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Ayah
Word by Word
هُوَ
He
ٱلَّذِي
(is) the One Who
بَعَثَ
sent
فِي
among
ٱلۡأُمِّيِّـۧنَ
the unlettered
رَسُولٗا
a Messenger
مِّنۡهُمۡ
from themselves
يَتۡلُواْ
reciting
عَلَيۡهِمۡ
to them
ءَايَٰتِهِۦ
His Verses
وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ
and purifying them
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ
and teaching them
ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ
the Book
وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ
and the wisdom
وَإِن
although
كَانُواْ
they were
مِن
from
قَبۡلُ
before
لَفِي
surely in
ضَلَٰلٖ
an error
مُّبِينٖ
clear
هُوَ
He
ٱلَّذِي
(is) the One Who
بَعَثَ
sent
فِي
among
ٱلۡأُمِّيِّـۧنَ
the unlettered
رَسُولٗا
a Messenger
مِّنۡهُمۡ
from themselves
يَتۡلُواْ
reciting
عَلَيۡهِمۡ
to them
ءَايَٰتِهِۦ
His Verses
وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ
and purifying them
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ
and teaching them
ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ
the Book
وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ
and the wisdom
وَإِن
although
كَانُواْ
they were
مِن
from
قَبۡلُ
before
لَفِي
surely in
ضَلَٰلٖ
an error
مُّبِينٖ
clear
Translation
It is He who has sent among the unlettered [Arabs] a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom [i.e., the sunnah] - although they were before in clear error -
Tafsir
It is He Who sent to the unlettered [folk], [among] the Arabs (ummee means 'one who cannot write or read a book'), a messenger from among them, namely, Muhammad may peace and salutation be upon him, to recite to them His signs, Al-Qur'an, and to purify them, to cleanse them from idolatry, and to teach them the Book, Al-Qur'an, and wisdom, [in] the rulings that it contains, though indeed (wa-in: in has been softened from the hardened form, with its subject having been omitted, that is to say, [understand it as] wa-innahum) before that, [before] his coming, they had been in manifest error.
Tafsir of Surah Al-Jumuah
Allah the Exalted said,
يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاَْرْضِ
Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah --
Everything praises and glorifies Allah. Allah states that everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies His praises, including all types of living creatures and inanimate objects.
Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ
Glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise. (17:44)
Allah said,
الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ
the King, the Holy,
meaning that He is the Owner and King of the heavens and the earth Who has perfect control over their affairs.
He is the Holy, free of all shortcomings, His attributes are perfect,
الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيم
the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Its explanation is already discussed in many places.
The Favor that Allah granted by sending Muhammad
Allah the Exalted said
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الاُْمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ
He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves,
the word `unlettered' here refers to the Arabs.
Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
وَقُلْ لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالاٍّمِّيِّينَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُواْ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
And say to those who were given the Scripture and those who are illiterates:Do you submit yourselves If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message; and Allah is All-Seer of (His) servants. (3:20)
Mentioning the unlettered ones in specific here does not mean that Muhammad was only sent to them, because the blessing to the Arabs is greater than that of other nations.
In another Ayah, Allah said,
وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ
And verily, this is indeed a Reminder for you and your people. (43:44)
Surely, the Qur'an is also a reminder for those other than Arabs to take heed.
Allah the Exalted said,
وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الاٌّقْرَبِينَ
And warn your tribe of near kindred. (26:214)
These Ayat do not negate Allah's statements,
قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا
Say:O mankind! verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah. (7:158)
and,
لااٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ
that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. (6:19)
and in His statement about the Qur'an,
وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ
But those of the groups that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place. (11:17)
There are other Ayat that indicate that his Message is universal. He, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, was sent to all people, mankind and the Jinns alike. We mentioned this meaning before in Surah Al-An`am producing various Ayat and Hadiths. All praise and thanks are to due to Allah.
This Ayah testifies that Allah has indeed accepted the invocation of His friend Ibrahim when he supplicated Allah to send a Messenger to the people of Makkah from among them their own. One who will recite to them Allah's statements, purify them and teach them the Book and the Hikmah. So, Allah -- all praise and thanks be to Him -- sent him when the Messengers ceased and the way was obscure. Indeed it was a time when it was most needed. Especially since Allah hated the people of the earth, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, except for a few of the People of the Scripture, who kept to the true faith Allah the Exalted sent to `Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon him. This is why Allah said,
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الاُْمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ ايَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَإلٍ مُّبِينٍ
He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His Ayat, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Hikmah. And verily, they had been before in manifest error.
In ancient times, the Arabs used to adhere by the religion of Ibrahim, peace be upon him. They later changed, corrupted and contradicted it, choosing polytheism instead of Tawhid and doubts instead of certainty. They invented a religion that Allah did not legislate, just as the People of the Scriptures did when they changed and corrupted their Divine Books. Allah sent Muhammad, with a great divine legislation, perfect religion that is suitable for all humans and Jinns.
In it, there is guidance and explanations of all that they need in this life and the Hereafter. It draws them closer to Paradise and Allah's pleasure and takes them away from the Fire and earning Allah's anger.
In it, there is the final judgement for all types of doubts and suspicion for all major and minor matters of the religion.
In Muhammad, Allah gathered all the good qualities of the Prophets before him, and gave him what He has never given the earlier and later generations of mankind.
May Allah's peace and blessings be on Muhammad until the Day of Judgement.
Muhammad is the Messenger to Arabs and Non-Arabs alike
Allah said,
وَاخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
And others among them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy upon him, recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,
We were sitting with the Prophet, when Surah Al-Jumu`ah was revealed to him;
وَاخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ
(And others among them who have not yet joined them). They said, `Who are they, O Allah's Messenger'
The Prophet did not reply until they repeated the question thrice.
At that time, Salman Al-Farisi was with us. So Allah's Messenger placed his hand on Salman, saying,
لَوْ كَانَ الاِْيمَانُ عِنْدَ الثُّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رِجَالٌ أَوْ رَجُلٌ مِنْ هوُلَاءِ
If faith were on Ath-Thurayya (Pleiades), even then some men or a man from these people would attain it.
Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa`i, Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir collected this Hadith.
This Hadith indicates that Surah Al-Jumu`ah was revealed in Al-Madinah and that the Messenger's Message is universal.
The Prophet explained Allah's statement,
وَاخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ
(And others among them) by mentioning Persia. This is why the Prophet sent messages to the kings of Persia and Rome, among other kings, calling them to Allah the Exalted and to follow what he was sent with.
This is why Mujahid and several others said that Allah's statement,
وَاخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ
(And others among them who have not yet joined them), refers to all non-Arabs who believe in the truth of the Prophet.
Allah's statement,
وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
(And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise), asserts that He is Almighty and All-Wise in His legislation and the destiny He appoints.
Allah's statement,
ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُوْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ
That is the grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of mighty grace.
refers to the great Prophethood that He granted Muhammad and the qualities that He favored his Ummah with, by sending Muhammad to them.
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