62:9 What is the "Day/Time of Gathering"
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Peace be upon you all.
A question I have had for many months now and not been able to fully understand is the day/time/event referred to in 629.
The first portion of 629 is "Ya ayuha al-latheena amanu itha nudiya lil salati min yawm il-jumu'aati".
The "traditional" understanding of this phrase is that it is referring to Friday, but I have been unable to personally verify the history of the usage of the word "jum'aa" for a day of the week. I have read the understanding that the phrase is referring to any time a gathering of believers occurs, but could be on a specific day that a community chooses (even Friday).
As I currently understand the verse, the salat in question is not a special or different salat from any other salat. I can see that it is showing the importance of salat and not being distracted by business from remembering God, but I am confused about whether the gathering is a gathering of believers or a gathering of merchants.
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. May God increase our knowledge.
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Salam jtc
i think personally, it can have two meanings
either it points to the 'Sabbath' as youm al Gumua , that we should celebrate with a Salat (worship), but in contrast to the Sabbath, as it is practiced, the Quran don't suggest an absolute ban on working.
I do not mean Sabbath= Saturday - it is the 'seventh' day from the beginning of a new lunar cycle and shifts so through the gregoranic calendar within a week.the other meaning
The 'day' means 'time' and the 'meeting' points to the annual gathering of Hajj. In this interpretation, however, there are problems with the second part of the verse, and by the fact that only a Salat is mentioned.
also then the hajj would have to be limited - the Qur'an however states that it can be made within four months. Another unsolved problem I see with a look of the mention 'the great Hajj (al hajj al akbar)' - there is also a smaller Hajj? And what is this small Hajj and at what time?
i'am sure other people have different opinions
peace