'. The first Arab to change the name of this day to
'Yaum-ul-Jumu'ah' was Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy. The Quraish used to gather or
congregate on this day, and Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy used to deliver his sermon.
This happened 560 years before the advent of the Holy Prophet
. Ka'b
Ibn Lu'ayy was among the Holy Prophet's
forefathers. Even during
the Days of Ignorance, Allah had kept him away from idol worship and
granted him the ability to believe in the Oneness of Allah. He had also
given people the glad tidings of the advent of the Holy Prophet . His
greatness among Quraish may be judged from the fact that the year of
his death, which occurred 560 years before the Holy Prophet 23, was
marked as the new calendar era for computation of dates. In Arabia, at
first the calendar era was established when Ka'bah was built and dates
were computed accordingly. Then Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy's death marked
another era, and the dates were computed on that basis. When the Event
of the Elephant occurred in the year of the birth of the Holy Prophet
,
that set in a new era of Arab calendar, and the dates were computed
accordingly. In sum, the importance of 'Yaum-ul-Jumu'ah' had been
recognized in Arabia before Islam in the time of Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy, to
whom is ascribed the naming of the day as 'Yaum-ul-Jumu'ah'. [Mazhar]]
According to some narrations, the Ansar of Madinah used to gather and
pray, before migration, on Friday before Jumu'ah prayer became
obligatory, and they organized this on the basis of their own Ijtihad
(assessment). [as transmitted by Abd-ur-Razzaq with an authentic chain of

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 9 - 11
narrators on the authority of Muhammad Ibn Sirin, as quoted by Mazhari]
when the call for salah (prayer) is ... ) إِذَا نُوْدِىَ لِلصَّلوةِ مِنُ يَّوْمِ الْجُمُعَةٍ
proclaimed on Friday, hasten for the remembrance of Allah, and leave off
business ... 62:9) The word nida' refers to adhan or call for prayer. In the
sentence ◌ِفَاسْعَوْا إِلى ذِكُرِ اللَّه ( ... hasten to Allah's remembrance ... ) the word say
means to 'run or rush' as well as to 'take care of a task consciously'. In this
context, the word is used in the latter sense, because the Holy Prophet
has prohibited to go to prayer running or walking quickly. He said when
anyone hears the iqamah, he should proceed to offer the prayer with
calmness and dignity. The verse implies that when believers are called to
prayer on the Day of Jumu'ah, they should proceed to the remembrance
of Allah, that is, they should carefully go to the mosque for Jumu'ah
prayer and its Sermon. Just as a person running towards something does
not pay heed to anything else, a Muslim should not pay attention, after
the call, to anything besides adhan and khutbah. [Ibn Kathir]. The phrase
¿ÎnIs ? ( ... Allah's remembrance ... ) could refer to Jumu'ah prayer as well as
to Jumu'ah Sermon, which is one of the conditions of the validity of
Jumu'ah prayer. Therefore, the phrase may most appropriately be
interpreted as referring to the package of Jumu'ah prayer and Jumu'ah
Sermon. [Mazhari and others].
and leave off business ... ) The literal meaning of the word ... ) وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ
bai' is 'sale'. Although the intent is to ban all activities of buying and
selling, the verse has mentioned 'sale' only, because when one aspect of
trading is abandoned, the other aspect would automatically come to an
end. If there is no one to sell, there will be no one to buy, because trade is
a bilateral transaction ..
The verse under comment indicates that the bar on the activities of
buying and selling after the adhan of Jumu'ah needs to be implemented
for practical purposes in such a way that the shops are closed at that
particular time, so that all trading activities automatically come to a halt.
The underlying wisdom is that there are uncountable number of
customers and buyers, and it would not be possible to stop them all. The
sellers and shopkeepers, however, are limited and they can be stopped. If
they are stopped from selling, the buyers automatically will stop buying.
Hence, the verse deemed it sufficient to impose the bar on 'sale'.

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 9 - 11
Special Note
The purport of the verse is to forbid, after the adhan of Jumu'ah, all
activities that hamper preparation for Jumu'ah prayer and sermon
activities such as trading, agriculture, labour or anything else, - but the
Qur'an mentions only selling. This could imply that only people living in
towns and cities are commanded to offer the Jumu'ah prayer, and not the
people residing in small villages, rural areas and jungles. Thus activities
that are carried out by people in towns and cities, that is, trade activities,
have been forbidden. But activities related to land, such as agricultural
activities, are generally carried out in rural areas where Jumu'ah prayer
is not required. Therefore, such activities are not mentioned here.
However, The jurists of the Ummah unanimously agree that the word 'ba'
occurring in the verse does not refer only to 'selling' but to all such
activities that can hinder preparing for and proceeding to the Jumu'ah
prayer. Thus eating, drinking, sleeping, talking, and even studying are
forbidden after Jumu'ah adhan. Only activities related to Jumu'ah may
be carried out.
Adhan of Jumu'ah
In the beginning, there was only one adhan for Jumu'ah, which was
called at the time of the Khutbah in front of the Imam. This situation
existed in the time of the Holy Prophet 2g, and this practice continued in
the time of Sayyidna Abu Bakr
and 'Umar 4
However, the Muslim
population grew by leaps and bounds in the time of Sayyidna 'Uthman
and spread in the outskirts of Madinah. The adhan that was given in
front of the Imam at the time of the khutbah could not be heard by the
large Muslim population in the distance. He therefore initiated another
adhan that was called in the trading area further from the mosque at his
house in az-Zaura', which could be heard throughout Madinah. None of
the noble Companions objected to this. Thus this first adhan by consensus
of the Companions became instituted. All trading and other activities that
were forbidden after the Jumu'ah adhan before the Imam are now
forbidden after the first adhan introduced by Sayyidna 'Uthman 4
تُوْدِىَ لِلصَّلوةِ مِنْ يَّوْمِ الْجُمَعَةِ taking into account the wordings of the Qur'an
(when the call for salah (prayer) is proclaimed on Friday,). Details are
available in the canonical collections of Traditions, commentaries and
jurisprudence. There is no disagreement on the issue.

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 9 - 11
There is consensus of the entire Ummah that on Friday
Salat-ul-Jumu'ah shall be performed instead of Salat-uz-Duhur and
there is also consensus that Salat-ul-Jumu'ah is not like the five daily
prayers. There are some additional pre-requisites attached to it. The five
daily prayers can be performed individually without congregation, or they
could be performed in congregation with only two individuals.
Salat-ul-Jumu'ah, on the other hand, is not valid without congregation.
There is disagreement among the jurists about the number of individuals
that can constitute a congregation. The five daily prayers may validly be
held anywhere, on the sea, ocean, mountains or in the jungles. But
Salat-ul-Jumu'ah on the other hand, is not valid in jungles or deserts
according to any of the jurists. It is not obligatory on women, the sickly or
the wayfarers. The latter should perform Duhur prayer instead of
Jumu'ah. There is disagreement among the jurists about the type of
locality where Jumu'ah prayer may be held. According to Imam Shafi'i,
Șalat-ul-Jumu'ah is valid in a habitation where forty free, sane and adult
men reside. If there are less than forty such men, it is not valid. According
to Imam Malik, the habitation must be such as to have houses adjacent to
one another, and it must also have a bazaar or a market-place. According
to Imam Abu Hanifah Ju Ul .,, for Salat-ul-Jumu'ah to be held validly
the following pre-requisites are necessary: The habitation must be a town,
city or a very large village which has streets, market places, a Muslim
ruler and a judge who can restore the rights of people and decide cases of
dispute. This is no occasion to go into details of the issue and proofs
thereof. Venerable scholars have written separate books on the topic and
clarified the position.
In brief, the generality of the command to attend Salat-ul-Jumu'ah is
restricted to a specific sector of the addressees. It is not obligatory on every
members of the Muslim community, but for it to be compulsory, there are
some conditions and pre-requisites. The disagreement exists only in
identifying the pre-requisites. But where the pre-requisites apply and
Salat-ul-Jumu'ah becomes obligatory according to any school of thought,
it is very important to observe it, and there is grave warnings for those
who neglect it without any valid reason in terms of Shari'ah. On the other
hand, there is a promise of great reward and blessings for those who offer
it fulfilling all its conditions and pre-requisites.

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 9 - 11
Blessings in Business after Jumu'ah
Then once the salah is) فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلْوةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِى الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضُلِ اللَّهِ
finished, disperse in the land, and seek the grace of Allah ... 62:10). The
preceding verses prohibited trading and all other worldly activities, after
the adhan of Jumu'ah. The present verse permits those activities after the
Jumu'ah prayer is over; we are allowed to spread throughout the land in
search of our livelihood and sustenance.
When Sayyidna 'Irak Ibn Malik 4ee finished his Jumu'ah prayer, he
would come out and, standing on the threshold of the mosque, he would
pray:
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى اَجَبْتُ دَعُوَتَكَ وَصَلَّيْتُ فَرِيُضَتَكَ وَانْتَشَرْتُ كَمَا أَمَرْتَنِىُ فَارْزُقُنِىُ مِنْ
فَضْلِكَ وَانْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِیْنَ. (رواه ابن ابى حاتم، از ابن كثير)
"O Allah, I responded to Your call and performed the Salah
which You have prescribed for me as an obligation, and I am
going out as You have commanded me in search of livelihood.
So, grant me my livelihood out of Your grace. And You are the
best giver of sustenance." [Transmitted by Ibn Abi Hatim, as
quoted by Ibn Kathir]. Some of the righteous elders have reported
that anyone who performs his trading activities after Jumu'ah,
Allah will grant him blessings seventy folds. [Ibn Kathir]
It is reported from the righteous elders that whoever carries out his
commercial activities after the prayer of Jumu'ah is favoured by Allah
with seventy blessings. (Ibn Kathir)
And remember Allah much, so that you may) وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيْرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
be successful - 62:10). It means that commercial activities are though
allowed after the prayer, one should not neglect Allah's remembrance
during these activities as the infidels do. Even during such activities one
must remain mindful of Allah and His remembrance.
Admonishing those who abandon the Imam while he is delivering
the Jumu'ah Khutbah [Sermon]
وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهُوَ إِنْفَضُّوْا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوُكَ قَائِمًا ﴿ قُلُ مَا عِنْدَ اللّهِ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهُوِ
وَمِنَ التِّجَارَةِ * وَاللّهُ خَيْرُ الْرُزِقِينَ
And when they see some merchandise or amusement, they

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break away to it, and leave you standing. Say, "What is with
Allah is much better than the amusement and the
merchandise, and Allah is the best giver of sustenance." (62:11)
The verse admonishes those who once abandoned the Friday sermon
and attended some trade activity. Imam Ibn Kathir says that this incident
took place when the Holy Prophet ag used to deliver the Friday sermon
after the Jumu'ah prayer, as it happens on 'Idain even in our days. It
once happened that the Friday prayer had finished and the Holy Prophet
was delivering his sermon. Suddenly a trading caravan arrived in the
market-place of Madinah. Drums were beaten to announce the arrival of
the caravan. The Friday prayer had finished and the sermon was in
progress. Many of the noble Companions went away to the market-place.
Only a few of them had remained behind with the Holy Prophet>
š who
were about twelve in number [according to a narration in Marasil of Abu
Dawud]. According to some narratives, the Messenger of Allah
said: "If
all had gone, the entire valley of Madinah would have been filled with
the fire of punishment". [Transmitted by Abu Yala, as quoted by Ibn Kathir].
Muqatil, the leading scholar of Qur'anic commentary, says that this
was the trading caravan of Dihyah Ibn Khalaf Kalbi, which had come
from Syria. This caravan normally came to Madinah with all the
essentials, especially essential foodstuff. Whenever it arrived in Madinah,
and the people came to know about it, men and women all rushed towards
it. Dihyah Ibn Khalaf was not a Muslim until then. He became a Muslim
later on.
Hasan al-Basri and Abu Malik said that that was a time when there
was scarcity and dearth of things. [Mazhari]. There were several factors on
account of which a large group of the blessed Companions left the mosque
when they heard the sound of the caravan. First, the fard prayer had
already finished, and they did not know until then the status of the
Friday sermon whether it was part of the fard prayer. Second, there was
scarcity and dearth of essential goods and items. Third, buyers would
rush to the caravan and they feared that if they did not make it in time,
they would not be able to obtain their essentials. As a result, the noble
Companions committed the mistake and the above Tradition sounded a
warning, that is, if all of them had gone the Divine punishment would

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Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 62 : 9 - 11
have overtaken them. The current verse
was revealed to إذا رَاوُا تِجَارَةً
admonish them and put them to shame. For this reason, the Holy Prophet
, since that day, changed the order of Friday sermon and prayer,
delivering the sermons before the prayer. This is now the approved way
[Sunnah]. [Ibn Kathir]
The verse under comment instructs the Holy Prophet
to tell the
people that what is with Allah is better than the merchandise and
amusement of this world, that is, the reward of the Hereafter. It is not
far-fetched to conceive that people who forsake business and earning of
livelihood for the sake of prayer and sermon will attract ample blessings
in their provision from Allah, even in this world, as was cited earlier from
the righteous elders on the authority of Ibn Kathir.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Jumu'ah
Ends here.