Surah Al-Jumu'a (62) — Ayah 5

(Ayah 5) ➊ {مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرٰىةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوْهَا …:’’ اَسْفَارًا ‘‘ ’’سِفْرٌ‘‘} is the plural of “sifrun”, a great book. {’’سَفَرَ يَسْفُرُ‘‘ (ن) ’’اَلْكِتَابَ‘‘} means to write. The plural of {’’اَلسَّافِرُ أَيْ اَلْكَاتِبُ‘‘} is {’’سَفَرَةٌ‘‘}, as He said: « بِاَيْدِيْ سَفَرَةٍ (15) كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍ » [ عبس : ۱۵،۱۶ ] “In the hands of such scribes, who are noble and righteous.”

➋ Some scholars have said, Allah Almighty refuted the Jews in three matters: they boasted that they were the People of the Book while the Arabs were unlettered, so to refute this He likened them to a donkey carrying great books. They boasted that they were the friends and beloved of Allah, so Allah Almighty said: « فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ» [ الجمعۃ : ۶ ] “(If that is so) then wish for death.” Thirdly, they had “Sabbath” (Saturday) which the Muslims did not have, so Allah Almighty mentioned His favor upon the Muslims in the form of the day of Jumu’ah, from which the Jews, due to their ignorance, were deprived. (Al-Kashshaf)

➌ The meaning of the burden of the Torah being placed is that the responsibility of acting upon it was placed, as He said: « اِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْاَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ وَ الْجِبَالِ فَاَبَيْنَ اَنْ يَّحْمِلْنَهَا وَ اَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَ حَمَلَهَا الْاِنْسَانُ» [ الأحزاب:۷۲ ] “Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and feared it; but man undertook to bear it.” {’’ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوْهَا ‘‘} Then they did not act upon it, meaning just as books are loaded on a donkey and it does not know what is on its back, similarly are those people upon whom the burden of the Torah was placed to act upon it, but they did not care what was in it and what it wanted from them.

➍ {بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ :} Denying the signs of Allah means denying those glad tidings which Allah Almighty revealed in the Torah regarding the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. (See Al-A’raf: 157) {’’ بِئْسَ ‘‘} is a verb of censure, {’’ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} is its subject, and its specific object of censure is omitted, meaning {’’هٰذَا الْمَثَلُ ۔‘‘} that is, the example of those who denied the signs of Allah is an evil example, which should not be applicable to the believers. Just as no Muslim should be the subject of the example of the dog, so that the example of the dog applies to him. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: [ لَيْسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ، الَّذِيْ يَعُوْدُ فِيْ هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَرْجِعُ فِيْ قَيْهٖ ] [ بخاري، الھبۃ و فضلھا، باب لا یحل لأحد أن یرجع في ھبتہ وصدقتہ : ۲۶۲۲ ] “This evil example is not for us; the person who takes back his gift is like the dog who returns to its vomit.”

➎ Ustadh Muhammad Abduh, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “What is the reason that the condition of these scholars is not different from those who possess knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith but do not act upon it, or make arbitrary interpretations like the Jews?” Shah Abdul Qadir, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “The scholars of the Jews were such that they read the book and nothing affected their hearts; may Allah protect us.” (Mawduh)

➏ {وَ اللّٰهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ :} That is, knowingly not accepting is clear injustice, and Allah does not grant the ability to walk the straight path to such wrongdoers, because it is not His way to forcibly guide those who do not wish for it.

5. 1. Asfaar is the plural of Safr, meaning a large book. When a book is read, a person travels through its meanings, which is why a book is called Safr (Fath al-Qadeer). This is an example given about the unpracticing Jews: just as a donkey does not know what is written in the books loaded on its back, or whether it is carrying books or rubbish, similarly, these Jews carry the Torah, and even interpret, distort, and alter it. Therefore, in reality, they are worse than a donkey, because a donkey is inherently devoid of understanding and intellect, whereas they possess understanding and intellect but do not use it properly. That is why it is further stated that their example is very bad. And in another place it is said, "اُولٰۗىِٕكَ كَالْاَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ اَضَلُّ اُولٰۗىِٕكَ هُمُ الْغٰفِلُوْنَ 179؁" (7:179) — they are like cattle, rather they are even more astray.. This is also the example of Muslims, and especially the scholars, who read the Quran, memorize it, and understand its meanings and demands, but do not act upon what it requires.

5. The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah, then did not carry it, is like that of a donkey carrying books [9]. Wretched is the example of the people who denied the signs of Allah [10], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

[9]
The Moral Decline of the Learned Jews:

In this verse and the verses that follow, the Jews are addressed directly. They considered themselves to be highly learned and knowledgeable. They had also written many commentaries on the Torah, which are called the Talmud. Most of them were literate, and many were scholars of the Torah. Their knowledge and scholarship were renowned throughout Arabia. That is why they called all other people "Ummi" (unlettered, ignorant, simpletons) and considered them inferior. But their practical lives were such that they were not only neglectful of their knowledge but also acted badly. Entangled in the greed of the world, they had forgotten Allah. They only acted upon those commands of Allah that suited their temperament and nature.

The Comparison of the Unpracticing Scholar to a Donkey:

Consuming what is forbidden, openly lying, breaking promises, deceit, altering the Book of Allah according to their own desires, consuming usury, and unlawfully acquiring the wealth of non-Jews and considering it lawful and pure for themselves had become their second nature. That is why Allah gave their example as a donkey upon whose back books have been loaded. It does not know whether the treasures of knowledge and wisdom are loaded on its back or stones. In other words, Allah declared those people to be donkeys who claimed to be learned and knowledgeable. From this, the principle is automatically derived that a scholar who does not act upon his knowledge or acts badly is not a scholar but a donkey, who carries the burden of books and knowledge on his back for nothing.
[10] Here, the signs of Allah refer to those glad tidings and the attributes of the Last Prophet that were present in the Torah, and denying this Last Prophet was tantamount to denying the signs of Allah.