Surah Al-Jumu'ah

It is Medinan, as narrated from Ibn Abbas, Ibn al-Zubayr, al-Hasan, Mujahid, Ikrimah, and Qatadah, and the majority hold this view. Ibn Yasar said: It is Meccan, and this was narrated from Ibn Abbas and Mujahid.

The former is the correct view, based on what is in Sahih al-Bukhari and others from Abu Hurayrah, who said: "We were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah exalt his mention) when Surah al-Jumu'ah was revealed..." (the hadith will appear soon, God willing). His conversion to Islam, may Allah be pleased with him, occurred some time after the Migration by consensus. Furthermore, the matter of the dispersal mentioned at the end of the Surah, as well as the address to the Jews indicated by His saying, the Glorified: "Say, 'O you who are Jews, if you claim...'" and so forth, did not occur except in Medina.

Its verses are eleven, without disagreement.

The aspect of its connection to the preceding Surah is that when He, the Exalted, mentioned in the previous one the state of Musa (peace be upon him) with his people and their harming him—denouncing them for that—He mentioned in this Surah the state of the Messenger (may Allah exalt his mention) and the virtue of his nation, as an honor to them, so that one may behold the difference in virtue between the two nations. For this reason, it mentions the Jews herein.

Also, when He narrated therein the statement of Isa (peace be upon him): "and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad," He, the Glorified, said here: "It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves," indicating that he is the one whom Isa gave tidings of.

Also, as He concluded that Surah with the command for Jihad and named it a "transaction," He concluded this one with the command for the Jumu'ah (Friday prayer), informing that it is better than worldly trade.

Also, in both Surahs, there is an indication of standing in rows for worship. As for the first, it is evident. As for this one, it is because it contains the command for the Jumu'ah, which requires the congregation that necessitates standing in rows, among other things.

The Prophet (may Allah exalt his mention), as narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah from Ibn Abbas, used to recite in the Jumu'ah prayer its own Surah and "When the hypocrites come to you."

Ibn Hibban and al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan narrated from Jabir bin Samurah that he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah exalt his mention) used to recite in the Maghrib prayer on the night of Jumu'ah "Say, 'O disbelievers'" and "Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One,'" and he used to recite in the Isha prayer on the night of Jumu'ah Surah al-Jumu'ah and al-Munafiqun. In this is evidence of the increased nobility of this Surah.

(In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful)

"Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah" — [a glorification that is] renewed by way of continuity — "the Sovereign, the Pure, the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

These are attributes of the Majestic Name [Allah], and their meanings have preceded. Abu Wa'il, Maslamah ibn Muharib, Ru'bah, Abu al-Dinar, and al-A'rabi read them in the nominative case (raf') as an expression of praise. This was deemed appropriate due to the separation—which contains a degree of length—between the attribute and the described. The same has been narrated from Ya'qub. Abu al-Dinar and Zayd ibn 'Ali read al-Quddus (The Pure) with a fatha (vowel point) on the qaf.