QURAN CHAPTER - 62
Al-Jumuah - The Congregation
Revealed - Madinan
Ruku - 2
Ayat - 11
Theme - The theme of this Surah consists of 2 sections.
(1) The first section was sent down at a time when all Jewish efforts to obstruct the message of Islam during the past six years had failed.
- First in Madinah as many as three of their powerful tribes had done whatever they could to frustrate the mission of the Holy Prophet, with the result that one of the tribes was completely exterminated and the other two were exiled.
- Then by intrigue and conspiracy they brought many of the Arab tribes together to advance on Madinah, but in the Battle of the Trench they were all repulsed.
- After this, Khaiber had become their stronghold, where a large number of the Jews expelled from Madinah also had taken refuge. At the time these verses were revealed, that too was taken without any extraordinary effort, and the Jews at their own request agreed to live there as tenants of the Muslims.
- After this final defeat the Jewish power in Arabia came to an end. Then, Wad-il-Qura, Fadak, Taima, Tabuk, all surrendered one after the other, so much so that all Arabian Jews became subdued to the same Islam which they were not prepared to tolerate before.
- This was the occasion when Allah Almighty once again addressed them in this Surah, and probably this was the last and final address that was directed to them in the Quran. In this they have been reminded of iii things:
(i) You refused to believe in this Messenger only because he was born among a people whom you contemptuously call the "gentiles." You were under the false delusion that the Messenger must necessarily belong to your own community.
- You seemed to have been convinced that anyone who claimed to be a prophet from outside your community, must be an impostor, for this office had been reserved for your race, and a messenger could never be raised among the "gentiles."
- But among the same gentiles Allah has raised a Messenger who is reciting His Book in front of your very eyes, is purifying souls, and showing the Right Way to the people whose misdeeds are well known to you.
- This is Allah's bounty, which He may bestow on anyone He may please.
(ii) You had been made bearers of the Torah, but you did not understand your responsibility for it nor discharged it as you should have.
- You are like the donkey which is loaded with books, and which does not know what burden it is bearing.
- More than that, you seem to entertain the notion that whether you fulfill the demands of Allah's message or not, Allah In any case is bound not to make any other than you the bearer of His message.
(iii) If you really were Allah's favorites and you were sure of having a p!ace of honor and high rank reserved with Him, you would not have feared death.
- It is only because of this fear of death that you have suffered humiliation after humiliation during the past few years. Your this condition is by itself a proof that you are fully conscious of your misdeeds, and your conscience is aware that if you die with these misdeeds, you will meet with a greater disgrace before Allah in the Hereafter than in this world.
(2) The second section that was sent down many years later, was appended to this Surah because in it Allah has bestowed Friday on the Muslims as against the Sabbath of the Jews, and Allah wanted to warn the Muslims not to treat their Friday as the Jews had treated their Sabbath.
- This section was sent down on an occasion when a trade caravan arrived in Madinah right at the time of the Friday congregational service and hearing its din and drum the audience, except for 12 men, left the Prophet's Mosque and rushed out to the caravan, although the Holy Prophet (SAW) at that time was delivering the Sermon.
- Thereupon it was enjoined that after the call is sounded for the Friday Prayer the believers should then suspend every kind of transaction and hasten to the remembrance of Allah.
- However, when the Prayer is over, they have the right to disperse in the land to resume their normal occupations.
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