62:1
All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorify Allah, the
King, the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
62:2
It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from among themselves,
reciting to them His revelations, and purifying them, and teaching them the
Book and the Wisdom, though before that they were in manifest error.
62:3
And others from among them who have not yet joined them, and He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
62:4 That is the bounty of Allah that He gives to whom He wants, and Allah is the Owner of the great bounty.
Tafsir
62:1
All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorify Allah, the
King, the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
Surah
Al-Jumu’ah begins with the glorification of Allah and affirms that all
creatures praise Him, Exalted be He.
Glorification
of Allah means affirming that Allah is free from any imperfection. Allah is the
King of all that is in the heavens and the earth, and His command prevails over
them.
Allah
is the Holy, free from all that the disbelievers attribute to Him. Moreover,
Allah is the All-Mighty, who takes severe revenge upon His enemies, and none
can stand before Him. Allah is the All-Wise in His statements and deeds. He
manages the affairs of His creatures with wisdom and takes care of all their
concerns, as He best knows what is good for them.
Then,
Allah, Exalted be He, demonstrates some of His bounties upon His slaves.
62:2
It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from among themselves,
reciting to them His revelations, and purifying them, and teaching them the
Book and the Wisdom, though before that they were in manifest error.
The
term “the unlettered” refers to the Arabs, who were so described because most
of them could not read or write at that time.
Allah,
Exalted be He, sent among the Arabs—who were unlettered—by His bounty and
generosity, a noble Messenger who belonged to them. Thus, they knew his lineage
and his character. Allah sent Messenger Muhammad to recite to the Arabs the
Ayat of the Quran, which He revealed to guide them to what brings them
happiness in the life of this world and the Hereafter, if they believe in it.
In
addition, Allah sent Messenger Muhammad to purify them from the vices of
disbelief in the Oneness of Allah and from corrupt ethics, and to teach them
the Quran by explaining unclear matters therein. He also taught them beneficial
knowledge that would lead them to success in the life of this world and the
Hereafter.
The
Ayah mentions that Messenger Muhammad was “from among the Arabs,” indicating
that he was not a stranger; rather, the Arabs knew well his lineage and
character.
This
Ayah also indicates the stages of conveying the divine message:
- First, Messenger
Muhammad recited the Ayat of the Quran to the people.
- Second, he
purified them from corrupt ethics and misconduct.
- Third, he taught
and explained the Quran and beneficial knowledge, namely the Sunnah of
Messenger Muhammad.
This
process follows the establishment of belief in the Oneness of Allah and the
purification of the soul.
…though
before that they were in manifest error.
Before
the sending of Messenger Muhammad, the Arabs were in manifest error, as they
worshipped false gods besides Allah and practiced harmful customs. Thus, Allah,
out of His mercy and bounty, sent Messenger Muhammad to bring them out of the
darkness of disbelief in the Oneness of Allah into the light of belief in His
Oneness.
The
Arabs are specifically mentioned because Allah sent Messenger Muhammad to them
first, and then to all humanity until the occurrence of the Day of Judgment.
In
other words, Allah, out of His generosity and bounty, sent to the Arabs a
Messenger from among themselves to take them out of the darkness of worshipping
false gods and into the light of belief in the Oneness of Allah. Before this,
they were in manifest error in their creeds, worship, ethics, and transactions.
Then,
Allah, Exalted be He, clarifies that the guidance conveyed through Messenger
Muhammad is not restricted to his contemporaries; rather, it extends to
subsequent generations.
62:3
And others from among them who have not yet joined them, and He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
Allah,
Exalted be He, sent an Arab Messenger to the Arabs as well as to later
generations, namely those who come after the companions of Messenger Muhammad
until the Day of Judgment. Allah is the All-Mighty; no one can oppose His
perfect will and power. He is the All-Wise in all His deeds, statements,
legislation, and in His management of the affairs of the universe.
Mujahid,
may Allah have mercy on him, said:
‘[62:3 And others from among them who have not yet joined them, and He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise.] Any person who embraces Islam.’
62:4
That is the bounty of Allah that He gives to whom He wants, and Allah is the
Owner of the great bounty.
What
has been mentioned above—namely, the sending of Messenger Muhammad to invite
people to worship Allah alone and to guide them to the straight path of
Islam—is the bounty of Allah, which He grants to whom He wills among His
slaves. Allah is the Owner of the great bounty, with which no other bounty can
be compared.
Out
of His bounty, Allah has granted the believers the ability to learn and recite
the Quran in the life of this world, and He will, out of His generosity, reward
them immensely in the Hereafter.
Learned
Lessons from Surah Al-Jumu’ah (Ayah 1–4)
- All that is in
the heavens and the earth glorify and praise Allah and acknowledge His
Oneness and perfect power.
- Allah, Exalted
be He, sent Messenger Muhammad to guide people to the straight path of
worshipping Allah alone, to recite the Quran to them, and to purify them
from the impurity of disbelief in the Oneness of Allah and from vices.
- Before the
sending of Messenger Muhammad, the Arabs were far from the right path and
were divided.
- Sending
Messenger Muhammad is a great bounty, as Allah sent to the Arabs a
Messenger from among themselves, making it easier for them to understand
his message and communicate with him.
- The message of
Islam brought by Messenger Muhammad is not restricted to the Arabs;
rather, it is for all people until the Day of Judgment.
- Islam and the
sending of Messenger Muhammad are among the bounties of Allah, which He
grants to whom He wills.
