FRIDAY PRAYERS (SALAT AL-JUM'A)

By Mirghani Hamed (e-mail: m62s7619@bih.net.ba)

DOES THE WORD YAWM ALWAYS MEAN A 24 HOURS DAY IN THE QURAN?

From the following research, we will, GW, see that the meaning of the word YAWN in the
Quran can vary from one context to another but the main meaning or the essence of this word
is in something that deals with time. It can mean >when, then, during, day, period of time,
time and etc.

Actually, its use as 24 hours day is very rare in the Quran but having this meaning in mind as
its main meaning we always run to translate it as 24 hours day.

The word YAWM with its suffixes, prefixes and plural form is mentioned more than 400 times
in the Quran. I will, GW, mention some of them here and you are all invited to check these
and other occurrences in the Quran.

THE FIRST EXAMPLES (words in CAPS are the translations of the Arabic word (YAWM)

3:155, “Those of you who ran away on the DAY/WHEN/AT THE TIME (when) the two groups
met/ (yawmal taqal jam&an)

5:109, “ (on the) DAY/AT THE TIME/WHEN God gathers the messengers (yawmayajma& Allah
ar rusul)

6:73, “It was He who created the heavens and the earth in all truth and WHEN/(on the) DAY
(when) He says: “Be” it shall be (wa yawma yaqulu kunfa ya koon.)

9:3, “A proclamation from God and His messenger (on the) DAY/DURING/ATTHE TIME (of the)
greater pilgrimage (yawm al hajil akbar)

16:80, “God has given you houses to dwell in, and animals’ skins fortents, so that you may
find them light WHEN you travel and easy to pitch WHEN you halt for shelter (yawma
zha&nihum wa yawma iqamatikum)

33:66, “(On the) DAY (when)/WHEN their heads/faces will roll about inthe fire (yawma tuqal
abu wujuhahum fin nari)

50:30, “(on the) DAY (when)/WHEN We say to/ask hell’ are you full.(yawma nagoolu li jahan
nam hal im tala’t..)

The above are examples from the Quran about the use of the word >yawm<.Please go
through them carefully and see if can they refer to a 24 hours day.

But to make it clear cut how the Quran explains this word check the following:

God in many places in the Quran informs us about the creation of the heavens and the earth.
All these verses (7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59, 32:4,50:38, 57:4) say that the heavens and the
earth were created in 6 (six)YAWMS. Does this means that God created them in 6 days or
should we take the right understanding, that is, 6 (six) periods of time.

I understand these 6 periods of time as periodical steps or stages of creation as explained in

41:9-12.
To see that yawm only indicates a period of time no matter how long it is, let us have a look at
9:36;

“God ordained the months twelve in number WHEN (yawm) created the heavens and the
earth.”

You see, in all these verses (7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59, 32:4, 50:38,57:4) the heaven and earth
are created in 6 YAWMS/ periods of time (sitata ayaam) but in 9:36 God says “ …yawm
khalaqa Allahu as samawati walarda / On the DAY when God created the heavens and the
earth.

The capitalized word DAY is the usual and traditional translation, which is not correct because
it contradicts with the Quran. However, if we take the right meaning of the word YAWM, that
is, a period of time, then we can see that 9:36 speaks about the time of creation of the
heavens and the earth in general and the other verses (7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59,32:4, 50:38,
57:4) speaks about periodical stages of creation (not days)

I think this makes it clear what is YAWM.

Another similar example is in 54:19; where Go speaks about the people of Ad (&ad) (see
54:18)

“We sent against them a furious wind on a day of bitter ill-luck (fiyawmi nahs(in) mustamir)”

Can >yawm< be translated as >a day< as the case with many translations?

But in 69:7, God says: “He made it rage against them seven nights andeight days in
succession..” ( sakh kharah &aleyhim sab& layal(in) wathamaniyeta ayam(in) husum(an).

Notice that this verse too refers to the people of Ad (&ad) (see 69:6).

So, I think that the correct translation for >fi yawmi nahsin mustamir<in 54:19 is “ in/during
a time of continuous bitter ill-luck.” Which is explained further in 69:7 with >seven nights and
eight days insuccession<.

Further the All Knowing explains in the glorious Quran the meaning ofthe Arabic word
>yawm<.

70:4, “The malai’ka and the rooh ascend unto Him to him in A PERIOD OFTIME the measure
thereof is 50 thousand years ( ta&rujul malai’katu war roohu ileyhi fi yawmin kana miqdaruhu
khamseena alfa sanatin”

YAWM AL JUM&A

So, why to take >min yawmil jum&a< as “on the day of gathering and not >in/during a time
of gathering?

What justifies the first understanding? Does God command believers to gather on a specific
day in the week? Are we supposed to do business and traffic only on “that day” of the week?
What if I do not go out for business or trade or any traffic on “that day”? What if I am on
holiday and not doing any traffic for weeks?
The time of Gathering, of course in referred to in the broader sense by the Quran – (marriage,
conferences, businesses, fairs and etc. etc)

So, after this research I am stating my understanding of this issue. There is no such a thing as
> salat on the day of gathering< or a congregational salat. The call is for salat in general
>idha nudiya liAS SALAT< and the phrase > min yawmil jum&a< simply means > in/during
atime of gathering. So, this is the translation I consider to be right:

“O you who believe, when the call is made for salat, in/during the time of gathering, hasten
earnestly to the remembrance of God and leave of the traffic, that is better for you if you but
knew.”

The message of God is contained in His book and not in some people’s desperate shouts and
attempts to stop those who intend to study His book. So, let us focus on the Message.