Name

The name is derived from the phrase in verse 9, “idhā nūdiya liṣ-ṣalāti min yawmi’l-jumu’ah” (“when the call is made for prayer on the day of Jumu’ah”). Although this surah also states the rulings concerning the Friday prayer, “Jumu’ah” is not, as a whole, the title of its subject matter — rather, like the names of other surahs, this name too serves merely as a label.

Period of Revelation

The first section (ruku’) dates from 7 AH, and was probably revealed at the time of the conquest of Khaybar, or shortly thereafter. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Jarir have all transmitted the report of Abu Hurairah that these verses were revealed while the Companions were sitting with the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is established from history that Abu Hurairah accepted faith after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and before the conquest of Khaybar. And the conquest of Khaybar took place, according to Ibn Hisham, in Muharram, and according to Ibn Sa’d, in Jumada al-Ula, 7 AH. It therefore seems most likely that after conquering this last stronghold of the Jews, Allah addressed them and revealed these verses — or that they were revealed when, after witnessing the fate of Khaybar, all the Jewish settlements of northern Hijaz submitted to the authority of the Islamic state.

The second section was revealed shortly after the Hijrah, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) had established the Friday prayer just five days after reaching Madinah, and the incident alluded to in the final verse of this section makes clear that it must have occurred sometime after the practice of the Friday congregation had begun — at a time when people had not yet been fully trained in the etiquette of religious gatherings.

Subject Matter and Themes

As noted above, the two sections of this surah were revealed at two separate times. Their subjects therefore differ, as do those being addressed. Although there is a kind of connection between them, on account of which they were combined into a single surah, we should first understand the two subjects separately before turning to that connection.

The first section was revealed after all the efforts the Jews had made over the preceding six years to block the path of Islam’s message had failed. At first, their three powerful tribes in Madinah exerted every effort to humiliate the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); the result was that one tribe was completely destroyed and two were forced into exile. They then conspired to bring many Arab tribes against Madinah, but all of them were defeated at the Battle of the Trench (Ahzab). After this, their greatest remaining stronghold was Khaybar, where a large number of Jews expelled from Madinah had also gathered. At the time these verses were revealed, Khaybar too was conquered without any extraordinary difficulty, and the Jews themselves requested to remain there as tenant farmers under the Muslims. After this final defeat, Jewish power in Arabia came to an end altogether. Wadi al-Qura, Fadak, Tayma, and Tabuk surrendered one after another, until all the Jews of Arabia became subjects of the very Islam whose existence — let alone whose name — they had been unwilling to tolerate. It was at this point that Allah addressed them once more in this surah — probably the last address made to them in the Qur’an. In it, three things are said to them:

1. You refused to accept this Messenger because he was raised among a people you contemptuously called “unlettered” (ummiyyin). Your false assumption was that a messenger must necessarily belong to your own people. You had decided that anyone outside your nation who claimed prophethood must be a liar, since this office had become your race’s exclusive preserve, and that no messenger could ever arise among the “unlettered.” Yet Allah has raised a Messenger from among precisely these unlettered people, who recites His Book before your very eyes, purifies souls, and guides those whose state of misguidance you yourselves know well. This is Allah’s favour, which He grants to whom He wills. You have no monopoly over His favour, that He should give it only to whom you wish and withhold it only from whom you wish to see deprived.
2. You were made bearers of the Torah, but you neither understood nor fulfilled that responsibility. Your condition is like that of a donkey laden with books, having no idea what burden it carries. In fact, your state is worse than the donkey’s — for it, at least, lacks understanding, whereas you possess understanding, and yet not only do you flee the responsibility of bearing the Book of Allah, you do not even refrain from knowingly denying His signs. And on top of this, you consider yourselves marked out by name for divine favour — as though your view were that whether or not you fulfil your duty toward Allah’s message, Allah is nonetheless obligated to entrust His message to none but you!
3. If you were truly Allah’s favourites, and if you were truly certain that a position of great honour and esteem awaited you with Him, you would not fear death to such a degree that you would accept a life of disgrace but never accept death under any circumstance. It is precisely this fear of death that has caused you to suffer defeat after defeat these past several years. Your own conscience knows well that if you die in this state, you will be even more disgraced before Allah than you are in this world.

This is the subject of the first section. The second section, revealed several years earlier, was included in this surah because Allah wished the Muslims not to treat Jumu’ah the way the Jews had treated their Sabbath. This section was revealed at a time when, one day in Madinah, right during the Friday prayer, a trade caravan arrived, and on hearing the sound of its drums, all those present in the Prophet’s Mosque rushed out toward the caravan except twelve men — even though the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was at that moment delivering the sermon. It was in response to this that the command was given: after the call to Jumu’ah prayer has been made, all buying, selling, and every other occupation become unlawful. The believers’ duty at that time is to set aside every other task and hasten to the remembrance of Allah. Once the prayer has ended, however, they are free to disperse throughout the land to pursue their livelihoods. This section on the rulings of Jumu’ah could have been made an independent surah, or included in some other surah. Instead, it was deliberately placed alongside these verses warning the Jews about the causes of their evil end. The wisdom behind this, in our view, is exactly what has been explained above.

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

یُسَبِّحُ لِلّٰہِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ الۡمَلِکِ الۡقُدُّوۡسِ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡحَکِیۡمِ ﴿۱﴾ 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﴾ وَّ اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ لَمَّا یَلۡحَقُوۡا بِہِمۡ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ﴿۳﴾ ذٰلِکَ فَضۡلُ اللّٰہِ یُؤۡتِیۡہِ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ ذُو الۡفَضۡلِ الۡعَظِیۡمِ ﴿۴﴾ 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﴾ قُلۡ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡۤا اِنۡ زَعَمۡتُمۡ اَنَّکُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءُ لِلّٰہِ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الۡمَوۡتَ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۶﴾ وَ لَا یَتَمَنَّوۡنَہٗۤ اَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِالظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۷﴾ قُلۡ اِنَّ الۡمَوۡتَ الَّذِیۡ تَفِرُّوۡنَ مِنۡہُ فَاِنَّہٗ مُلٰقِیۡکُمۡ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّوۡنَ اِلٰی عٰلِمِ الۡغَیۡبِ وَ الشَّہَادَۃِ فَیُنَبِّئُکُمۡ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ٪﴿۸﴾

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا نُوۡدِیَ لِلصَّلٰوۃِ مِنۡ یَّوۡمِ الۡجُمُعَۃِ فَاسۡعَوۡا اِلٰی ذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ وَ ذَرُوا الۡبَیۡعَ ؕ ذٰلِکُمۡ خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۹﴾ فَاِذَا قُضِیَتِ الصَّلٰوۃُ فَانۡتَشِرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ ابۡتَغُوۡا مِنۡ فَضۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ اذۡکُرُوا اللّٰہَ کَثِیۡرًا لَّعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾ 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﴾

That’s the complete Arabic-to-English verse translation for Surah Al-Jumu’ah (verses 1–8, with footnote markers 1–21), matching all the footnotes we’ve worked through. Here’s how it reads with the footnotes now filled in:

Surah Al-Jumu’ah (62)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

(1) Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth extols the glory of Allah — the Sovereign, the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

(2) He it is Who raised among the Ummiyyin a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His verses, purifies their lives, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom — although before this they were in manifest error — (3) and [raised him also] for those others who have not yet joined them. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. This is His favor; He grants it to whom He wills, and He is the Lord of great favor.

(5) Those who were charged with bearing the Torah but did not carry it are like a donkey laden with books. Even worse is the likeness of those who have denied the signs of Allah — such wrongdoers Allah does not guide.

(6) Say to them: “O you who have become Jews — if you imagine that of all people, you alone are Allah’s beloved ones, then wish for death, if you are truthful in this claim.” But they will never wish for it, because of what their own hands have sent ahead — and Allah knows well these wrongdoers. (8) Say to them: “The death you flee from will surely meet you. Then you will be brought before the Knower of the unseen and the seen, who will inform you of all you used to do.”

(9) O you who believe, when the call is given for prayer on the day of Jumu’ah, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading — that is better for you, if you but knew. (10) Then when the prayer is finished, disperse in the land and seek Allah’s bounty, and remember Allah much, so that you may succeed.

(11) But when they saw some trade or amusement, they rushed off to it and left you standing. Say to them: “What is with Allah is better than amusement and trade, and Allah is the best of providers.”

---

All 21 footnotes are now translated alongside this. Want me to assemble the whole thing — verses plus footnotes — into a formatted bilingual document (English alongside the original Urdu) that you can save or drop into your ForOneCreator workflow?

اللہ کے نام سے جو رحمان و رحیم ہے۔

اللہ کی تسبیح کر ہی ہے ہر وہ چیز جو آسمانوں میں ہے اور ہر وہ چیز جو زمین میں ہے۔۔۔۔۔۔۔بادشاہ ہے ، قدوس ہے ، زبر دست اور حکیم ہے ¹۔ 
وہی ہے جس نے امیوں ²کے اندر ایک رسول خود انہی میں سے اٹھایا، جو انہیں اس کی آیات سنا تا ہے ان کی زندگی سنوار تا ہے ، اور ان کی کتاب اور حکمت کی تعلیم دیتا ہے ³۔ حالانکہ اس سے پہلے وہ کھلی گمراہی میں پڑے ہوۓ تھے ⁴۔ اور (اس رسول کی بعثت ) ان دوسرے لوگوں کے لیۓ بھی جو ابھی ان سے نہیں ملے ہیں ⁵۔ اللہ زبردست اور حکیم ہے ⁶۔ یہ اس کا فضل ہے ، جسے چاہتا ہے دیتا ہے ، اور وہ بڑا فضل فرمانے والا ہے۔ 
جن لوگوں کو توراۃ کا حامل بنایا گیا تھا مگر انہوں نے اس کا بار نہ اٹھا یا ⁷، ان کی مثال اس گدھے ⁸ کی سی ہے جس پر کتابیں لدی ہوئی ہوں۔ اس سے بھی زیادہ بری مثال ہے ان لوگوں کی جنہوں نے اللہ کی آیات جھٹلا دیا ہے ⁹۔ایسے ظالموں کو اللہ ہدایت نہیں دیا کرتا۔
ان سے کہو،” اے لوگوں جو یہودی ن گۓ ہو، ¹⁰ اگر تمھیں یہ گھمنڈ ہے کہ باقی سب لوگوں کو چھوڑ کر بس تم ہی اللہ کے چیتے ہو ¹¹ تو موت کو تمنا کرو اگر تم اپنے اس زعم میں سچے ہو ¹² “۔ لیکن یہ ہر گز اس کی تمنا نہ کریں گے اپنے کر تو توں کی وجہ سے کو یہ کر چکے ہیں، ¹³ اور اللہ ان ظلاموں کو خوب جانتا ہے۔ ان سے کہو،” جس موت سے تم بھاگتے ہو وہ تو تمھیں آ کر رہے گی۔ پھر تم اس کے سامنے پیش کیے جاؤ گے جو پوشیدہ و ظاہر کا جاننے والا ہے ، اور تمھیں بتا دے گا کہ تم کیا کچھ کرتے رہے ہو۔ ع

اے لوگو جو ایمان لاۓ ہو، جب پکار جاۓ نماز کے لیۓ جمعہ کے دن ¹⁴ تو اللہ کے ذکر کی طرف دوڑو اور خرید و فروخت چھوڑ دو ¹⁵، یہ تمہارے لیۓ زیادہ بہتر ہے اگر تم جانو۔ پھر جب نماز پوری ہو جاۓ تو زمین میں پھیل جاؤ اور اللہ کا فضل تلاش کرو ¹⁶۔ اور اللہ کو کثرت سے یاد کرتے رہو ¹⁷۔ شاید کہ تمھیں فلاح نصیب ¹⁸ ہو جاۓ۔
اور جب انہوں نے تجارت اور کھیل تماشا ہوتے دیکھا تو اس کی طرف لپک گۓ اور تمھیں کھڑا دیا ¹⁹۔ ان سے کہو، جو کچھ اللہ کے پاس ہے وہ کھیل تماشے اور تجارت سے بہتر ہے ²⁰ اور اللہ سب سے بہتر رزق دینے والا ہے ²¹۔ ع

FOOT NOTES FOR EXPLANATIONS (TAFSEER)

1 . O- you who believe, when the call is made for prayer on the day of Jumu’ah,¹⁴ hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading.¹⁵ This is better for you, if you but knew. Then when the prayer is finished, disperse through the land and seek Allah’s bounty,¹⁶ and remember Allah much,¹⁷ so that you may attain success.¹⁸

And when they saw some trade or amusement, they rushed off to it and left you standing.¹⁹ Say: What is with Allah is better than amusement and trade,²⁰ and Allah is the best of providers.²¹

Since this is a translation with numbered footnote markers (14–21), let me know if you’d like me to translate the accompanying footnotes as well — they’re likely essential for the full sense of the passage (especially the ones explaining the caravan incident and the ruling on trade during the khutbah).

2.

This is Mawdudi’s footnote 2 on Surah Al-Jumu’ah, on the word “Ummi.” Here’s an English rendering for your content:

---

Footnote 2 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

Here the word “Ummi” is used as a Jewish technical term, carrying a subtle irony. It means: among those whom the Jews contemptuously called “Ummi” and considered beneath themselves, Allah — Mighty and Wise — raised up a Messenger. He did not rise on his own; rather, the One who raised him is the King of the universe, Mighty and Wise, against whose power these people can only harm themselves, never Him.

It should be noted that the word “Ummi” appears in several places in the Qur’an, and does not carry the same meaning everywhere — it is used differently depending on context:

1. Sometimes it is used, in contrast to “Ahl al-Kitab” (People of the Book), for those who possess no revealed scripture to follow — e.g., “Say to those who were given the Book, and to the Ummiyyin: have you submitted?” (Aal-e-Imran 3:20). Here Ummiyyin refers to the pagan Arabs, set apart as a distinct group from the Jews and Christians.
2. Sometimes it refers to the illiterate among the People of the Book themselves — those unfamiliar with their own scripture — e.g., “And among them are Ummiyyun who do not know the Book, only wishful thinking” (Al-Baqarah 2:78).
3. Sometimes it is used as a purely Jewish technical term meaning all non-Jews in the world — e.g., “That is because they say: we are not accountable regarding the Ummiyyin” (Aal-e-Imran 3:75), meaning their dishonesty stems from believing they bear no guilt in wrongfully consuming the wealth of non-Jews. This third meaning is the one intended in the verse under discussion.

This term corresponds to the Hebrew word goyim, translated in English Bibles as “Gentiles” — meaning all non-Jewish or non-Israelite peoples.

However, the deeper significance of this Jewish term isn’t fully captured by definition alone. Originally, goyim simply meant “nations” — but over time the Jews reserved it for peoples other than themselves, and eventually loaded it with the sense that all non-Jewish nations are uncivilized, irreligious, impure, and contemptible — surpassing even the Greek term “Barbarian” (used for all non-Greeks) in its scorn. In rabbinic literature, the goyim are held in such contempt that they cannot be regarded as human brethren, cannot be traveled with, and — if one is drowning — no attempt need be made to save him. It was believed that the coming Messiah would annihilate and incinerate all the goyim. (For further discussion, see Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 1, Aal-e-Imran, footnote 64.)

---

Footnote 3 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

These attributes of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are mentioned in the Qur’an in four places, each with a different purpose:

1. Al-Baqarah 2:129 — Mentioned to tell the Arabs that his mission, which they regarded as a burden or misfortune, was in fact a great blessing — one that Ibrahim and Isma’il (peace be upon them) had prayed for on behalf of their descendants.
2. Al-Baqarah 2:151 — Mentioned so that the Muslims would recognize his worth and draw full benefit from the blessing Allah bestowed on them through his mission.
3. Aal-e-Imran 3:164 — Repeated to make the hypocrites and the weak in faith realize what an immense favor Allah did them by sending His Messenger among them, and how foolish they were not to value it.
4. Now, for the fourth time, it is repeated in this surah — here the purpose is to tell the Jews that what Muhammad ﷺ is doing before their very eyes is unmistakably the work of a Messenger. He recites the verses of Allah — whose language, content, and style all testify that they are truly the words of Allah. He is reforming people’s lives, purifying their character, habits, and dealings from every kind of corruption, and adorning them with the highest moral virtues. This is the very work every prophet before him carried out.

Nor does he stop at merely reciting the verses — through his word, deed, and the example of his own life, he continually makes the intent of the divine Book understood, teaching a wisdom that no one but the prophets has ever taught. This character, conduct, and mission are themselves the defining mark by which prophets are recognized.

What stubbornness, then, that though his truthfulness as a Messenger is openly proven by his works, you refused to accept him — for no reason other than that Allah raised him not from your own people, but from the people you call “Ummi.”

---

4.

Footnote 4 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This is another proof of his ﷺ Messengership, presented to open the eyes of the Jews. They had lived in the land of Arabia for centuries, and no corner of the religious, moral, social, and cultural life of the Arabs was hidden from them. Pointing to their former condition, the verse says: within a few years, under the leadership and guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, you have been eyewitnesses to how completely this people’s fortunes were transformed.

Before you stands the condition these people were in before accepting Islam. Before you stands the condition they came to be in after embracing Islam. And before you, too, stands the condition of those among this very people who have not yet accepted Islam. Is this stark contrast — one even a blind man could see — not enough to convince you that this could be the achievement of none but a prophet? Indeed, before it, even the achievements of earlier prophets pale in comparison.

---

That’s all four footnotes (2–5) done. Want them assembled into your bilingual English/Urdu document alongside the verses of Al-Jumu’ah they belong to?

Footnote 5 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

That is, the Messengership of Muhammad ﷺ is not confined to the Arab nation alone — it extends to all other peoples and races across the world who have not yet joined the ranks of the believers, but will go on doing so until the Day of Judgment.

The original words are: “wa akharina minhum lamma yalhaqu bihim” — “and others among them who have not yet joined them.” The phrase “among them” (minhum) admits of two possible meanings:

1. These “others” will be from among the Ummiyyin — i.e., the non-Israelite peoples of the world.
2. They will be followers of Muhammad ﷺ who have not yet joined the ranks of the believers, but will do so later.

Either way, this verse is among those that clearly establish that the mission of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is directed toward the whole of mankind, and is meant to endure until the end of time. Other places in the Qur’an that make this explicit are: Al-An’am 6:19, Al-A’raf 7:158, Al-Anbiya 21:107, Al-Furqan 25:1, and Saba 34:28. (For further discussion, see Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 4, commentary on Surah Saba, footnote 47.)

---

Footnote 6 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

That is, it is a marvel of His power and wisdom that He raised, from so unrefined an Ummi people, so great a prophet — whose teaching and guidance were revolutionary to such a degree, and carried universal, eternal principles capable of uniting the whole of mankind into a single Ummah, drawing guidance from them for all time.

No fabricated man, however hard he tried, could ever have attained this rank. Set aside a backward people like the Arabs — not even the most brilliant individual from any of the world’s greatest nations could completely transform a people in this way, and then give the world such comprehensive principles that all mankind could become a single community, running a universal, all-encompassing system of one faith and one civilization until the end of time.

This is a miracle brought about by Allah’s power, and Allah alone — by His wisdom — chose whichever person, land, and people He willed for it. If this troubles the heart of some fool, let it trouble him.

---

Footnote 7 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This phrase carries two meanings — one general, one specific.

The general meaning: those upon whom the knowledge of the Torah, and the responsibility of guiding the world according to it, had been placed — but who neither grasped this responsibility nor fulfilled its due.

The specific meaning: as the community entrusted with the Torah, it was their task to be the first to step forward and support the Messenger whose coming the Torah had clearly foretold. Instead, they opposed him more than anyone else, and failed to live up to what the teaching of the Torah demanded of them.

Footnote 8 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

That is, just as a donkey has books loaded on its back yet has no idea what it is carrying, so too have they loaded the Torah upon themselves without knowing why this Book came, or what it demands of them.

Footnote 9 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

That is, their state is worse than a donkey’s. The donkey lacks understanding, so its ignorance is excusable. But these people do have understanding — they read and teach the Torah, and are not unaware of its meaning. Yet they knowingly turn away from its guidance, and deliberately refuse to accept this Prophet, who is entirely in the right according to the Torah itself. Their fault is not ignorance — they are guilty of consciously and deliberately denying the signs of Allah.

Footnote 10 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This point deserves attention: the verse does not say “O Jews,” but rather “O you who have become Jews” or “O you who have adopted Judaism.” The reason is this: the original religion brought by Musa (peace be upon him), and by the prophets before and after him, was none other than Islam itself. None of these prophets was a Jew, nor had Judaism as such come into being in their time. This religion, under this name, is a much later development.

It takes its name from the tribe descended from Yahuda (Judah), the fourth son of Ya’qub (peace be upon him). After the reign of Sulayman (peace be upon him), when the kingdom split into two, this tribe came to rule the state that became known as Judea, while the other tribes of Bani Isra’il established their own separate state, known as Samaria. Later, when Assyria [conquered the northern kingdom], only the lineage of Yahuda — along with that of Benjamin — survived, and because of the dominance of the tribe of Yahuda, the term “Yahud” (Jews) came to be applied to them.

Within this lineage, over the course of many centuries, priests, rabbis, and religious scholars built up a framework of beliefs, rituals, and religious regulations according to their own ideas, theories, and inclinations — and this framework is what is called Judaism. It began taking shape from the fourth century BCE and continued developing until the fifth century CE. Only a very small element of the divine guidance brought by Allah’s messengers survives within it, and even that has become considerably distorted.

This is why the Qur’an, in most places, addresses them as alladhina hadu — “O you who have become Jews” — rather than by ethnic descent. Not all of them were Israelites either; there were also non-Israelites among them who had adopted Judaism. Wherever the Qur’an addresses the Children of Israel by lineage, it uses the words “O Children of Israel”; wherever it addresses the followers of the Jewish religion, it uses the words alladhina hadu.

Footnote 11 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

The details of this claim of theirs are given in several places in the Qur’an. For example, they say that no one but the Jews will enter Paradise (Al-Baqarah 2:111); that the Fire will never touch them, and even if they are punished, it will only be for a few days (Al-Baqarah 2:80, Aal-e-Imran 3:24); and that they are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones (Al-Ma’idah 5:18). Similar claims are also found in the Jews’ own scriptures. At the very least, the whole world knows that they call themselves God’s Chosen People, and hold the conviction that God has a special relationship with them that He has with no other group of mankind.

Footnote 12 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This is the second time in the Qur’an that this point has been addressed directly to the Jews. Earlier, in Surah Al-Baqarah, it was said: “Tell them: if the abode of the Hereafter is reserved for you alone with Allah, to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death — if you are truthful in this claim of yours. But they will never wish for it, because of what their own hands have sent ahead, and Allah knows well the wrongdoers. Indeed, you will find them the most eager of all people for life — even more than the polytheists. Each of them wishes he could live a thousand years, though even a long life would never save him from the punishment. Allah sees well all that they do.” (verses 94–96). The same point is now repeated here.

But this is not mere repetition. In Surah Al-Baqarah, this was said at a time when no war had yet taken place between the Muslims and the Jews. Here, in this surah, it is repeated after several confrontations, once their power in Arabia had been decisively and finally broken. Those confrontations, and their outcome, proved through experience and observation what had earlier been stated as a claim in Surah Al-Baqarah.

In Madinah and Khaybar, Jewish strength was in no way inferior to that of the Muslims in numbers, and far exceeded them in resources. The pagans of Arabia and the hypocrites of Madinah also stood behind them. Yet what overcame the Jews was this: far from fearing death in Allah’s cause, the Muslims desired it from the depths of their hearts, and went into battle with their lives in their hands — for they were certain they were fighting in Allah’s cause, and equally certain that Paradise awaited whoever was martyred in it. The Jews, by contrast, were unwilling to lay down their lives for any cause at all — not for the sake of God, not for their own people, not even to defend their own lives, wealth, and honor. All they wanted was life, whatever kind of life it might be. It was this very trait that made them cowards.

Footnote 13 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

In other words, this fleeing from death on their part is not without reason. However grand and sweeping their claims may be in words, their own consciences know well what their actual dealings with Allah and His religion amount to, and what outcome can be expected in the Hereafter for the deeds they are committing in this world. This is precisely why their souls shrink from facing the judgment of Allah.

---

Footnote 14 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

Three points in this phrase deserve particular attention. First, it mentions the calling out (munadi) for prayer. Second, it refers to a call for a specific prayer that is to be offered only on the day of Jumu’ah. Third, these two things are not stated in the form “call people to prayer, and offer a special prayer on Fridays” — rather, the phrasing and context make clear that people were being lax about hurrying to the prayer upon hearing the call, and remained absorbed in buying and selling instead. This verse was revealed precisely to make people feel the importance of that call and that particular prayer, and to hasten to it as an obligation.

Reflecting on these three points establishes, decisively, a foundational truth: Allah also gave the Messenger ﷺ certain commands that were not revealed as part of the Qur’an, and those commands were just as binding as the commands revealed in the Qur’an. The call to prayer mentioned here is the very Adhan that is given today in every mosque across the world, five times a day — yet nowhere in the Qur’an are its words stated, nor is any command given to call people to prayer in this manner. This was instituted by the Messenger ﷺ himself; the Qur’an only confirms it in two places — here, and in Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 58. Likewise, this specific Friday prayer, which Muslims the world over perform today, is neither commanded in the Qur’an nor is its time or manner of performance described there. This too was instituted by the Messenger ﷺ, and this verse of the Qur’an was revealed only to underscore its importance and its binding obligation. Despite this clear proof, anyone who claims that Shari’ah rulings consist only of what is stated in the Qur’an is, in effect, denying not the Sunnah, but the Qur’an itself.

Before proceeding further, a few more matters about Jumu’ah should be understood:

On the name “Jumu’ah”: Jumu’ah is in fact an Islamic term. In the pre-Islamic era, the Arabs called this day Yawm al-’Arubah. When Islam designated it as the day of the Muslims’ communal gathering, it was named Jumu’ah. Though historians note that Ka’b ibn Lu’ayy, or Qusayy ibn Kilab, had also used this name for the day — since he used to gather the people of Quraysh on it (Fath al-Bari) — this did not change the older name; the Arabs generally still called it ’Arubah. The real change of name came only when Islam gave it this new designation.

On why Friday was chosen over Saturday or Sunday: Before Islam, the People of the Book already had the practice of setting aside a particular day of the week for worship and making it a communal marker. The Jews designated the Sabbath (Saturday) for this purpose, since it was on that day Allah delivered the Children of Israel from Pharaoh’s bondage. The Christians, to distinguish themselves from the Jews, adopted Sunday as their communal marker — though neither Christ commanded this, nor is it mentioned anywhere in the Gospel; rather, Christians believe that Christ rose from the tomb toward heaven on this very day after being crucified. Later Christians accordingly made it their day of worship, and in 321 CE the Roman Empire decreed it a general holiday. Islam, to distinguish its own community from both of these communities, set aside both of these days and chose Friday for congregational worship instead.

On when it was made obligatory: Reports from Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari indicate that the command making Jumu’ah obligatory was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in Makkah itself, some time before the Hijrah — though he could not act on it then, since no communal worship was possible in Makkah. He therefore wrote to those who had already emigrated to Madinah ahead of him, instructing them to establish Jumu’ah there. Accordingly, Mus’ab ibn Umayr, leader of the early emigrants, led the first Jumu’ah prayer in Madinah with twelve men (Tabarani, Daraqutni). Ka’b ibn Malik and Ibn Sirin report that even before this — before the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction reached them — the Ansar of Madinah had decided among themselves to gather once a week for communal worship, choosing Friday over the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday for this purpose; the first such Friday prayer was led by As’ad ibn Zurarah in the area of Banu Bayadah, attended by forty men (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Abd ibn Humayd, Abd al-Razzaq, Bayhaqi). This shows that the Islamic instinct itself was already calling for a day on which the greatest number of Muslims could gather for communal worship — and it was likewise this same instinct that called for that day to be distinct from Saturday and Sunday, so that the Muslims’ communal marker would remain distinct from those of the Jews and Christians. It is a remarkable feature of the Companions’ Islamic sensibility that, on occasion, their instinct grasped what the spirit of Islam demanded even before any explicit command had come.

On its establishment after the Hijrah: Establishing Jumu’ah was among the very first things the Messenger ﷺ did after the Hijrah. Having emigrated from Makkah, he arrived at Quba on a Monday and stayed there four days; on the fifth day, a Friday, he set out from there toward Madinah. While on the way, at the settlement of Banu Salim ibn Awf, the time for Jumu’ah prayer arrived, and it was there that he ﷺ offered the very first Jumu’ah prayer (Ibn Hisham).

On its timing: The Messenger ﷺ set the time for this prayer as after the sun’s decline — the same time as Zuhr. In the written instruction he sent to Mus’ab ibn Umayr before the Hijrah, he had said: “When the day has passed its midpoint on Friday, draw near to Allah through two rak’ahs” (Daraqutni). This instruction he both gave verbally after the Hijrah and also followed in practice, leading the Jumu’ah prayer at that time. Reports to this effect — that he ﷺ performed Jumu’ah after the sun’s decline — have been transmitted from Anas, Salamah ibn al-Akwa’, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Sahl ibn Sa’d, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Ammar ibn Yasir, and Bilal (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi).

On its form: It is also established from his practice that on this day he offered Jumu’ah in place of Zuhr; this prayer consisted of only two rak’ahs, preceded by a sermon (khutbah) — this being the difference between the Friday prayer and the ordinary Zuhr prayer on other days. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “By the word of your Prophet ﷺ, the traveler’s prayer is two rak’ahs, the Fajr prayer is two rak’ahs, and the Jumu’ah prayer is two rak’ahs — these are complete prayers, not shortened ones. Jumu’ah was only made brief on account of the sermon” (Ahkam al-Qur’an by al-Jassas).

On the Adhan referred to in this verse: The call mentioned here refers to the Adhan given immediately before the sermon — not the Adhan given well in advance to announce that the time for Jumu’ah has begun. It is reported from Sa’ib ibn Yazid that in the time of the Messenger ﷺ there was only a single Adhan, given after the Imam had taken his seat on the pulpit — and this remained the practice in the times of Abu Bakr and Umar as well. Later, in the time of Uthman, when the population had grown, he introduced an additional, earlier Adhan, given at his house, Zawra’, in the marketplace of Madinah (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Tabarani).

Footnote 15 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

In this command, “dhikr” (remembrance) refers to the sermon (khutbah), because the first thing the Prophet ﷺ did after the Adhan was not the prayer but the khutbah — he always performed the prayer only after the sermon. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “On Friday, the angels record the name of each person who arrives, in the order of their arrival. Then, when the Imam comes out [to deliver the sermon], they fold up their scrolls and turn to listening to the dhikr (i.e., the sermon)” (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i). This hadith too confirms that dhikr here means the sermon. The Qur’an’s own wording points to the same thing: it first says, “hasten to the remembrance of Allah,” and then later says, “and when the prayer is concluded, disperse in the land.” This shows that the order of proceedings on Friday is: first the dhikr (sermon), then the prayer. The commentators agree that dhikr here means either the sermon alone, or both the sermon and the prayer together.

The very use of the phrase “remembrance of Allah” for the sermon carries a meaning of its own: the sermon’s content should be things fitting for the remembrance of Allah — praise of Allah, blessings upon His Messenger, instruction and exhortation to act according to His commands and His law, commendation of the God-fearing servants, and the like. On this basis, al-Zamakhshari writes in al-Kashshaf that praising unjust rulers in the sermon, naming them, or praying for them, bears no relation whatsoever to the remembrance of Allah — rather, it is the remembrance of Satan.

“Hasten to the remembrance of Allah” does not mean literally running there — it means making every effort to arrive as quickly as possible. In Urdu too, we use expressions like “rushing about” or “hurrying” to mean vigorous effort, not literal running; likewise in Arabic, sa’y does not mean running either. Elsewhere in the Qur’an, the word sa’y is used in the sense of effort and striving — for example: “Man shall have nothing but what he strives for,” “whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be striven for,” “when he was old enough to strive [walk/work] with him,” and “when he turns away, he strives in the land to spread corruption.” The commentators unanimously take it here in the sense of diligence — that a person, upon hearing the Adhan, should immediately set about making his way to the mosque.

Nor is this the whole of it — there is also a clear hadith prohibiting literally running to the prayer. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the prayer is called, come to it walking with calm and dignity — do not come running. Join whatever part of the prayer you catch, and make up whatever you missed” (the six major hadith collections). Abu Qatadah al-Ansari relates that once, while they were praying behind the Prophet ﷺ, the sound of people running suddenly reached them. After finishing the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ asked what the noise had been. They said they had been running to join the prayer. He said: “Do not do that — whenever you come for prayer, come with complete calm. Join whatever part you catch with the Imam, and complete whatever you missed afterward” (Bukhari, Muslim).

“Leave off trading” does not mean abandoning buying and selling alone — it means setting aside every other engagement besides the concern and effort of going to the prayer. Trade is singled out specifically because commerce flourished especially on Fridays: people from surrounding settlements would gather together in one place, merchants would bring their goods there, and people would busy themselves buying what they needed. But the prohibition is not limited to trade alone — every other occupation falls under it as well. And since Allah has explicitly forbidden it, the jurists of Islam are agreed that after the call to Jumu’ah, trade and every kind of business dealing become unlawful.

This command decisively establishes that the Jumu’ah prayer is obligatory. First, the emphatic instruction to hasten upon hearing the Adhan is itself proof of this. Then, the fact that something otherwise lawful — trade — becomes forbidden for its sake shows that it is obligatory. Furthermore, the fact that the obligatory Zuhr prayer is dropped on Fridays and replaced by the Jumu’ah prayer is clear proof of its obligatory status, since one obligation is only dropped when the obligation replacing it is more important. This is further supported by numerous hadiths in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ emphasized Jumu’ah in the strongest terms and explicitly declared it obligatory.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “I feel inclined to appoint someone else to lead the prayer in my place, and go and burn down the houses of those who do not come for the Jumu’ah prayer” (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari). Abu Hurairah, Abdullah ibn Abbas, and Abdullah ibn Umar report having heard the Prophet ﷺ say in the Jumu’ah sermon: “People must stop neglecting Jumu’ah, or Allah will seal their hearts, and they will be left heedless” (Musnad Ahmad, Muslim, Nasa’i). Reports from Abu al-Ja’d al-Damri, Jabir ibn Abdullah, and Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa indicate that the Prophet ﷺ said whoever misses three consecutive Fridays out of sheer negligence, without genuine necessity or valid excuse, Allah seals his heart — one version even states, “Allah turns his heart into the heart of a hypocrite” (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Darimi, al-Hakim, Ibn Hibban, al-Bazzar, al-Tabarani in al-Kabir). Jabir ibn Abdullah reports the Prophet ﷺ said: “Jumu’ah is obligatory upon you from today until the Day of Resurrection. Whoever abandons it, treating it lightly or denying its due, may Allah not set his affairs right nor bless him. Know well: his prayer is no prayer, his zakah is no zakah, his Hajj is no Hajj, his fasting is no fasting, none of his good deeds count as good deeds — until he repents. And Allah is ever ready to forgive” (Ibn Majah, al-Bazzar). Al-Tabarani relates a similar report from Ibn Umar in al-Awsat. Beyond these, there are numerous other reports in which the Prophet ﷺ explicitly declared Jumu’ah obligatory and a binding duty.

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Jumu’ah is obligatory upon everyone who hears its call” (Abu Dawud, Daraqutni). Jabir ibn Abdullah and Abu Sa’id al-Khudri report that he said in a sermon: “Know that Allah has made the Jumu’ah prayer obligatory upon you” (Bayhaqi) — though he exempted women, children, slaves, the sick, and travelers from this obligation. Hafsah reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Going out for Jumu’ah is obligatory upon every adult” (Nasa’i). In a report from Tariq ibn Shihab, his words are: “Jumu’ah in congregation is obligatory upon every Muslim, except the slave, the woman, the child, and the sick” (Abu Dawud, al-Hakim). In a report from Jabir ibn Abdullah, his words are: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, Jumu’ah is obligatory upon him — except the woman, the traveler, the slave, or the sick” (Daraqutni, Bayhaqi). It is on the strength of these clear statements from the Qur’an and Hadith that the entire Muslim Ummah is unanimous on the obligatory nature of Jumu’ah.

Footnote 16 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This does not mean that after the Jumu’ah prayer it becomes necessary to disperse in the land and rush about seeking one’s livelihood. Rather, this instruction carries the sense of permission. Since the command had been given to leave off all business upon hearing the call to Jumu’ah, it is now stated that once the prayer has ended, you are permitted to disperse and go about whatever business you wish. This is comparable to the verse that, after prohibiting hunting during the state of Ihram, says: “and when you have left Ihram, then you may hunt” (Al-Ma’idah 5:2) — this does not mean one must hunt after leaving Ihram, but rather that no restriction on hunting remains; one may hunt if one wishes. Similarly, in Surah An-Nisa, permission for marrying more than one wife is given in the words “then marry those that please you” — here too, though the form is imperative, no one has taken it to mean an obligation. From this arises a principle: the imperative form does not always denote obligation; sometimes it denotes permission, and sometimes mere recommendation. Context alone determines where it indicates a command, where mere permission, and where it simply indicates that Allah is pleased by an act without that act being obligatory. Immediately following this very phrase comes another: “and remember Allah much” — here too the imperative form is used, yet it plainly denotes recommendation, not obligation.

It is also worth noting here that although the Qur’an does not designate Friday as a general holiday in the way the Jewish Sabbath or Christian Sunday function, no one can deny that Friday is, for Muslims, exactly the kind of communal marker that Saturday and Sunday are for Jews and Christians respectively. And if setting aside one day a week as a general holiday is a civilizational necessity, then just as Jews naturally choose Saturday for this and Christians choose Sunday, so too will Muslims (provided some Islamic sensibility remains within their nature) inevitably choose Friday for this purpose. Indeed, Christians did not hesitate to impose their Sunday even upon countries where the Christian population was a mere fraction of the whole. When the Jews established their state of Israel in Palestine, the very first thing they did was designate Saturday, rather than Sunday, as the day off. Before Partition, the clearest distinction between British India and the Muslim states was that one part of the country observed Sunday as a holiday and the other observed Friday. Yet where Islamic sensibility is absent among Muslims, they cling to Sunday even after power has come into their own hands — as we see in Pakistan. Worse still, when heedlessness fully takes hold, the Friday holiday is abolished altogether in favor of Sunday, as Mustafa Kemal did in Turkey.

Footnote 17 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

That is, do not forget Allah even while engaged in your business — rather, keep Him in mind in every circumstance and continue His remembrance. (For further explanation, see Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 4, commentary on Surah Al-Ahzab, footnote 63.)

Footnote 18 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

In several places in the Qur’an, after giving a directive, exhortation, or command, the words la’allakum tuflihun (“that you may succeed”) or la’allakum turhamun (“that you may be shown mercy”) are used. Using the word “perhaps” in such contexts does not mean — God forbid — that Allah is in any doubt; rather, it is a manner of royal speech. It is like a kind master telling his servant, “Carry out such-and-such a task — perhaps you will be promoted.” Hidden within it is a subtle promise, in the hope of which the servant carries out the task wholeheartedly and eagerly. If such a phrase were to come from a king’s own mouth regarding a servant, celebrations would break out in that servant’s household.

Since the rulings on Jumu’ah have now concluded, it seems fitting to summarize the rulings on Jumu’ah as compiled by the four schools of law from the Qur’an, Hadith, the practice of the Companions, and the general principles of Islam.

According to the Hanafis: The time for Jumu’ah is the same as the time for Zuhr — it cannot be performed either before or after this. The prohibition on trading begins with the first Adhan, not the second one given after the Imam takes his seat on the pulpit, since the Qur’an’s wording is unqualified. So once the time for Jumu’ah begins after the sun’s decline, whichever Adhan is given for it, people must stop buying and selling upon hearing it — though if someone does trade at that time, the sale is not invalidated, it is simply a sin. Jumu’ah can only be held in a misr jami’ (a major town), defined as one having markets, an established system of security, and a population large enough that even its largest mosque could not hold everyone obligated to attend. Those living outside the town must come in for Jumu’ah if the Adhan reaches them, or if they are within roughly six miles of the town. The prayer need not be held in a mosque — it can be in an open ground, even one outside the town but counted as part of it. Jumu’ah can only be held where general permission to attend is open to everyone; no matter how many people gather in an enclosed place not open to all, the Jumu’ah is not valid there. For validity, the congregation must include — besides the Imam — at least three people obligated to attend Jumu’ah (per Abu Hanifah), or at least two including the Imam (per Abu Yusuf and Muhammad). Jumu’ah is excused for: a traveler; someone too ill to walk there; someone disabled in both legs; a blind person (though Abu Yusuf and Muhammad hold this exemption applies only if he cannot find someone to guide him); someone facing threat to life, honor, or unbearable financial loss from an oppressor; severe rain and mud; or someone imprisoned. It is disliked for prisoners and the disabled to perform Zuhr in congregation on Fridays, and likewise disliked for those who missed Jumu’ah to perform Zuhr in congregation. The sermon is a condition for the validity of Jumu’ah, since the Prophet ﷺ never performed it without one; it must precede the prayer, and there must be two sermons. From when the Imam heads to the pulpit until the sermon ends, all conversation is forbidden, and prayer should not be performed then either — regardless of whether the Imam’s voice reaches where a given person is sitting (al-Hidayah, Fath al-Qadir, Ahkam al-Qur’an by al-Jassas, al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba’ah, Umdat al-Qari).

According to the Shafi’is: The time for Jumu’ah is the same as Zuhr’s. The prohibition on trading and the obligation to hasten begin with the second Adhan (given after the Imam takes his seat on the pulpit). Still, a sale made at that time is not invalidated. Jumu’ah can be held in any settlement whose permanent residents include forty people obligated to attend. Those outside the settlement must attend if the Adhan can reach them. It must be held within the settlement’s boundaries, though not necessarily in a mosque; those living in tents in the desert are not obligated. Validity requires at least forty people obligated to attend, including the Imam. Exemptions include: being a traveler, or intending to stay somewhere four days or less (provided the travel is of a permissible nature); being so elderly or ill that one cannot attend even by riding; being blind with no one to guide one there; fear for life, wealth, or honor; or imprisonment, provided it is not due to one’s own wrongdoing. Two sermons must precede the prayer. Silence during the sermon is recommended (sunnah), though speaking is not forbidden; it is disliked to speak for someone seated close enough to hear the sermon, though he may return a greeting or recite blessings aloud upon hearing the Prophet’s ﷺ name mentioned (Mughni al-Muhtaj, al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba’ah).

According to the Malikis: The time for Jumu’ah begins at the sun’s decline and lasts until shortly before Maghrib — enough time for the sermon and prayer to be completed before sunset. The prohibition on trading and obligation to hasten begin with the second Adhan; any sale made after this is invalid and voidable. Jumu’ah can only be held in settlements whose residents have permanently settled houses there, do not relocate seasonally, meet their needs within the settlement, and are numerous enough to defend themselves. No matter how many people or how long they stay, Jumu’ah cannot be established in temporary encampments. Those living within three miles of the settlement where Jumu’ah is held must attend. It must be held in a mosque within or adjoining the settlement, whose structure is not inferior to the ordinary residents’ houses. Some Malikis add that the mosque must be roofed and used for the five daily prayers, though the predominant Maliki position is that neither being roofed nor being used for daily prayers is a condition — Jumu’ah may be held even in a mosque built solely for that purpose. Validity requires at least twelve people, besides the Imam, who are obligated to attend. Exemptions include: being a traveler, or intending to stay somewhere less than four days; being too ill to reach the mosque; having a sick parent, spouse, or child, or caring for a sick stranger with no one else to care for him, or having a close relative gravely ill or near death; facing unbearable financial loss, or threat to life or honor; hiding from fear of being beaten or imprisoned, provided one is being wronged in the matter; or heavy rain, mud, extreme heat, or cold preventing one from reaching the mosque. Two sermons are required before the prayer — if the sermon comes after the prayer, the prayer must be repeated — and these sermons must be given inside the mosque within hearing range of those present. If the preacher says something irrelevant to the sermon’s proper content, curses someone undeservingly, praises someone undeservingly, or reads something unrelated to the sermon, the congregation has the right to object. Praying for the ruler of the time during the sermon is disliked, unless the preacher fears for his own life. The preacher must be the same person who leads the prayer — if someone else leads the prayer instead, it is invalid (Hashiyat al-Dasuqi ‘ala al-Sharh al-Kabir, Ahkam al-Qur’an by Ibn al-’Arabi, al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba’ah).

According to the Hanbalis: The time for Jumu’ah runs from when the sun has risen a spear’s length in the morning until the start of ‘Asr time, though before the sun’s decline it is merely permissible, while after decline it is obligatory and preferred. The prohibition on trading and the obligation to hasten begin with the second Adhan; any sale made after this does not take effect at all. Jumu’ah can only be held where forty people obligated to attend are permanently settled in houses (not tents) — that is, not relocating seasonally. It makes no difference whether the settlement’s houses and neighborhoods are contiguous or scattered; if they are collectively known by one name, they count as a single settlement, even if parts of it are miles apart. Those living within three miles of such a settlement must attend. The congregation must include forty people including the Imam. The prayer need not be in a mosque — an open ground suffices. Exemptions include: being a traveler intending to stay four days or less; being so ill that even riding to attend is difficult; being blind, unless able to find his own way there (it is not obligatory for a blind man to be led by someone else); severe cold, heat, rain, or mud preventing one from reaching the venue; hiding from an oppressor’s injustice; threat to life or honor, or unbearable financial loss. Two sermons must precede the prayer. It is forbidden to speak during the sermon for anyone close enough to the preacher to hear him — though someone farther away, out of earshot, may speak. Whether the preacher is just or unjust, people must remain silent during the sermon. If Eid falls on the same day as Jumu’ah, those who have already prayed Eid are exempted from the obligation of Jumu’ah — on this point the Hanbali position differs from that of the other three schools (Ghayat al-Muntaha, al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba’ah).

All the jurists agree that if someone not obligated to attend Jumu’ah does attend and pray it, his prayer is valid, and Zuhr is no longer obligatory upon him.

Footnote 19 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This is the incident behind the rulings on Jumu’ah given in the verses above. The account — narrated in the hadith collections from Jabir ibn Abdullah, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu Malik, and also from al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Zayd, Qatadah, and Muqatil ibn Hayyan — is that a trade caravan arrived from Syria in Madinah right at the time of the Jumu’ah prayer, and began beating drums to announce its arrival to the townspeople. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering the sermon at that moment. Hearing the drums, the people grew restless, and all but twelve of them rushed off toward al-Baqi’, where the caravan had stopped.

The most reliable narration of this incident is that of Jabir ibn Abdullah, transmitted through numerous chains by Imam Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu ‘Awanah, Abd ibn Humayd, Abu Ya’la, and others. The only inconsistency is that some narrations state the event occurred during the prayer itself, while others state it occurred while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the sermon. Bringing together all the narrations from Jabir and other Companions and Successors, the correct understanding is that this happened during the sermon, and where Jabir says it occurred “during the Jumu’ah prayer,” he is in fact using “Jumu’ah prayer” to refer to the sermon and prayer together as a combined whole.

Abdullah ibn Abbas’s narration states that among the twelve men who remained, there was also one woman (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim). One narration from al-Daraqutni gives the number remaining as forty, one from Abd ibn Humayd gives seven, and al-Farra’ records eight — but these are all weak narrations, as is Qatadah’s report that such an incident occurred three separate times (Ibn Jarir). The reliable narration is that of Jabir ibn Abdullah, which puts the number remaining at twelve, and — apart from Qatadah’s one report — all the narrations from the Companions and Successors agree that this happened only once.

Piecing together the various reports about who remained, it appears that among them were Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Ammar ibn Yasir, Salim the freedman of Hudhayfah, and Jabir ibn Abdullah himself. In the narration Hafiz Abu Ya’la relates from Jabir ibn Abdullah, it is stated that when the people left in this way and only these twelve Companions remained, the Prophet ﷺ addressed them, saying: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, had you all followed them, until not one of you remained, this valley would have flowed with fire against you.”

A similar account has been narrated by Ibn Mardawayh from Abdullah ibn Abbas, and by Ibn Jarir from Qatadah.

Regarding the Shi’a use of this incident: Shi’a scholars have used this incident to cast aspersion on the Companions, arguing that such a large number of them abandoning the sermon and prayer to rush toward trade and spectacle proves they preferred the world over the Hereafter. But this is a harsh and unwarranted objection, one that can only be made by closing one’s eyes to the facts. This incident occurred in the period shortly after the Hijrah, when — on one hand — the collective training of the Companions was still in its early stages, and on the other, the disbelievers of Makkah, through their influence, had imposed a severe economic blockade on the people of Madinah, making necessities scarce there. Al-Hasan al-Basri states that people in Madinah were on the verge of starvation at that time, and prices had risen sharply (Ibn Jarir). In this condition, when a trade caravan arrived, people rushed toward it in anxious fear that its goods might be sold out by the time the prayer ended. This was a lapse and an error that arose in that moment due to the incompleteness of their training and the harshness of circumstances. But anyone who looks at the sacrifices these same Companions went on to make for Islam afterward, and sees how their lives — in both worship and worldly dealings — testify to tremendous piety, will never dare to accuse them of harboring any inclination to prefer this world over the Hereafter — unless there lurks in his own heart an affliction of malice toward the Companions.

That said, just as this incident does not support the critics of the Companions, neither does it support those who go to excess in their reverence for the Companions and claim that they never erred at all, or that if they did, it should not be mentioned — on the grounds that mentioning their error and calling it an error is an insult to them, that it strips them of the honor and esteem due to them in people’s hearts, and that mentioning it contradicts the verses and hadiths affirming that the Companions are forgiven and accepted in Allah’s sight. All of this is sheer exaggeration, for which there is no basis in the Qur’an or Hadith. Anyone can see here that Allah Himself mentioned this lapse committed by a large number of the Companions — in the very Book the entire Ummah is to recite until the Day of Judgment — and it is this same Book that affirms their being forgiven and accepted. Moreover, every book of hadith and tafsir, from the Companions themselves down to the later luminaries of Ahl al-Sunnah, has recorded the details of this lapse. Does this mean Allah mentioned it in order to strip the esteem from the very Companions whose esteem He Himself wishes to establish in people’s hearts? Does it mean the Companions, the Successors, the hadith scholars, and the commentators recorded all the details of this incident out of ignorance of the legal principle that these certain people now invoke? And has the esteem of the Companions actually vanished from the hearts of those who read Surah Al-Jumu’ah and study its commentary? If the answer to each of these questions is no — and it certainly is no — then all the excessive, exaggerated claims made in the name of “honoring the Companions” are simply mistaken.

The reality is that the noble Companions were not some heavenly creation, but human beings born on this very earth. Whatever they became, they became through the training of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — training given to them gradually, over years. The method we see reflected in the Qur’an and Hadith is this: whenever a weakness appeared among them, Allah and His Messenger ﷺ addressed it promptly, and a program of instruction and training on that specific point began at once. In this very matter of the Jumu’ah prayer, we see that when the incident of the trade caravan occurred, Allah revealed this section of Surah Al-Jumu’ah to draw attention to it and to teach the etiquette of Jumu’ah. Alongside this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in his sermons, consistently impressed upon people the importance of Jumu’ah’s obligatory status — as mentioned in footnote 15 — and taught them its etiquette in detail. Accordingly, we find all these instructions set out very clearly in the hadith literature:

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet ﷺ said every Muslim should bathe on Friday, clean his teeth, wear whatever good clothes are available to him, and apply perfume if he has any (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i). Salman al-Farisi reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: whichever Muslim bathes on Friday and purifies himself as thoroughly as he can, applies oil to his hair or whatever perfume is available at home, then goes to the mosque without pushing between two people to force his way in, then prays whatever voluntary prayer Allah enables him to, then remains silent when the Imam speaks — his sins are forgiven between that Friday and the next (Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad). Similar reports have been transmitted from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Abu Hurairah, and Nubayshah al-Hudhali (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, al-Tabarani).

Abdullah ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: whoever speaks while the Imam is delivering the sermon is like a donkey carrying books, and whoever tells him to be quiet has himself gained no Jumu’ah either (Musnad Ahmad). Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: if you say “be quiet” to someone talking during the Friday sermon, you too have committed an idle act (Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud). Similar reports have been transmitted by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and al-Tabarani from Ali and Abu al-Darda’.

Alongside this, the Prophet ﷺ also instructed preachers not to burden people with lengthy sermons. He himself delivered a brief sermon on Fridays and did not prolong the prayer either. Jabir ibn Samurah reports that the Prophet’s ﷺ sermons were not long — just a few brief words (Abu Dawud). Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa reports that his sermon was shorter than the prayer, and the prayer was longer than the sermon (Nasa’i). Ammar ibn Yasir reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: a man’s prayer being long and his sermon being short is a sign that he understands the religion (Musnad Ahmad, Muslim). A similar report is transmitted by al-Bazzar from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud.

From all of this, one can see how the Prophet ﷺ taught people the etiquette of Jumu’ah, until this prayer attained a stature unmatched by the communal worship of any other people in the world.

Footnote 20 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

This phrase itself shows the true nature of the error the Companions had committed. If — God forbid — its cause had been a deficiency of faith and a deliberate preference of this world over the Hereafter, then Allah’s expression of wrath, rebuke, and censure would have taken a very different form. But since no such corruption was present, and what happened was simply due to a lack of training, the etiquette of Jumu’ah was first explained in an instructive tone, and then, addressing this lapse, they were gently reminded in a nurturing manner: what you will receive from Allah for listening to the Jumu’ah sermon and performing the prayer is better than this world’s trade and amusements.

Footnote 21 — Surah Al-Jumu’ah

That is, whatever means of sustenance appear in this world are only figuratively so — the best true provider is Allah. Similar phrases occur in several places in the Qur’an: sometimes Allah is called the Best of Creators, sometimes the Best of Forgivers, sometimes the Best of Judges, sometimes the Best of the Merciful, sometimes the Best of Helpers. In all these instances, the attribution of provision, creation, forgiveness, mercy, and help to created beings is figurative, while its attribution to Allah is real. The meaning is: whoever appears to give you a salary, wages, or bread in this world, or whoever appears to fashion something through their craft or skill, or whoever appears to forgive others’ faults, show mercy, or come to others’ aid — Allah is better than all of them as Provider, Creator, Merciful, Forgiving, and Helper.