Surah Al-Jumu'ah 62:9-11 - Quran Translation Commentary

9. O You who believe! When you are summoned to ‘Jumua’ (Friday) prayers (when Azan is pronounced) hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave aside business.¹³ That is better for you if you know.¹⁴

10. Then when the prayer is ended disperse in the land and seek Allah’s grace.¹⁵ and remember Allah much, that you may succeed.¹⁶

11. When they see some merchandise or pastime they run toward it and (O Prophet!) leave you standing all alone.¹⁷ Say: What is with Allah is better than the trade and the pastime and Allah is the Best Provider.¹⁸

Commentary

13. The Jews were taken to task above. Now, addressing the Faithful, the importance and the obligation of Friday salat (prayers) is being explained to them. Its hint is toward Sabbath.’ The Jews were ordained to observe it on Saturday but they defied the commandment. Now the Muslims are being granted an easier Shariat (rule) whereby they have only to perform the Friday prayer. Appreciating this leniency they must abide by the order faithfully. They must not do what the Jews did. Here note 184 of Surah Nahl may also be kept in mind where a hadith regarding Sabbath and Jumua (Friday) has been quoted.

According to correct narrations, the beginning of Friday prayer was made in Madinah when the holy prophet (peace be upon him) migrated from Makkah to Madinah. It was Friday when, after making a stop at Kuba, he was proceeding to the city (Madinah). He was passing by the residence of the tribe of Bani Salim where he offered the Jumua salat. It was the first Friday prayer. This Surah was revealed shortly thereafter, when the event described henceforth took place.

These verses have been revealed to emphasise the importance of Friday prayer which was already established by the holy prophet earlier. This automatically clarifies that Shariat (law) is not only that which is mentioned in the Quran but it also comprises of whatever the holy prophet has ordered and now the source of knowing his orders is the holy prophet’s Sunnah and true traditions.

Jumua is in lieu of Zuhar prayer. Its time is after mid day (after ‘zawal’ or the movement of the sun toward west). The holy prophet used to climb the mimber (a small stair in mosque for making speech) after zawal. Then azan (prayer call) was being pronounced loudly. Thereafter he used to get up and give a khutbah (sermon). There used to be two khutbas. He used to sit for a while between the two sermons. In the khutba, addressing the audience, he used to praise Allah, recite Quran and present a talk of exhortation. Then he used to offer two rakaats of obligatory Friday salat with the congregation.

The Friday Salat can be performed only in congregation. But there is no condition regarding the number of attendants either according to Quran or Hadith. Similarly there is no condition about its being in city or town. It can be offered even in villages. Of course it must be tried to see that more and more people gather at one place. There are traditions to show that the people living around Medina were making special affords to attend the Masjid-e- Nabavi for their Jumua prayers.

It is the responsibility of the Islamic State to make arrangements for Salatul Jumuah. But, then, it does not mean that Friday prayers cannot be performed in the absence of such arrangement. If it is not done by the state then it is for the Muslims to establish Jumua. The Jumua prayer is obligatory for every Muslim. Of course, as is clearly mentioned in traditions, women, sick persons and travelers have been exempted from its performance. Yet if any of them participate in it, it will be okay, and it will not be necessary for them to offer the Zuhar prayer in its place.

The holy prophet has ordered Muslims to take a bath, to clean teeth, to wear good clothes and to apply perfume (itr) for Jumua. It is to manifest the grandeur of Jumua and also for the performance of Jumua in a clean and a pleasing atmosphere. It is also to cultivate the habit of cleanliness.

It has been ordained in this ayah that when the call for Jumua salat (azaan) is proclaimed the business of buying and selling should be abandoned and all should hasten toward the prayers. Since only one azan was being pronounced in the time of the holy prophet it Dawatul Quran 723 S. 62 means that azaan which is being pronounced after the Imam sits on the mimber Trading (buying and selling) is prohibited from the time of the proclamation of this azaan till the prayer ends. This prohibition of business includes all kinds of transactions and engagements, except in the case of exigency allowed by the Shariah such as an accident and, for a doctor, an operation which cannot be delayed etc. It is the responsibility of Muslim employers to give a leave to their Muslim employees for the performance of Jumua prayers. If the government is non-Islamic, such leave should be demanded. Anyway it is a must for Muslim servants to perform the Jumua salaat.

The ‘Zikr’. mentioned in this ayah means both the salat as well as the sermon (khutba) which is being delivered before the Friday prayer. This explains the fact that Khutba is Allah’s remembrance and an act of worship. It should also be born in mind here that the khutba is an address to the audience. Therefore, while addressing people, those things should be presented therein which may refresh Allah’s remembrance and which may have an aspect of admonition. And when it is an address its aim can be fulfilled only if it is delivered in the language of the audience along with the Arabic version.

The meaning of ‘Fas av ila zikrillah’((hasten toward Allah’s remembrance)) is that show readiness for the prayer and rush toward it. Hadith asks us to proceed for any salat calmly and with dignity.

14. Apparently leaving aside business transactions is a matter of loss. But there is true benefit and bounty in it and eternal success can be gained only by obeying and worshipping Allah.

15. With the end of prayer the ban on trade also ends. Thereafter you can engage in your efforts for provision. This endeavour of yours too should be made keeping in view the grace of God so that the feeling of thankfulness to Allah may develop in your hearts.

This also makes it clear that the orders of Friday are not as hard as those of Sabbath, in which all business dealings were banned for the whole day. Now, on Friday, such dealings are stopped only till the time required for listening the Khutbah and performing the Jumua salat. Even after this much ease and facility, if the Muslims consider it a burden then it is indeed ungratefulness.

16. That is: do not think that remembering Allah in the mosque and performing the salat is enough. It is also necessary to remember God at all moments. Therefore the tongue should always be busy hallowing. His Name with the words of Tasbeeh even while walking and bargaining in bazars etc. You will thereby gain eternal success.

17. This is a hint toward an incident that had occurred at the time of the revelation of this Surah. The holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering the Jumua Khutbah on a Friday. At that time a trade caravan from Syria arrived with merchandise of food grains in the market of Madinah. There was a severe shortage of food grains at that time. So a number of persons from the audience went out to buy grains with an intention to return soon and to rejoin the prayers. Till that time the importance of Jumua sermon was not fully understood by the people. Yet it was wrong to leave the Jumua khutbah and it was also a kind of disrespect to the holy prophet. So this thing was severely criticised. This event has been recorded in Bukhari Kitaabul Jumuah and other books of traditions.

It should be kept in mind that this event had occurred when the performance of Jumuah had newly started and people had not till then comprehended its importance fully. Such a thing was never repeated thereafter. After passing through the stages of training the companions (Sahabah) had, become so perfect that, in the words of Quran:-

“Men whom neither trade nor sale can divert from remembering Allah. ” (Noor:37)

In this ayah the drum has been termed ‘Lahv’ (Pastime). It shows the undesirability and the harm of musical instruments of singing and beating etc. ‘Lahv’ means a thing which makes man unmindful or careless. In the language of Shariat all those things are ‘Lahv’ which render man unmindful or careless about Allah. Singing, beating, dancing, instruments of music and materials of plays like chess and carum etc all fall under this definition. These things engage people’s attention so much that they become unmindul of Allah.

18. That is: if you give first preference to the performance of Friday prayer over your monetary dealings then this sacrifice of yours will never go in vain. You will get its best reward from Allah. As regards the worldly provision, you should rely on Allah because, HE alone is the real provider. If you obey Him, HE will grant you the best provision. The best provision is that which, though less in quantity, is bountiful.