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Welcome
Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
I
am amazed at how many important concepts we are uncovering, dear Friends!
This chapter shows us how LACKING we have
been as ‘Believers!’
Their commentaries can be read in ‘verse by verse’
view.
سورة الجمعة
‘The
Gathering’
‘The
Congregation’
From Introduction of Yusuf Ali:
“The special theme here is the need for mutual contact in the
Community for worship and understanding; for the spirit of the Message is for
all, ignorant and learned, in order that they may be purified and may learn
wisdom."
From Introduction of
Muhammad Asad:
“REVEALED in the early part
of the Medina period, this surah takes its name from verses 9-10, which ordain
the obligatory congregational prayer on Friday.”
COMMENTS:
This Chapter’s introductory verse is similar to
others in the Qur’an (see previous chapter for details).[i]
It begins with the statement:
‘Motivated/
Moving to God is everything in the Exalted Expanses and on Earth,
The
Sovereign, The Divine, The Invincible, The Wise.’
Note the unique combination الملك القدوس / The SovereignThe Divine, which
appears twice in the Qur’an.
1. After the statement that everything
in the Exalted Expanses and on Earth is ‘motivated to God,’ Verse
2 asserts that:
‘It is He who raised within the ‘Uninstructed/
Ummiyyeen’[ii]
a Messenger from
amongst themselves, reciting (in sequence) His Signs to them and causing them
to grow in Purity, and teaching them the Compilation and Wisdom, although they
were, before that, in manifest error/ loss.’
Verses 3-4 then state that:
‘And others of them, who have not
yet caught up with them,
and He is the Invincible, The Wise.
That is Bounty from God extended to whomever He wills/ wills it,
And God is The One Who possesses The Great Bounty/ Munificence’
This verse is traditionally
explained to mean that people, other than the Uninstructed, from different
times or places, shall eventually catch up with them and be considered of them. This heartwarming explanation intends to show
all Believers -past and present- coming together.
God knows best, but it
seems to me that this verse is about ‘others OF them’ (The Uninstructed) who
have not yet caught up with them, referring
to individuals who, when these verses were revealed, had not yet joined the new
faith. I think that Context, and the
verses to follow, make this even more likely.
Think about it, dear
Reader:
The context is about cautioning listeners not to lose
their chance to catch up!
2. A
powerful example is drawn here in Verse 5, regarding certain Jews who were
given the Torah to uphold, and then carried it without upholding its tenets, indeed
like a ‘beast of burden,’ like an ass hauling manuscripts, bearing its weight
but ignorant of its content… ‘a dire example indeed for People who belie God’s
Signs, and God does NOT guide the People
who are Wrongdoers.’
Q. Was this reproach directed to the Jews who were contemporaries
of the Prophet, yet denied the Divine source of his Message?
A. Of course, BUT:
o
ALSO to any
other Jews and Christians who might be listening/ reading. Why?
Because: Had they known and believed their own
original Revelations, they would realize the Divine origin of the Qur’an. It’s as simple as that. There is a unity in God’s Divine Messages
which can be readily seen in the original. See Muhammad
Asad.[iii]
o
ALSO to any
‘Muslims’ who might be listening/ reading.
Why?
Because the relationship between us and OUR Divinely
inspired Revelation is becoming similar to this example. Indeed, whatever deeds and failings the Qur’an
admonishes the People of (earlier) Compilation for, are now deeds and failings
of our own. Today, many of us struggle
in carrying the Qur’anic Compilation on our backs, while remaining ignorant of
its content.
Dear Reader:
Now we can better understand HQ 31:19, and realize why the ‘voice of asses
was mentioned as the most ‘mutually objectionable.’ Remember, the verses then were directed to
Qureish, describing
people who argue/ dispute with regard to God while lacking Knowledge, Guidance,
and an enlightening Compilation… and when told to follow what God has sent to
them, they say that they shall follow their forefathers! Pack animals indeed.
We cannot feel
smug about this, because we know that much of what WE do, say, and believe in…
is a reflection of what people around us do, say, and believe.
Most of us are
‘pack animals’ too!
Verses 6 -8 tell the Messenger to challenge the Jews
who refused to believe in the Qur’an:
IF they were indeed Truthful in their allegation that
they were close to God (God’s allies/ awliyaa), then let them wish Death upon
themselves… something they would never do because of the misdeeds which they
have committed (literally: ‘what their hands have sent forth..’) and God is Knowing
of the Wrongdoers.
The Messenger is then told to assure them, that the
Death which they seek to escape shall indeed meet them, after which they shall
be sent back to the Knower of the Un-witnessed and the Witnessed, who shall
inform them of all what they had been doing!
3. Verse 9 calls upon Those who had
Attained Faith, telling them/ us that WHEN the call to Prayer/ Connection/
Relationship[iv]
is sounded during/ within (‘min’) the
‘Time/ Event/ Day (‘yawm’) of the Gathering[v],
then hurry to the Remembrance of God and ‘strew/scatter aside’[vi]
all business, that is better for you if you but knew.
Oh… what a
HEARTBREAK this verse is!
Most of us
‘Muslims’ fail to realize the importance of the gathering to Prayer/
Connection/ Relationship. We are
oblivious to the opportunities we have lost, generation after generation, by
not doing what we were commanded to do!
What vitality we have wasted… what revival, what youth, what
interaction, what wisdom, what social service, what respect and what
achievement we have thrown to the winds… all of which such gatherings could
have channeled to serve our communities!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- It is each of us who is told to hurry to pray on our own. NO ONE SHOULD BE HERDING US, as that defeats the purpose and backfires upon society. It is our intention and our action helping us to the Remembrance of God, favoring spiritual over financial gain.
- If the Faithful in Europe and America for example, had known that 'Jumu'ah' is not simply the name of a 'day 'of but is more about the EVENT of GATHERING which takes place on that day... if they had known that, they might have adjusted the timing to suit everyone, and had 100% attendance in their mosques. They would probably be having their 'Jumu'ah' prayer on a Sunday, when everyone can come, rather than on a Friday when very few can attend... and the 'Jumu'ah' would have literally taken place.
Isn't that food for thought?
And then, there is more heartbreak, especially for Muslim women.
THIS VERSE
SPEAKS TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, while in most Muslim countries FEMALES ARE NOT
ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS AT ALL (and often not welcomed or
allowed), and when they can attend, they are made to enter through a side-door
(not the main entrance) into an inferior section (either adjacent to, above or below
the main prayer-hall), where they can neither be seen nor heard, and can only follow
the congregational prayer by ear, usually through loudspeakers. Not only does the ‘Imam’ NOT interact with
the females of the congregation, but there is no way for a family to
communicate once the females have gone into their separate section. In other words, the females can never become
full-fledged members of such a congregation, even if they attended every
prayer.
Compare
this with the well-known fact that the ENTIRE community prayed together during
the Prophet’s lifetime, and women could -and did- speak out, and were heard by
the entire congregation. HQ 58 is about such a woman, and there are
many other examples. Indeed, the
Prophet’s congregation was made up of the same percentage of females as his
community. I remember a ‘Prophetic
Hadeeth’ I’d read a while back (let me know if you have the reference, dear
Reader). It’s about a man who was asked
by the Prophet, peace upon him, as to his ‘on and off’ attendance of the daily congregational
prayers, to which he answered that he had no choice since he and his wife had
only one garment, which they had to take turns wearing to the mosque! Think about that.
Then
think about the sorry fact that today, there are hardly any families that go ALL
together to ‘pray/ connect,’ even on weekends…. and that when they do, there cannot
be any ‘togetherness.’
The
fact of the matter is that the entire definition of ‘Gathering/ Jumu’ah’ has
been voided!
What
a HEARTBREAKER!
We
should, if we’d like to be among ‘Those who Attained Faith,’ when the call to
Prayer is sounded at the ‘Time of Gathering,’ we SHOULD throw aside any
business and whatever we perceive as bringing us worldly gain, and rush to the
Remembrance of God, ALTOGETHER, connecting on every level!
Think
also, dear Reader, of HQ 24: 36-38 which
told us about the ‘rijaal/ active persons (of both genders) who glorify God,
motivated towards Him…
(New
Readers: Put ‘rijaal’ in ‘Search.’
Q.
WHERE?
A.
In Houses of Worship (mosques)!
Q.
WHEN?
A.
Mornings and evenings of every day!
Q.
HOW?
A.
Without being distracted by Transactions or Trade!
What
do you see here, dear Reader?
That
the first and the last ‘communal’ act used to be a Congregational Remembrance
of God, WITH THE REST OF THE DAY OPEN FOR ‘OTHER’ AFFAIRS (while people
continued to ‘remember’ God in how they dealt with each other).
We
can see that below, as we continue:
After
directing ‘Those Who had Attained Faith’ to gather
altogether for prayer after putting aside all worldly gain, Verse 10 tells
them/us that:
‘Once the Prayer/ Connection has been ACHIEVED/
COMPLETED, [vii] then go out (emerge openly) through the earth and seek/
solicit of God’s Bounty, and remember God often, so that you may be
successful.’
‘Falaha’
(فلح) literally means to prevail, AND win
or succeed. We spoke of this earlier,
when we explained HQ
3:102-105. Regular Readers will remember
that these verses were addressing Those who had Attained Faith, telling them to
secure themselves onto what God had
extended for them COLLECTIVELY/ ‘jamee’an’ (same root-verb as ‘Jumu’ah!) and NOT
to drift apart.
The
verses had then reminded the Faithful of how God had brought their hearts/
minds together, and how they had become brethren by His Grace, after being
enemies, and had called upon them to nourish from among themselves a community which
invites Goodness, enjoins that which is mutually acceptable, and forbids that
which is mutually objectionable…. And then concluded with the important
statement: And such indeed are the Successful!
Do you see, dear Reader, the extent of
what we have missed?
All of that,
and more, by continuing to ‘carry’ the Compilation without -without -without
activating the Qur’an in our lives.
We
ignore the fact that our Call to Prayer calls us to ‘Salaah’ and to ‘Falaah/
Success, which should be our CONSTANT goal, sought as often as we seek the
direction of Mecca.
Only
ten days ago, criminals who call themselves ‘Muslim,’ shot teenager Malala
Yousufzai inside her school-bus in Pakistan for no reason other than her belief
in her right to education. They committed
their act in the name of ‘Islam’ 1400 years after the Prophet’s shining
example, challenging worldwide standards of education for both genders, making
a mockery their own chosen title of ‘Taliban/ Students,’ and more importantly,
in total disregard of the 5 daily calls to prayer and success, and in
contradiction of all the directives of the Qur’anic Compilations they ‘cherish’
in their homes and mosques.. compilations which they fervently allege that they
uphold!
Such
persons provide a MONSTROUS example of TODAY’S BEASTS OF BURDEN!
Dear
God:
Help
us understand these important directives and change our ways!
4. Verse 11 ends this Chapter by telling
the Messenger that when ‘they’ (meaning some of the congregation) see a Transaction
or Distraction (taking place), they break away towards it and leave you ‘standing/
to your purpose’[viii]
(!) Say, what God has (for you) is better than (any) distraction or
transaction, and God is the Best of Providers.
This verse, dear Reader, shows us that some people
used to leave the mosque BEFORE the conclusion to the entire ‘Jumu’ah’
experience, which proves to us that the verse is not referring to the ‘units/ rek’as’
of prayer (because, as any Muslim knows, the entire congregation is bound to
follow the prayer-leader’s exact actions, and no one can cut off their
congregational prayer until the leader/ Imam has completed it, and said his
‘salaam’ out loud). What this proves is that
the Messenger used to pray first in congregation, and THEN relay QUR’AN to them,
hence the description ‘what God HAS is better than distraction or trade…’ It is when he was reciting Qur’an AFTER the
actual prayer that some would leave him standing and go about their business.
Who would leave the Messenger in the midst of what he was
offering of ‘God’s Provision’?
Anyone who hadn’t thought deeply about this.
Probably many Hypocrites as well, whom we shall hear
about in the next chapter.
Why does the Qur’an just state their deed, and not
admonish them for their actions?
People are people, and Human Nature is what it is!
Entertainment… socializing… business deals… whatever is
not unlawful and makes us feel better… all of these things are part of WHY we
get together in the first place, and they are all natural enough BUT WE WILL
NOT BE SUCCESSFUL UNTIL:
o
WE HAVE MADE IT CUSTOMARY TO GATHER IN GOD’S
REMEMBRANCE, ALL TOGETHER, AT THE ALLOTTED TIME OF GATHERING.
o
WE MAKE SURE NOT TO GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS UNTIL THE
PRAYER/ CONNECTION/ RELATIONSHIP IS COMPLETED AND ITS PURPOSE ACHIEVED.
Will there come a day when we shall listen to God, and
obey?
Peace unto all!
(أمّ) ، وهي الأصل، والمرجِع، والجماعة، والدِّين وفلانةُ تؤمُّ
فلاناً أي تغذوه، أي تكون لـهُ أمّاً*
تغذوه وتربيّه ومن ذلك أُمُّ الرأس وهو الدّماغ. وأُمُّ القرى: مكّة؛ وكلُّ
مدينةٍ هي أمُّ ما حولها من القُرى. قال الخليل: الأمَّة: الدِّين .قال أبو عُبيد: الأمّيّ في اللغة المنسوبُ إلى ما عليه جبلة الناس لا
يكتُب…
والإمام: كلُّ من اقتُدِي به وقُدِّم في الأمور. قال الخليل:
الأمَم: القصد. قال يونس: هذا أمْرٌ مأمُومٌ يأخذ* به الناس.قال الخليل: التيمُّم
يجري مجرى التوخّي، يقال له تيمّمْ أمراً حسَناً وتيمّموا أطيب ما عندكم تَصدّقُوا
به([82]). والتيمُّم بالصَّعيد من هذا المعنى، أي توخَّوْا أَطيبَه وأَنظَفَه
وتعمّدوه. فصار التيمُّم في أفواه العامة فعلاً للتمسُّح بالصعيد، حتى يقولوا قد
تَيمَّم فلان بالتُّراب. وقال الله تعالى: {فَتيَمَّمُوا صَعِيداً طَيِّباً والأمّ:
الرئيس، يقال هو أُمُّهم.
Umm,
Ummi, Ummah, tayammum (!)… yes, all these words are related to the root-verb
‘amma,’ which denotes foundation, origin, as well as multitude and direction
(‘tayammam’ comes from the verse which says ‘seek direction of’ pure earth- as
in HQ4:43).
Because
the Arabs of the time were said to be ’ummiyyeen’(as in HQ3: 20), in contrast
to ‘People of the Scripture/ Compilation,’ commentators have traditionally
explained ‘Ummi’ as illiterate (perhaps relating literacy to the state of a
new-born, just out of the womb of his
mother, ‘Umm’). English commentators
have explained this as ‘unlettered.’
Actually,
I think the word has nothing to do with ‘reading or writing.’ The Qur’an is precise and would not have
called a whole community ‘illiterate’ unless every single one of them indeed
was. Since the term stands in contrast
to the People of the earlier Compilation, its meaning here seems to relate to
NOT HAVING RECEIVED ANY DOCTRINE or INSTRUCTION hence my translation as
‘non-indoctrinated/ uninstructed.’
Asad:
“Connecting with
the idea – implied in the preceding passage – that God’s revelation is a sacred
trust as well as a bounty, the discourse turns now to the problem of man’s
betrayal of this trust, exemplified by the Jews of post-Biblical times. They
had been entrusted by God with the task of carrying the message of His oneness
and uniqueness to all the world: but they failed in this task inasmuch as they
came to believe that they were “God’s chosen people” because of their descent
from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that, therefore, the divine message was
meant for them alone and not for people of other nations. Hence, too, they came
to deny the possibility of prophethood being bestowed on anyone who did not
belong to the children of Israel (cf. 2:90 and 94, and the corresponding notes
75 and 79), and so they summarily rejected the idea of Muhammad’s prophethood
despite the clear predictions of his advent in the Torah itself (see note 33 on
2:42). By thus corrupting the innermost purport of the divine writ bestowed on
Moses, they themselves became unable to derive any real spiritual benefit from
it, and to live up to its teachings.”
[iv] Remember that the root
verb of ‘Salaah’ denotes ‘connection/ relationship.
[v] The days of the week had different
names before Islam. Friday used to be
known as ‘Urooba- عروبة ’ before it was renamed the ‘Day of Gathering’
or ‘Jumu’ah.’
[vi] الشَّيء
يتساقط متفرّقاً.
فالذُّروة: أعْلَى السَّنامِ وغيره، والجمع
ذُرىً.
ومن الباب ذَرَت الرِّيحُ الشَّيءَ تَذْرُوه.
والذَّرَا: اسمٌ لما ذَرَتْهُ ويقال إنَّ الذَّرَى اسمٌ لما صُبّ من الدّمع.
I don’t agree with Ali/Asad’s
translations: ‘finished/ ended.’ There
is a big difference between something simply finishing or ending, and something
being achieved, as our 1000 year old Lexicon tells us.
(قضي) يدلُّ على
إحكام أمرٍ وإتقانهِ وإنفاذه لجهته، قال الله تعالى: {فقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ
سَمَوَاتٍ في يَوْمَيْنِ} [فصلت 12] أي أحكَمَ
والقضاء:
الحُكم. ولذلك سمِّي القاضي قاضياً، لأنَّه يحكم الأحكامَ ويُنْفِذُها. وسمِّيت
المنيَّةُ قضاءً لأنَّه أمر يُنْفَذُ في ابن آدم وغيرهِ من
وكلُّ كلمةٍ في
الباب فإنَّها تجري على القياس الذي ذكرناه.
(قوم)أصلانِ صحيحان،
يدلُّ أحدهما على جماعةِ ناسٍ، وربِّما استعير في غيرهمْ. والآخَر على انتصابٍ أو
عَزْم.
فالأوّل: القوم، يقولون:
جمع امرئٍ.
وأمّا الآخر فقولُهم: قامَ
قياماً، والقَوْمة المَرَّةُ الواحدة، إذا انتصب. ويكون قامَ بمعنى العَزيمة، كما
يقال: قامَ بهذا الأمر، إذا اعتنَقَه. وهم يقولون في الأوَّل: قيامٌ حتم، وفي
الآخر: قيامٌ عَزْم.
ومن الباب: قوَّمْتُ
الشَّيء تقويماً. وأصل القِيمة الواو، وأصلُه أنَّك تُقيم هذا مكانَ ذاك.
وبلَغَنا أنَّ أهلَ مكّةَ
يقولون: استَقَمْتُ المَتاعَ، أي قوَّمْتُه.
ومن الباب: هذا قِوام
الدين والحقّ، أي به يقوم. وأمَّا القَوَام فالطُّول الحَسَن. والقُومِيَّة:
القَوام والقامة.
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