62: The Congregation (Al-Jumuah)
Revealed at Madinah
This chapter is named after the exhortation in v. 9 to Muslims to gather together for prayer on the day of Congregation or Friday. It states that the Holy Prophet was a purifier and teacher of his immediate followers as well as those to come in later ages. Then it warns Muslims, by referring to the transgressions of the Jews, against observing only the letter of the law while having no understanding of it and thinking of themselves as God’s favourites. Lastly, as the Jews had neglected their Sabbath and suffered as a result, Muslims are exhorted to give special importance to the Friday prayer, which in Islam replaces the Sabbath. The date of revelation of this chapter is very probably 1 A.H.
Section 1 (Verses 62:1–62:8): Muslims to Receive Divine Favours
62:1
یُسَبِّحُ لِلّٰہِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ الۡمَلِکِ الۡقُدُّوۡسِ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡحَکِیۡمِ ﴿۱﴾
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah, the King, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise.
62:2
ہُوَ الَّذِیۡ بَعَثَ فِی الۡاُمِّیّٖنَ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡہُمۡ یَتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ وَ یُزَکِّیۡہِمۡ وَ یُعَلِّمُہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ الۡحِکۡمَۃَ ٭ وَ اِنۡ کَانُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَفِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ۙ﴿۲﴾
He it is Who raised among the illiterates a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His messages and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom — although they were before certainly in manifest error —
62:3
وَّ اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ لَمَّا یَلۡحَقُوۡا بِہِمۡ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ﴿۳﴾
and others from among them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.
The significance is that after a time, when the true spirit of Islam would have been lost, a man would be raised who, again receiving the light from the Holy Prophet, would spread the light of Islam in the world. But some commentators understand that non-Arabs, or all Muslims coming after the Prophet, are meant. The Prophet would thus be the teacher forever, through his disciples, and no Israelite prophet would be sent as a teacher to the Muslim community.
62:4
ذٰلِکَ فَضۡلُ اللّٰہِ یُؤۡتِیۡہِ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ ذُو الۡفَضۡلِ الۡعَظِیۡمِ ﴿۴﴾
That is Allah’s grace; He grants it to whom He pleases. And Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.
62:5
مَثَلُ الَّذِیۡنَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوۡرٰىۃَ ثُمَّ لَمۡ یَحۡمِلُوۡہَا کَمَثَلِ الۡحِمَارِ یَحۡمِلُ اَسۡفَارًا ؕ بِئۡسَ مَثَلُ الۡقَوۡمِ الَّذِیۡنَ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ لَا یَہۡدِی الۡقَوۡمَ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۵﴾
The likeness of those who were charged with the Torah, then they did not observe it, is as the likeness of the donkey carrying books. Evil is the likeness of the people who reject the messages of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
62:6
قُلۡ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡۤا اِنۡ زَعَمۡتُمۡ اَنَّکُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءُ لِلّٰہِ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الۡمَوۡتَ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۶﴾
Say: O you who are Jews, if you think that you are the favourites of Allah to the exclusion of other people, then invoke death, if you are truthful.
See 2:94.
62:7
وَ لَا یَتَمَنَّوۡنَہٗۤ اَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِالظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۷﴾
But they will never invoke it because of what their hands have already done. And Allah is Knower of the wrongdoers.
62:8
قُلۡ اِنَّ الۡمَوۡتَ الَّذِیۡ تَفِرُّوۡنَ مِنۡہُ فَاِنَّہٗ مُلٰقِیۡکُمۡ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّوۡنَ اِلٰی عٰلِمِ الۡغَیۡبِ وَ الشَّہَادَۃِ فَیُنَبِّئُکُمۡ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ٪﴿۸﴾
Say: The death from which you flee, that will surely overtake you; then you will be sent back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, so He will inform you of what you did.
Section 2 (Verses 62:9–62:11): Friday Prayer
62:9
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا نُوۡدِیَ لِلصَّلٰوۃِ مِنۡ یَّوۡمِ الۡجُمُعَۃِ فَاسۡعَوۡا اِلٰی ذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ وَ ذَرُوا الۡبَیۡعَ ؕ ذٰلِکُمۡ خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۹﴾
O you who believe, when the call is sounded for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off business. That is better for you, if you know.
The Friday service, just after noon, is preceded by a sermon. Verses 9–10 show that ordinary business may be carried on by a Muslim on Friday before or after the Friday prayer. Hence, unlike the Jewish and the Christian Sabbaths, it is not necessarily a day of rest. But attendance at these prayers is obligatory, and as soon as the call to prayer is sounded, every Muslim is bound to leave business of every kind and immediately hasten to the mosque. Every nation has a Sabbath, or a so-called day of Divine service set apart from the ordinary weekdays, but in practice, the whole day is never given to prayer. In fact, a Muslim, who is allowed to do his ordinary work on Friday, gives more time to his prayers than the majority of those who recognize a seventh day as their Sabbath. The idea underlying the Sabbath is, no doubt, a temporary cessation of material activities, to give place to spiritual exercise. Islam, on the other hand, requires communion with the Divine Being to be observed throughout the entire week, five times daily.
62:10
فَاِذَا قُضِیَتِ الصَّلٰوۃُ فَانۡتَشِرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ ابۡتَغُوۡا مِنۡ فَضۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ اذۡکُرُوا اللّٰہَ کَثِیۡرًا لَّعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾
But when the prayer is ended, disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s grace, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.
62:11
وَ اِذَا رَاَوۡا تِجَارَۃً اَوۡ لَہۡوَۨا انۡفَضُّوۡۤا اِلَیۡہَا وَ تَرَکُوۡکَ قَآئِمًا ؕ قُلۡ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ خَیۡرٌ مِّنَ اللَّہۡوِ وَ مِنَ التِّجَارَۃِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ خَیۡرُ الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ ﴿٪۱۱﴾
And when they see trading or entertainment (taking place), they break away to it, and leave you standing. Say: What is with Allah is better than entertainment and trading. And Allah is the Best of providers.
Those spoken of here are apparently the hypocrites. The fact that the next chapter deals with the hypocrites corroborates this.