[1] (In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

The meaning

More explanation

[2] 1. [All birds] that [fly] in the [gaseous] heavens^{a and} [all beasts] that [move] on the earth glorify God, the Sovereign, the All-Sacred [: Sanctified by His angels], the All-Mighty, the Most Wise.^b

[3] 2. It is [God] Who has sent – unto these [Meccans^c] who read not [any heavenly book] – a messenger^d out of themselves:

to recite to them His revelations [of the Quran],

to purify them [from the disbelief, the association and sins],

and to teach them [the reading and writing and statements of] the Book [: the Quran] and the admonition;

although before [his coming] they were in error [far from the way of the truth], obvious [to every intelligent man.]

[4] 3. And [to teach the wisdom and the Quran to] some ^e [in the future] other of them, who have not yet joined them. And He is the All-Mighty, the Most Wise.

[5] 4. That [Book and wisdom] is the grace of God which He bestows on whom [of His servants] He pleases; for God is Lord of mighty grace [to His servants, especially to prophets, messengers and those who believe in them.]

^{1 a} i.e. in the sky.

^{1 b} These names have been explained in the interpretation of the Quran 59: 23-24.

^{2 c} The capital of the cities that are round about it.

^{2 d} He is Mohammed, one of the people of their city, one of their tribesmen and one of their chiefs and nobles.

^{3 e} They are everyone who comes to Islam following the companions of the Prophet, till Doomsday. Such teaching will be from some of them to others; the Quran being the essence of such teaching.

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[6] 5. The likeness of those [Jews] who were entrusted with [the statements and laws of] the Torah [of Moses], yet applied it not^a, is as the likeness of the ass carrying the Books [of the prophets of the Old Testament.]

Evil is the likeness of people^b who deny the [past and the present] revelations^c of God.

And God guides not the people doing wrong [to others.]^d

[7] 6. Say, [Mohammed]: "O Jews, in case you claim that you are favorite friends of God, apart from other people^e, then do long for death if you are truthful [in your claim that God loves you.]"

[Then God – be glorified – disapproved their claim, and He said:]

[8] 7. But they will never long for the [death], on account of [the crimes, wrong-doing and disobedience] that their hands have forwarded [to the Next Life.]

God is All-Knowing about the wrong-doers^g.

[9] 8. Say [Mohammed to them:] "Death which you try to evade will inevitably overtake you^h, then [following your death] shall you be brought back to [the judgment of God] Who knows [both] the hidden and the open [of your deeds]; and then He shall inform [and punish] you about what [evil deeds] you have done.

^{5 a} i.e. neither did they apply it, nor did they read it every day, but they neglected about it: leaving it wrapped with silk.

So the likeness of these is as the likeness of an ass carrying the Books of the Prophets, written in the collection of the Torah; to each prophet is his particular book.

^{5 b} i.e. these people, and any people who are like them.

^{5 c} It means: they had denied the revelations of their prophets, as have they denied the revelations of the Quran.

^{5 d} The following are some of the statements which God prescribed for them and written in their Torah; but they contradicted some of them, abandoned some and yet altered some other statements:

I - [The washing after copulation]

One of such statements which God commanded them to do, but they abandoned is the washing after copulation which they abandoned, and Jews do not wash after copulation.

For it is mentioned in the Torah collection, Book of the Levites, chapter 22: 4-7

“And whoso touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goes from him [like: after sexual intercourse with his wife];

5 or whosoever touches any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he has;

6 the soul that touches any such shall be unclean until the even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he bathes his flesh in water.

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean.”

II - [Prohibition of wine]

About the prohibition of wine; it is in the Book of Numbers, chapter 6:

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves to the Lord:

3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes.”

And it is mentioned in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 5 the following:

“11 Woe to them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.”

So this is some of what is written in their Torah about the prohibition of the wine, but they drink wine till drunkenness, and say it is lawful to us.

III - [The prohibition of the usury]

About the prohibition of the usury or the interest, the following is mentioned in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 25:

“35 And if your brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with you; then you shall relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with you.

36 Take you no usury of him, or increase: but fear your God; that your brother may live with you.

37 You shall not give him your money upon usury, nor lend him your victuals for increase.”

This is some of what is mentioned about the prohibition of the usury or the interest, but they work with it and do not mind.

For the usury (or the interest) is forbidden to every man and in all religions, whether he be your brother or a stranger, but they distorted it using the word “your brother”, in order to make it lawful to take the usury from others.

IV - And about their association and worshipping the idols and statues and their killing of the prophets and their many indecent acts: I have mentioned some of them in the interpretation of the Quran 2: 51, 79 and 83 [and in details in my book The Conflict between the Torah and the Quran ]

^{6 e} It means: If you claim that God loves you in preference to other people.

^{7 g} It means: Jews who wrong people and plunder their rights.

^{8 h} And none can escape.

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[Then God – be glorified – addressed the believers and said:]

[10] 9. O you who believe, when the call is proclaimed to the prayers^a on Friday, hasten earnestly to mention God^b and leave off trafficking^c.

That [: God's mentioning] is better for you [than the trafficking] if you did but know^d.

[11] 10. And when the prayer is finished, then go about in the land [to visit your relatives and your patients], seeking [by that] the grace [and reward] of God, and mention God so much [with gratitude^e]: that you may be successful [in the Next Life.]

[The Prophet was addressing on the rostrum on Friday, when a caravan of Dihia arrived (before the conversion of Dihia), and they had a drum on which they nocked to announce the arrival of the trading caravan, as was their custom before the Islam; so all people, except twelve men, went out of the mosque to the caravan and left the Prophet standing. Therefore, His saying – be glorified – was revealed:]

[12] 11. When they find some merchandise or pastime-diversion^f, they go headlong to it^g and leave you [Mohammed] standing [: delivering the Friday sermon.]

Say, [Mohammed, to them]: "What [reward and recompense] with God, is better [for you] than pastime and merchandise^h, and God is the Best of providersⁱ.

^{9 a} It means: When the ‘caller to the prayers’ calls to the prayers.

^{9 b} It means: To the prayers, and mention God in the prayers, before it and after it; it is the prayers of Friday; it must be in group, and it does not substitute the midday prayers. [i.e. it should be performed in addition to the mid-day prayers.]

The indication of this is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 2: 238, which means:

([O believers!] you shall consistently observe the [obliged daily] prayers and the favored prayer [of Friday.])

^{9 c} i.e. refrain from selling and buying in the time of the prayers; so do not busy yourselves with the selling and buying, lest you may miss the Friday prayers.

^{9 d} What reward is with God for those who celebrate His praises.

^{10 e} For the wealth, children and health that He bestowed on you.

^{11 f} Which is the drum.

^{11 g} i.e. they disperse away from you, and go to the merchandise.

^{11 h} By which you may gain some profit in the life of the World.

^{11 i} Therefore, no need that you leave the mosque and go out of it at the time of the sermon; for He may provide you whenever He pleases.

By God's help, the interpretation of the soora 62 of the Quran is completed;

So (praise be to God: Lord of the worlds.)

[1] بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

[2] 1. يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ

[3] 2. هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

[4] 3. وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

[5] 4. ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

[6] 5. مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

[7] 6. قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ هَادُوا إِن زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاء لِلَّهِ مِن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

[8] 7. وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ

[9] 8. قُلْ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلَاقِيكُمْ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

[10] 9. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِي لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

[11] 10. فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

[12] 11. وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا قُلْ مَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَارَةِ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ