The surah of Friday. Its centre is the command (62:9): when the call to prayer is made on the day of Jumu'ah, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade; that is best for you, if only you knew.
It also contains one of the Qur'an's sharpest images: those given the Torah who failed to carry it are like a donkey carrying volumes of books (62:5). Access to revelation is not the same as carrying it.
living Al-Jumu'ah
Drop everything once a week
Leave the trade means leave the thing that feels most urgent. For an hour on Friday, the phone qualifies as trade. Airplane mode from the first adhan to the end of the khutbah, as worship.
Do not be the donkey
A Qur'an app installed but never opened is a load carried, not a book read. One ayah actually absorbed beats a library archived.
Then disperse with purpose
62:10: when the prayer ends, disperse and seek Allah's bounty, and remember Him much. The rhythm is worship, then work, with dhikr running through both. Not worship, then three hours of drift.
It is He Who has sent among the unlettered [Arabs] a messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and Wisdom [i.e., Sunnah], although before that they were clearly misguided.
The similitude of those who were given the Torah but failed to uphold it[1], is like that of a donkey laden with books[2]. How terrible is the similitude of those who reject the verses of Allah! And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
Say, “The death from which you run away will surely overcome you, then you will be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of what you used to do.”
O you who believe, when the call for prayer is made on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading. That is better for you, if only you knew.
AL-JUMU'AH · 62:9FEATURED IN DEENSCREEN
WHY IT GIVES YOU PAUSEO you who believe, when the call to prayer is made on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is best for you, if only you knew. Today is Jumu'ah, the week's appointment with Allah.
When the prayer is over, disperse in the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much so that you may be successful.
AL-JUMU'AH · 62:10FEATURED IN DEENSCREEN
WHY IT GIVES YOU PAUSEThen when the prayer is concluded, disperse in the land and seek the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much, so that you may succeed. Work and dhikr, not drift.
When they see some merchandise or amusement, they rush towards it and leave you standing. Say, “That which is with Allah is better than amusement and merchandise, and Allah is the Best of Providers.”