English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah, submits to His command, worships Him, and belongs to Him. He is the Sovereign, the Most Holy—free from every defect—the Almighty over all things, and the All-Wise in His creation and command; these perfect attributes call to worshipping Him alone.

The Most Holy: exalted and completely free from every defect and deficiency.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Allah bestowed a tremendous favour on the unlettered—those without a revealed book—by sending them a Messenger from among themselves. He recites Allah’s signs, purifies them from blameworthy character, and teaches them the Qur’an and the Sunnah; before this, they were in clear error, but through this teaching and purification they became leaders in knowledge, religion, and guidance.

Those who had no revealed scripture among them before this Messenger.

He purifies them by cultivating noble character and turning them away from blameworthy character.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Allah also bestowed this favour on others besides the unlettered—among those who came after them, including people of the Book—who had not yet joined those who directly received the Messenger’s call. Al-Sa‘di explains that this may mean they had not yet joined them in virtue or in time; both meanings are sound.

They had not yet joined the first believers—whether in time or in their rank of virtue; Al-Sa‘di allows both meanings.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

The special virtues granted to those who received and accompanied the Messenger are from Allah’s mighty wisdom and His great bounty. The blessing of religion, guidance, and the sending of messengers is greater than worldly blessings such as health and abundant provision, and Allah grants this bounty to whom He wills.

Allah’s great bounty here includes the blessing of religion, guidance, and the sending of the Messenger.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Those who were entrusted with the Torah and commanded to learn and act by it, yet failed to uphold it, are like a donkey carrying books of knowledge without benefiting from them. Their failure included not following the Messenger whose coming was announced in the Torah; this is a wretched example for those who deny Allah’s signs, and Allah does not guide people who persist in wrongdoing and stubbornness.

Books of knowledge; the comparison shows that merely carrying knowledge without benefiting from it brings no virtue.

They did not uphold the Torah by learning it properly and acting upon what it required.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Allah commands His Messenger to tell them: if you are truthful in claiming that you are upon the truth and are Allah’s allies, then wish for death. Had they known themselves to be upon the truth, they would not have avoided this challenge; their refusal reveals that they know the falsehood and corruption of their claim.

Allies or close friends of Allah—the claim whose truthfulness they were challenged to prove.

Wish for death: the challenge that would expose whether their claim of being upon the truth was genuine.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

They will never wish for death because of the sins and acts of disobedience their hands have sent ahead. Allah fully knows the wrongdoers, and none of their wrongdoing is hidden from Him.

Because of the sins and acts of disobedience they had sent ahead.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Their fleeing from death cannot save them, for the death Allah has decreed for His servants will inevitably meet them. Then all people will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform them of everything they did—good or evil, little or much.

It will meet you: death is unavoidable and cannot be escaped by fleeing.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Allah commands the believers to attend the Friday prayer and to give it priority from the time its call is made. The command to hasten means to proceed promptly and make it one’s chief concern—not to run—and they are to leave trade; attending this obligatory prayer is better than remaining occupied with business.

Proceed promptly and give the Friday prayer priority; Al-Sa‘di explicitly says this does not mean running.

Leave trade once the call for the Friday prayer is made.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

When the prayer is finished, believers may spread through the land seeking earnings and trade. Because worldly work can lead to heedlessness, Allah commands them to remember Him abundantly in all their states, for frequent remembrance of Allah is among the greatest causes of success.

After the prayer, disperse through the land to seek lawful earnings and trade.

Remember Allah abundantly even while returning to worldly work.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

When they saw trade or amusement, they left the mosque for it and left the Prophet ﷺ standing and delivering the Friday sermon. Allah’s reward for those who remain with goodness and persevere in worship is better than amusement and trade, and obedience to Allah does not cause provision to be lost, for Allah is the best of providers; Al-Sa‘di also draws from these verses the obligation of Friday prayer and its sermons, responding to the call, leaving trade after the call, and attending and listening to the sermon.

They left the mosque and went toward the trade or amusement while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the sermon.

Allah is the best of providers; persevering in obedience does not cause one’s provision to be lost.

Summary of the Meanings:

Allah sent the Messenger ﷺ among the unlettered to recite His signs, purify them, and teach them the Book and wisdom. This guidance is among Allah’s greatest favours, granted to the first believers and to others who would follow them.

The surah warns against carrying revealed knowledge without acting upon it, likening that condition to a donkey carrying books. It also exposes false claims of special nearness to Allah and reminds that death is unavoidable and every deed will be reported.

When the Friday call is made, believers must give the prayer priority and leave trade. After the prayer they may seek Allah’s bounty, while remembering Him abundantly and preferring His reward over amusement and commerce.